Welcome to the Riemer Hess Quarterly Report. This newsletter is intended to cover the Firm’s most relevant highlights of 2025 Q1. Below you’ll find news updates, recent educational outreach performed by the firm, client success stories, and a litigation roundup from this quarter.
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We’re excited to share that Riemer Hess has officially moved to our new office at 110 East 42nd Street, Suite 1418, New York, NY 10017. Our team worked diligently throughout Q1 2025 to ensure a smooth transition, with proactive outreach to clients, insurers, treating providers, experts, and our referral network. This helped avoid any disruption to time-sensitive communications or client checks.
As of April 15, 2025, we are fully operational in the new space. The team has adopted a hot desk hybrid model, and while we’re still in the process of decorating to make the office warm and inviting, the space is already serving us—and our clients—well. Notably, the new office includes enhanced security features to better protect our staff and safeguard client information.
Ryan McIntyre Promoted to Senior Associate
We are proud to announce the promotion of Ryan McIntyre to Senior Associate at Riemer Hess. Since joining the firm in 2021, Ryan has played a pivotal role in advancing our litigation and appellate practice, bringing diligence, strategic insight, and a deep commitment to client advocacy.
Ryan’s work spans all phases of the long term disability process—from initial claims and monitoring to complex appeals and federal litigation. He is also a frequent author and presenter on ERISA-related topics, contributing valuable education for attorneys and financial professionals alike. Please join us in congratulating Ryan on this well-deserved recognition of his contributions and leadership.
Michele Wagner Promoted to Senior Paralegal
We’re proud to announce the promotion of Michele Wagner to Senior Paralegal. Michele has been a key member of the Riemer Hess team for years, known for her strong advocacy, deep empathy, and unwavering commitment to our clients.
In her new role, Michele will handle more complex cases and play an expanded role in mentoring and training our paralegal staff. Her expertise — especially in obtaining and maintaining ongoing disability benefits — makes her an invaluable resource both to our clients and our internal team. Please join us in congratulating Michele on this well-deserved promotion.
Welcoming Our New Legal Assistant, Juniorlee Florentville
We’re excited to welcome Juniorlee Florentville to the Riemer Hess team as our newest Legal Assistant. A graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a B.S. in Political Science, Juniorlee brings a strong foundation in legal support and a clear passion for helping others. Prior to joining us, she worked in immigration law, where she honed her skills in case coordination and client communication.
At Riemer Hess, Juniorlee supports our attorneys and paralegals in preparing long term disability claims by organizing case files, coordinating with medical providers, and helping gather essential documentation. She is committed to easing client stress and ensuring every case is handled with care and attention. We’re thrilled to have her on board.
We’re pleased to share that Jane Doe, our pro bono client previously featured, has now been approved for Long Term Disability benefits. Jane is living with several serious conditions — including Long COVID, ME/CFS, POTS, EDS, chronic migraines, and idiopathic hypersomnia — which significantly impair her ability to work.
After securing her Short Term Disability benefits in late 2024, our team continued building a strong LTD claim. Led by Associate Samantha Wladich and Paralegal Georgette Pascual, we worked closely with Jane’s medical providers to gather detailed physician letters and APS forms. Objective support from a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) and an Independent Medical Examination (IME) played a key role. Jane’s doctors remained highly responsive, providing timely updates when the insurer requested additional documentation.
Jane was an engaged and thoughtful partner throughout the process. We’re proud to have helped secure the support she needs to focus on her health.
This quarter, the firm launched a new educational series tailored for financial advisors who recommend LTD policies to executives and professionals. Led by Senior Associate Ryan McIntyre, with substantial support from Relationship Manager Nicole Binns, the initiative includes emails, webinars, and written content aimed at improving advisor fluency in policy mechanics.
The series focuses on common insurer misapplications of policy terms and provides practical guidance on what to look for—and avoid—when advising clients. The goal is to equip advisors with the knowledge needed to better protect their clients from future claims issues. The series is ongoing and will continue through Q2 2025.
In Q1 2025, the court directed Doe to file a motion to continue proceeding under a pseudonym. This procedural development came amid broader judicial scrutiny of anonymity requests in the Southern District of New York, where the presiding judge is currently managing several high-profile cases involving similar issues.
In support of Doe’s motion, the firm submitted updated letters from Doe’s treating psychiatrist and the examining neuropsychologist, both underscoring the serious risk of harm if she were required to proceed under her legal name. The litigation is led by Partner Jennifer Hess and Associate Jennifer Manger, with continued support from Paralegal Michele Wagner.
In Cruikshank v. First Unum Life Insurance Company, Riemer Hess continues to litigate on behalf of a disabled attorney working for a well-known big law firm. Despite a well-supported appeal, Unum denied the claim, ignoring substantial evidence of the plaintiff’s disability.
In Q1 2025, the firm pressed forward with discovery, including engaging in a dispute over Unum’s lack of responsiveness and overly broad objections to our requests. The litigation is being led by Partner Jennifer Hess and Associate Samantha Wladich, with support from Paralegals Michele Wagner, Georgette Pascual, and Sam Cornielle-Renner. The team remains focused on building a strong evidentiary record and holding Unum accountable.
The firm has resolved Israel v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, a case involving a woman with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who faced repeated denials despite extensive medical support and a prior court-ordered remand for a full and fair review.
After submitting our bench trial brief on January 29, 2025, the matter resolved shortly thereafter. We are proud to have helped bring closure to this long-running case, which began in 2021. The litigation was led by Partner Jennifer Hess, with substantial support from Senior Associate Ryan McIntyre and our entire paralegal team, who played a critical role in reviewing the 21,000-page record, extracting key evidence, and preparing the final brief. We wish our client continued stability and strength moving forward.
The case formerly captioned as Doe v. First Unum Life Insurance Company is now proceeding under the plaintiff’s legal name as Li v. First Unum. In Q1 2025, the court ruled against our client, primarily based on its finding that the arbitrary and capricious standard of review applied. We believe this conclusion was legally incorrect and significantly affected the outcome.
Riemer Hess promptly filed a notice of appeal and began briefing the case before the Second Circuit. Our opening appellate brief is due June 6, 2025. The appeal is being led by Partner Jennifer Hess and Associate Samantha Wladich, with ongoing support from Paralegals Michele Wagner and Georgette Pascual. The firm remains committed to pursuing a just result for Mr. Li.
McLaughlin v. First Unum Life Insurance Company has now been fully briefed and is awaiting a decision in federal court in Manhattan. The case, brought on behalf of a prominent law attorney, is being handled by Riemer Hess as local counsel in collaboration with ERISA colleagues based in Chicago.
Partner Jennifer Hess and Associate Ryan McIntyre continue to oversee the matter locally as the parties await the court’s ruling.
Following developments in Q4 2024, Riemer Hess successfully defeated the defendant’s attempt to amend its answer based on the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision. With that issue resolved, the case advanced to a bench trial under a more plaintiff-friendly de novo standard of review.
In Q1 2025, the firm fully briefed the bench trial. Senior Associate Ryan led oral argument on April 1, 2025 in federal court in Manhattan. The court issued a favorable ruling, finding in our client’s favor and remanding the matter for a determination of benefit calculations.
As of Q2 2025, Riemer Hess continues to advocate on behalf of Mr. Rappaport to ensure accurate and fair calculation of benefits. The litigation team is led by Partner Scott Riemer and Associate Ryan McIntyre, with Partner Jennifer Hess supporting briefing efforts throughout.
The matter of Jane Roe v. First Unum Life Insurance Company has now been successfully resolved. The case, which involved a sensitive medical condition and was filed under a pseudonym, shared significant parallels with Li v. First Unum, including the same McKinsey policy and the nature of the plaintiff’s disability.
We are pleased that the client was satisfied with the outcome, and we wish her continued strength and stability moving forward. The case was handled by Partner Jennifer Hess, with support from Associate Samantha Wladich, Associate Jennifer Manger, and Paralegals Michele Wagner and Sam Cornielle-Renner.
In Q1 2025, Riemer Hess filed a new action on behalf of Ms. Terzulli, a client suffering from severe autonomic, vestibular and neurological impairments that have significantly impacted her ability to work. The case was filed in federal court and is currently in its early stages, with Prudential’s answer due in May 2025.
The litigation is being led by Senior Associate Ryan McIntyre, with support from Senior Paralegal Hannah Cochrane and Paralegal Georgette Pascual. The firm looks forward to advocating for Ms. Terzulli and ensuring her claim is fully and fairly considered.
Thomas R. v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company has been resolved following extensive litigation and a long period of delay in the court’s outcome. The bench trial briefs were originally submitted in December 2022, and oral argument was finally held in October 2024, led by Senior Associate Ryan McIntyre.
While the substantive issues in the case have been resolved, the matter of attorney’s fees remained outstanding. In Q1 2025, the firm filed a motion seeking recovery of fees. The litigation has been overseen by Partner Scott Riemer, with continued involvement from Associate Ryan McIntyre. The team remains engaged as the court considers the outstanding fee petition.
In Wanger v. Unum Life Insurance Company of America, Riemer Hess represents a disabled senior manager tax attorney whose claim was denied despite extensive medical evidence supporting her inability to work due to complex conditions, including visual abnormalities, vestibular dysfunction, headaches, and fatigue.
In Q1 2025, the firm proactively advanced bench trial preparations and began drafting the trial brief, due April 18, 2025. The team also initiated early settlement discussions with opposing counsel. The litigation is led by Partner Jennifer Hess and Associate Ryan McIntyre, with support from Paralegals Hannah Cochrane and Sam Cornielle-Renner. The firm remains focused on presenting a clear and compelling case, both at trial and in any potential resolution discussions.
The matter of Zurita v. First Unum Life Insurance Company has been resolved. The case involved the termination of Ms. Zurita’s LTD benefits after nearly a decade of payments, with key issues including alleged misidentification, earnings miscalculation, and an unsupported vocational assessment.
We’re pleased to have helped bring this matter to a close, and we extend our best wishes to Ms. Zurita as she moves forward. The litigation was led by Associate Ryan McIntyre, with support from Paralegals Jessica Carrion, Michele Wagner, and Sam Cornielle-Renner.
As we closed out the first quarter of 2025, we reflected on a period marked by meaningful progress and momentum. From securing favorable outcomes for our clients to launching new initiatives and successfully completing our office move, the Riemer Hess team remained focused on delivering high-quality, client-centered advocacy.
We’re proud of what we accomplished in Q1 and look forward to building on that foundation in the months ahead. Thank you to our clients, colleagues, and partners for your continued trust and support.
— The Riemer Hess Team