JosephTorres

Partner Joseph Torres has been selected for Negocios Now's Who's Who in Hispanic Business special edition as one of 50 Powerful Latino Lawyers. Joseph will be recognized at Negocios Now's Gala event on July 23, 2026.

Joseph Torres, chair of Jenner & Block's ERISA Litigation Practice, along with Partner Hope H. Tone-O'Keefe and Associate Sriya Chadalavada, published an analysis of the Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Platt v. Sodexo, S.A. in the Spring 2026 edition of the Employee Relations Law Journal.

In an article for Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joseph Torres, Special Counsel Jennifer Beach, and Associate Jeff Salvadore discuss a recent Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision regarding enforceability of releases of ERISA claims, examining the Court’s holding and offering key takeaways for plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and ERISA practitioners.

Twenty-nine Jenner & Block partners have been named to Lawdragon’s 2026 “500 Leading Litigators in America” list. The award honors lawyers who have excelled in commercial litigation, product liability, mass torts, securities and other fiduciary litigation, white collar and investigations, administrative proceedings, class actions, antitrust, energy and technology disputes, intellectual property, trademark and patent wars.

In an article for Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joseph Torres and Associates George Allan and Emma O’Connor examine a recent decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which serves as a useful reminder of some of the pitfalls of failing to comply with ERISA’s disclosure requirements. They discuss statutory and regulatory disclosure requirements, and a recent Tenth Circuit decision, M. S. v. Premera Blue Cross.

In an article for Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joseph Torres and Associate Katherine Funderburg examine the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Cunningham v. Cornell University, which addressed the applicable pleading standard for prohibited transaction claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and resolved an existing three-way circuit split. The authors review prohibited transactions, the path to the court, the ruling, implications for employers, plan

Chambers USA 2025 affirms Jenner & Block’s preeminence in Illinois, awarding nine practice area rankings, with Band 1 recognition in General Commercial Litigation, White Collar Crime & Government Investigations Litigation, and Insurance: Policyholder Disputes.

In an article for Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joseph Torres, and Associates Hope Tone-O’Keefe and Jeff Salvadore examine challenges to standing as a defense in excessive fee cases under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Thole v. US Bank N.A. The authors review recent developments in this area and provide tips for plan sponsors who may encounter such claims.

Partner Joseph Torres was named a 2024 Notable Latino Leader by Crain’s Chicago Business. The honorees’ professions range from law, architecture, and arts to tech and transportation.

In an article for Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joseph Torres and Associate Katherine Funderburg examine how courts have seen a number of new ERISA class actions in which plaintiffs have challenged 401(k) plan sponsors’ use of forfeitures to offset employer matching contributions. The authors discuss two recent rulings in which two district courts in California reached conflicting results on motions to dismiss the claims of plaintiffs pursuing ERISA claims challenging the reallocation

On August 20, 2024, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, in Ryan LLC et al. v. Federal Trade Commission, granted Ryan LLC and the US Chamber of Commerce’s motion for summary judgment and barred the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from enforcing its broad non-compete ban with nationwide effect. The FTC’s rule, which would have banned non-compete agreements in most employment contexts, was set to go into effect in two weeks, on September 4, 2024.[1]

Partner Joe Torres has been appointed Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Labor and Employment Law. The over 10,000 members of the Section represent companies, unions, individuals, and government entities in all aspects of labor and employment law. 

In an article for Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joseph Torres and Associates Alexis Bates and Amanda Walsh examine how excessive fee litigation is aiming for employer-sponsored prescription drug benefit plans. The authors discuss Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the principles that retirement plan fiduciaries must uphold, the beginnings and recent developments in excessive fee litigation, alleging excessive prescription drug fees, and more.

In an article for the Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joe Torres, Special Counsel Jenny Beach, and Associate Jacob Wentzel discuss the implications of the recent ERISA decision by the Ninth Circuit in South Coast Specialty Center, Inc. v. Blue Cross of California. The court addressed whether and when a plan participant can assign a right to sue to a third-party medical provider. 

In an article for the Employee Relations Law Journal, Partner Joe Torres, along with Associates Hope Tone-O’Keefe and Isha Abbasi, analyze what factors contribute to an ERISA-complaint “full and fair review.”

Partner Joe Torres has been selected by the Illinois Supreme Court to join a new committee created to study how the state’s legal community can help those who cannot afford legal services. Called the Supreme Court Executive Committee on the Practice of Law, the committee is charged with exploring how to close the growing gap between those who can afford legal services and those who can’t. This gap is “unacceptable,” Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis explained in a press release announcing the commit

Partner Joe Torres was recognized among Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2023 “Notable Leaders in Employment and Labor Law.” The list highlights individuals who have made a measurable and specific impact in employment and labor law cases, and pro bono work.

On September 21, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States Department of Labor (DOL) to bolster the FTC’s efforts to protect workers.[1]According to the FTC’s press release, the MOU outlines how the FTC and DOL will collaborate to combat labor market concentration, one-sided contract terms, and the developing “gig economy.”[2]The partnership seeks to promote competitive US labor markets and end unfair and deceptive practices

In their column, Jenner & Block Partner Joe Torres and Associate Emma O’Connor continue their examination of “the issue of whether the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) allows plans to require arbitration of ERISA claims” and the challenges that plan sponsors have to navigate. The authors highlight several cases, exploring different occurrences and outcomes.