- Charles Toutant in New Jersey Law Journal gives a quick history of the issue and a summary of the ruling, along with quotes from lead attorneys Karen Handorf for the plan members and Jeffrey Greenbaum for the hospital. This is the first statement we've seen on behalf of the hospital in the wake of the ruling. Greenbaum makes clear that the hospital plans to exhaust its legal options before making any changes to its management of the pension plan.
- Rebecca Moore at PLANSPONSOR provides a somewhat more in-depth summary of how the court interpreted the intent of the ERISA statute's church plan exemption by studying its history. Both this and the New Jersey Law Journal article make clear that the ruling sets a precedent for the circuit courts, though apparently other cases pending in the appellate courts could make a contradictory ruling on other grounds, perhaps leading to review by the Supreme Court.
- Cohen Milstein, Karen Handorf's law firm, has issued a press release following the court victory.
The management of Saint Peter's University Hospital is using the church to exempt itself from the Federal safeguards that protect your retirement plan. For an introduction, see Your Pension At Risk.