"That strategy of recasting claims for benefits under an ERISA plan as claims under state law ... runs headlong into one of ERISA's most potent defenses: the preemption defense. This defense is particularly important for companies that work in and near the employee benefits space and find themselves targeted with litigation arising from their work.... For example, where an employee accuses an insurer or technology platform of misrepresenting the availability of a particular benefit and seeks damages arising from the misrepresentation, that claim will generally be preempted."  MORE >>