Nina Wasow

Nina Wasow is a partner in the firm. Ms. Wasow litigates individual disability and pension benefits claims as well as class action breach of fiduciary duty claims under ERISA, including claims on behalf of participants and beneficiaries in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and investors in Guaranteed Investment Contracts (GICs) and other stable value products. She has litigated extensively against service providers to retirement and welfare benefit plans that charge excessive fees, misrepresent or fail to disclose their fee structures, or use plan assets for their own benefit.

She also frequently advises clients on employment issues such as negotiation of severance agreements, requesting workplace accommodation versus seeking disability benefits, and obtaining or maintaining disability or retirement benefits while continuing to work.

Ms. Wasow was previously a shareholder at Lewis, Feinberg, Lee & Jackson, P.C. She clerked for Judge Susan Graber of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

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Significant Cases

  • Teets v. Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company
  • Moon v. Rush
  • Clarke v. Valley Aggregate Transport, Inc.
  • Schuett v. FedEx
  • Tribune Company Employee Stock Ownership Plan Lawsuit
  • Fernandez v. K-M Holding Co., Inc.
  • Rozo v. Principal Life Insurance Company

Awards

  • Top Women Attorneys in Northern California (2011-2020)
  • Northern California Super Lawyer (2013-2020)
  • Northern California Rising Star (2011-2012)

Civic Activities & Professional Associations

  • Co-chair of the ABA Labor & Employment Law Employee Benefits Committee, Employment Discrimination and Employee Benefits Subcommittee.

Publications & Presentations

  • Contributing author to Sacher et al., Employee Benefits Law (BNA Books).

  • Ms. Wasow has written for the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section, Employee Benefits Committee Newsletter and BNA Pension & Benefits Daily.

  • Frequent speaking engagements including: annual meeting of the ABA’s Tort, Trial and Insurance Practice Section; ABA Employee Benefits Committee ERISA Basics conference; ABA Employee Benefits Committee National Institute on ERISA Litigation; ABA Employee Benefits Committee midwinter meetings; the National Employment Lawyers Association convention; ABA Labor & Employment Law Section conference; and numerous webinars.