Julie Selesnick

Founder & Principal Attorney

Certifications, Awards, and Accolades

Selected to SuperLawyers, 2019–2024
Elected to the American Bar Foundation, 2021
National Law Journal Plaintiffs “Trailblazer Award”, 2021
Member of Law360’s Practice Group of the Year: ERISA/Employee Benefits, 2020
The National Law Journal’s Pro Bono Hot List: DACA Litigation 2019

Julie Selesnick has been practicing law since 2001, during which time she has amassed a wealth of experience in high-stakes dispute resolution. She has represented clients on both sides of the aisle, from major corporations to small businesses, labor unions, individuals, and class plaintiffs. An experienced litigator, Julie has led jury and bench trials as first chair, helping clients recover more than $91 million through settlements and verdicts.

The passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (“CAA”) had a profound effect on health plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and governmental health plans operated by municipalities, counties, school boards and states. Responding to this sea change in the health plan statutory environment, Julie expanded her law practice to provide legal and compliance counsel to plan sponsors and fiduciaries, Taft-Hartley trustees and coalitions, and vendors servicing group health plans. She provides advice and counsel on regulatory and fiduciary compliance with ERISA, CAA, HIPAA, mental health parity and other applicable governmental regulations and legislation, and on litigation decisions affecting plan obligations. Julie also provides fiduciary education, training and guidance as part of an overall litigation and enforcement risk avoidance strategy. Additionally, she challenges improper benefit denials, fiduciary breaches, deceptive business practices, and other consumer, antitrust, and contract law violations.

Using a strategic approach, Julie helps clients negotiate service agreements with the country’s largest insurance carriers and PBMs, secure access to participant claims data for proper plan administration, and enforce compensation transparency from plan service providers. She also helps clients design RFIs and RFPs to vet new and existing service providers. Plan sponsors and health plan service providers frequently retain Julie for guidance in aligning fiduciary best practices with innovative procurement and legal strategies. Julie especially enjoys thinking “outside the box” for new ways to help clients design, administer and manage legally compliant, cost-effective health plans that provide affordable, high-quality health care to hardworking employees and their families.

Education

Law School
The George Washington University Law School, J.D., Order of the Coif, 2001

Undergraduate
San Diego State University, B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, 1998

Sample of Live and Recorded Speaking Engagements and Webinars

April 2025, PLANSPONSOR:
Health Plan Fiduciary Duties – A CAA Overview

February 2025, 4C Digital Summit 2025:
Is my Company at Risk? Leading the Charge in Proactively Addressing Litigation Challenges

September 2024, RosettaFest:
Navigating Challenges in Employer and Union Health Plans: Insights and Strategies for Effective Solutions

September 2024, RosettaFest:
The Promise of Direct Access: How Employers & Vendors Can Avoid Being Sued While Saving Millions

May 2024, Benefits DNA Summit:
The Litigation Tea Leaves, What Plan Sponsors Need to Do Now

April 2024, The Third Virtual National Healthcare Transparency and No Surprises Act Summit:
Structural Implications of Transparency Regulations on Employers (Panelist)

March 2024, Validation Institute:
Safeguarding Health Care’s Runaway Train: A Rescue Plan for Americans

February 2024, HCAA Executive Forum:
ERISA Fiduciary Breach Legislation and Independent TPAs: If You Aren’t at the Table as Part of the Solution, You Will Likely Be on the Litigation Menu

February 2024, SIIA Healthcare Price Transparency Forum:
Decided in Court: Lawsuits to Access Pricing and Claims Data

October 2023, SIIA’s National Conference & Expo:
“Gag Clauses and Fiduciary Responsibilities: Where’s Our Claims Data?”

July 2023, The Leapfrog Group:
“ERISA Law and Healthcare Quality”

June 2023, Validation Institute thINc360 Healthcare Innovation Conference & Benefit Design Strategy Summit:
Employer Fiduciary Training – A Procurement Process for Your Healthcare Plan

June 2023, HEALTH x STL: Employer Healthcare Innovation Summit, Simpara:
Healthcare Transparency, the New Frontier

April 2023, Legal & Legislative Conference, Pennsylvania State Council of SHRM:
The “F” Word: New Laws Spotlighting the Fiduciary Duties Required by Health Plan Sponsors

April 2023, MAXIMIZE 2023: The Competitive Edge, Axim Fringe Solutions Group:
What Every Broker Needs to Know: Legal Changes Governing Group Health Plans

March 2023, Chapter Meeting, SHRMA:
Emergent Issues Surrounding New Group Health Plan Reporting Requirements

February 2023, Executive Forum, The Healthcare Administrators Association (HCAA):
Watch Out for the Sharks in the Water, They Smell Blood: Avoiding Risky Fiduciary Breaches That Could Become Very Costly for You and Your Clients

April 2022: York SHRM:
Employer Fiduciary Alert – What You Need to Know Regarding the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA)