"Plan sponsors should consider adopting the following practices to avoid or limit potential exposure for plaintiffs' fees and costs: [1] If voluntarily reversing a benefit denial, obtain a release of attorneys' fees in exchange for agreeing to grant the benefit. [2] Emphasize that fees are unwarranted or should be reduced substantially to reflect any unsuccessful claims.... [3] Vigorously defend against allegations of bad faith ... [4] When amending plan language, state the reasons for the change, so that a participant can't argue that the plan was amended as a result of a lawsuit."  MORE >>