Douglas P. Needham

A senior litigator, Doug Needham protects worker rights and benefits through cases brought under the Employee Retirement Security Act (ERISA) and consumer protection statutes regarding pension calculations, 401(k) investments, ERISA vesting rules, insurance rates and executive compensation.

Working closely with actuaries, economists and statisticians, Doug’s cases involve complex annuity, investment and insurance products, as well as the effect of corporate mergers and spin-offs on employee benefits.

He was a partner at a boutique plaintiffs’ class action firm before joining Motley Rice, playing a lead role in developing novel cases brought under the ERISA statute and helping thousands of workers across the country recover money and benefits, including:

•Berry v. Wells Fargo ($79 million settlement.* Worked alongside Motley Rice as co-lead counsel. The settlement was the largest recovery for a “top hat case” in the history of ERISA)
•Cruz v. Raytheon ($59 million settlement* as class counsel)
•Snider v. Seventy-Seven Energy ($15 million settlement* as co-lead counsel)
•Stegemann v. Gannett (co-class counsel)

Before focusing on his practice representing plaintiffs, Doug represented clients in business torts, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud cases as a partner at a large corporate law firm in Connecticut.

A former All-Ivy lacrosse player during his time at Cornell, Doug is a youth lacrosse and basketball coach and a board member for a local lacrosse program and previously was the risk manager for a youth soccer program.

Awards, Accolades & Recognitions

Connecticut Super Lawyers

Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Stars list
2015-2018 Class Action & Mass Torts, Business Litigation

Selection criteria

Blog Posts

July 6, 2023

Social media’s grip on teen mental health

by: Laura K. Stemkowski

January 8, 2021

Clicking with caution: Cybersecurity data breach risks are higher than ever Causes, Not Just Cases

by: Jodi Westbrook Flowers

August 12, 2020

Denied business interruption insurance payouts due to COVID-19 losses, some business owners may find justice in civil courts Causes, Not Just Cases

by: John A. Baden IV

News

April 28, 2025

The history and legacy of Workers’ Memorial Day

by:
M. Nolan Webb