Intel loses and English wins in a refreshingly simple SCOTUS decision

The US Supreme Court yesterday unanimously decided a case that pitted Intel against a former employee and turned out to be a win for workers, as well as for users of the English language who like to think they know what plain words mean. Its outcome turned on the meaning of a phrase that sounds simple enough on its face—actual knowledge—but here led to very different interpretations with serious ramifications for employers and workers. ERISA provides three different cutoffs for lawsuits alleging fiduciary wrongdoing: claims must be filed within three years of a plan recipient having “actual knowledge” of a breach; or within six years of the latest violation; or, where there was fraud and concealment, upon discovery of the breach.