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DuPont/Corteva Early Retirement Case

Case Overview

This class-action ERISA lawsuit challenges the elimination or reduction of early retirement benefits around which many employees of the Dupont company planned their careers following the spin-off by Dupont of a former subsidiary, Corteva Agriscience. The suit was filed in 2021 by two such employees, Robert F. Cockerill and Christopher W. Newton, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and was later joined by Oliver Major and Darrell Benson.

Retirement benefits attorneys at Kantor & Kantor, with co-counsel Edward Stone Law, P.C. and Feinberg Jackson, filed suit on behalf of Mr. Cockerill, Mr. Newton, Mr. Major and Mr. Benson and a class of similarly situated employees, asserting claims for early and optional retirement benefits as well as claims for fiduciary breach and other violations of ERISA and, alternatively, for violation of state law, based on the Defendants’ self-serving and erroneous interpretation of plan terms and their broken promises.

Case Name

The case name is Cockerill v. Corteva, Inc., No. 21-3966, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Status of the Litigation

On December 18, 2024, the Court issued findings of facts and conclusions of law. Click here to review the Court’s ruling on liability. The Court ruled finding in favor of the Plaintiffs with respect to both the Early and Optional Retirement Classes.

On November 17, 2023, the Court granted class certification for two classes, an Early Retirement Class and an Optional Retirement Class. Class notices are being mailed and emailed beginning Friday, June 10, 2024. Click here for more information. If you believe you are a member of either class and have not received a notice, please contact us.

On August 4, 2022, the district court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, holding that plaintiffs are entitled to discovery on their claims. In July 2023, the Plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint, and the Defendants moved to dismiss the second amended complaint. The Court denied the Defendants’ motion on September 1, 2023.

The Court has set a trial beginning June 17, 2024.

This case will be updated to reflect important developments in the case.

If you would like to speak to an attorney about the status of the case, please complete and submit the form below and someone will contact you.

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Your personal data will only be used to determine if you are a member of a class in this case and, if you are, to provide you notice about your rights and any recovery you may be entitled to. Your personal information will not be used for any other purpose.

    First Name (required)
    Last Name (required)
    Employee ID number
    Address
    Email (required)
    Phone
    Employer prior to June 1, 2019 (required)
    Work Location
    Union
    Date of Birth
    Age on May 31, 2019 (required)
    Years of service in the pension plan at May 31, 2019?
    Have you received a Notice of Class Action?
    Have you started receiving pension benefits?
    If yes, date you started your pension:
    Are you receiving less than 100% of your pension?
    Additional Comments