Sean Abouchedid handles ERISA litigation matters in courts across the country. He has represented plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers in a variety of high-stakes disputes ranging from class action lawsuits to major federal agency investigations. In recent years, Sean has defended several church-affiliated healthcare systems in class action lawsuits alleging that their pension plans do not qualify for ERISA’s church plan exemption and seeking billions of dollars in damages and other relief. In one of those lawsuits, Groom became the first law firm in the recent wave of church plan litigation to secure a complete defense victory for its clients on summary judgment. Some of Sean’s other representative matters include defending institutional trustees, plan sponsors, and selling shareholders in multiple lawsuits and Department of Labor investigations involving Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and defending one of the nation’s largest retailers in a class action lawsuit concerning its 401(k) plan. Sean handles all aspects of litigation and alternative dispute resolution. He has substantial experience guiding clients through the discovery process, including managing large-scale productions of electronically stored information and resolving difficult discovery disputes. He has also drafted and argued dispositive motions and other significant motions, and represented clients in connection with trials, arbitration hearings, and mediations. Before joining Groom, Sean practiced for several years at one of the largest law firms in the country, where he focused on complex commercial litigation. He litigated a broad range of claims, such as complex contractual claims, bankruptcy-related claims, antitrust claims, Medicare and Medicaid fraud claims, and labor law claims. Professional Affiliations American Bar Association Honors & Distinctions Listed, The Legal 500 US, ERISA Litigation (2017) Editor, The Georgetown Law Journal Primary Editor, The Annual Review of Criminal Procedure
Publications Tenth Circuit Agrees with District Court that Catholic Health Initiative’s Plan is a ‘Church Plan’ December 21, 2017
Publications In Victory for Religiously-Affiliated Hospitals, the Supreme Court Rules that Church Plans Need not be Established by Churches June 6, 2017
Publications Federal Government Breaks Silence and Asks Supreme Court to Uphold Agencies’ Long-Standing Interpretation of ERISA’s Church Plan Exemption February 1, 2017