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Husch Blackwell accused of utilizing worker…
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Husch Blackwell accused of utilizing worker 401(ok) contributions for months to cowl working bills
By Debra Cassens Weiss
September 17, 2025, 9:19 am CDT
A would-be class motion lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that Husch Blackwell engaged in “a deliberate scheme” to quickly use its staff’ retirement plan contributions for its profit in violation of the Worker Retirement Earnings Safety Act. (Picture from Shutterstock)
A would-be class motion lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that Husch Blackwell engaged in “a deliberate scheme” to quickly use its staff’ retirement plan contributions for its profit in violation of the Worker Retirement Earnings Safety Act.
The swimsuit filed by former Husch Blackwell accomplice Tyler M. Paetkau claims that the regulation agency deducted contributions to the 401(ok) plan from worker paychecks after which used the cash “for months at a time” to pay agency working bills. Consequently, plan members have been disadvantaged of a proper to hunt an funding return on their retirement financial savings throughout that interval, in response to the swimsuit.
Paetkau left Husch Blackwell in August after working for just a little greater than three years, in response to the swimsuit filed within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Western District of Missouri. Defendants are the agency and members of its government committee.
Citing an instance, the swimsuit says Husch Blackwell withheld $2,475 from Paetkau’s semimonthly paychecks from July by means of December 2023 as a compulsory year-end contribution to the plan. The withheld funds have been deposited to the plan the primary three months of 2024.
Withdrawn funds in decrease quantities continued to be deposited after a delay, till Paetkau acquired a refund of greater than $15,000 when he left the agency. The quantity represented cash deducted from his paycheck however not deposited into the 401(ok) from January by means of Aug. 15, in response to the swimsuit.
Paetkau seeks to signify a category of 400 members whose wages have been withheld however not despatched to the plan by the fifteenth enterprise day of the next month. The swimsuit seeks to revive to the 401(ok) plan income that Husch Blackwell could have made by means of use of the funds.
Paetkau is represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and Fell Legislation.
A spokesperson for Husch Blackwell didn’t instantly reply to the ABA Journal’s request for remark.
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