James Larue v. Dewolff, Boberg & Associates, Incorporated Dewolff, Boberg & Associates, Incorporated, Employees' Savings Plan

**What Happened** James Larue worked for DeWolff, Boberg & Associates and participated in the company's retirement savings plan. He sued his employer, claiming they mismanaged his individual retirement account within the plan. Larue argued that poor investment decisions by the plan administrators caused him to lose money in his personal retirement account, and he wanted the company to compensate him for those losses. **What the Court Decided** The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Larue. The court found that under ERISA (the federal law governing employer retirement plans), workers cannot sue to recover personal losses from their individual retirement accounts. The law only allows lawsuits that would benefit the entire retirement plan, not individual participants seeking money for their own account losses. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling limits workers' ability to recover money when they believe their employer mismanaged their individual retirement accounts. If workers think their retirement funds were poorly invested or mishandled, they generally cannot sue for personal compensation under federal law. Workers may need to explore other legal options or focus on ensuring proper plan management going forward.