“I strive to put forth my best efforts for each and every client, and to ensure each client is completely satisfied.”
-Attorney Eva Cantarella
Pensions
In the past 25 years, I have recovered over $130 million in pension benefits for my clients. Some claims were brought as a class action; others were brought on behalf of one or a few persons. In all cases, I spare no time, effort, or expense to fight for my clients because I believe everyone deserves to retire with dignity.
My activities in the pension arena and my commentary on pension issues have been widely reported in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, IBL Class Action Reporter, Lawyers Weekly USA, Tax Analysts, and many others.
I have presented on pension issues in many different venues, including giving testimony to the United States Department of Treasury (see Professional and Community Leadership, below). I have also received numerous awards as a result of my advocacy on behalf of pension plan participants and their beneficiaries (see Honors and Awards below).
Tax Appeals in the Detroit Area
When I am not handling pension claims or pension issues, I am prosecuting commercial property tax appeals on behalf of the taxpayer owners.
Practice Areas
- Pensions
- Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Appeals
Education
- G.S., Oakland University, with concentrations in Politics and Economics; graduated summa cum laude; won two outstanding academic achievement awards in mathematics
- Juris Doctorate, Wayne State University with honors
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Michigan
- Most United States Courts of Appeals, including the United States Supreme Court
Honors & Awards
- Pension Lawyer of the Year USA (Finance Monthly, 2017)
- Pension Lawyer of the Year USA (Lawyers Monthly, 2017)
- Women in Law Award Pensions (Lawyers Monthly, 2017)
- Included in Marquis Who’s Who as an Expert in Pension Law (2019, 2018, 2017)
- Global Award in Pension Law (Finance Monthly, 2016)
- Pension Lawyer of the Year (Lawyers Monthly, 2016)
- Michigan Super Lawyer (2012, 2017-Present)
- Leading Lawyer (Employee Benefits Law, 2014-Present)
- dBusiness Top Lawyers (dBusiness Magazine, 2015)
- Best for Property Tax Appeals in Michigan (Corporate America News, 2015)
Practice Areas
- Pensions
- Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Appeals
Education
- G.S., Oakland University, with concentrations in Politics and Economics; graduated summa cum laude; won two outstanding academic achievement awards in mathematics
- Juris Doctorate, Wayne State University with honors
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Michigan
- Most United States Courts of Appeals, including the United States Supreme Court
Honors & Awards
- Pension Lawyer of the Year USA (Finance Monthly, 2017)
- Pension Lawyer of the Year USA (Lawyers Monthly, 2017)
- Women in Law Award Pensions (Lawyers Monthly, 2017)
- Included in Marquis Who’s Who as an Expert in Pension Law (2019, 2018, 2017)
- Global Award in Pension Law (Finance Monthly, 2016)
- Pension Lawyer of the Year (Lawyers Monthly, 2016)
- Michigan Super Lawyer (2012, 2017-Present)
- Leading Lawyer (Employee Benefits Law, 2014-Present)
- dBusiness Top Lawyers (dBusiness Magazine, 2015)
- Best for Property Tax Appeals in Michigan (Corporate America News, 2015)
Examples of Excellence
- Lyons v. Georgia-Pacific Corp. Salaried Employees Retirement Plan, No. 97-CV-0980-JOF (N.D. Ga.): recovered $67 million in past-due pension benefits for 20,000+ class members.
- Underwood v. Carpenters Pension Trust Fund – Detroit and Vicinity Pension Plan, No. 2:13-cv-14464 (E.D. Mich.): recovered over $39 million in past-due and future pension benefits for approximately 325 class members
- Humphrey v. United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, No. H-05-758 (S.D. Tex.): recovered over $6.1 million in past-due pension benefits for approximately 630 class members
- Ramsey v. Amfac, Inc., No. C-95-4317 CAL (N.D. Cal.): recovered $5.4 million in past-due benefits for approximately 2,435 class members
- Crosby v. Bowater Incorporated Retirement Plan for Salaried Employees of Great Northern Paper Inc., No. 1:05-CV-3478 (N.D. Ill.): recovered $3.2 million in past-due pension benefits for approximately 350 class members
- Zimmer v. Henry House, Inc., No. 1:95-CV-318 (W.D. Mich.): recovered $1 million in past due benefits for approximately 93 class members
- Nolan The Detroit Edison Company, No.2:18-cv-13359 (E.D. Mich.): recovered $5.5 milllion in past due benefits for 466 class members
Professional Affiliations & Credentials
- Advisory Committee Member for Trellis Pension and Retirement Rights
- Presented on pension issues to ASPPA-Detroit; ASPPA-Cleveland; United States Department of Treasury; ABA, Labor and Employment, Employee Benefits Subcommittee
- Comcast Cable Television, Practical Law; Deloitte Touche; Employee Benefit Security Administration; International Foundation of Employee Benefit Specialists; Investment Management Institute, Corporate Funds Forum; national Pension Rights Center in Washington DC; Michigan Pension Rights Center; and many other groups
- Publicly testified on pension issues before the United States Department of Treasury
- Featured pension lawyer in April 2019 issue of 401(k) Advisor, a national pension publication
- Avid blogger on pension and retirement issues (over 600 blogs to date)
- Authored A Class Act: ERISA Pension Claims and the Class Action Mechanism (2002, published in National Lawyers Weekly and Michigan Lawyers weekly)
- In 2008, I founded Group for Equitable ERISA Remedies (GEER) to advocate for more equitable remedies for participants and beneficiaries who have been short-changed as to their ERISA pension benefits and other employer-provided ERISA benefits. GEER has since disbanded because evolving case law has enhanced the equitable remedies available to ERISA claimants.
- Pro bono: With the support of my firm, I have provided hundreds of hours of pro bono work for pension plan participants and their beneficiaries.
Testimonials
Awards and Accolades
