J. Brian McTigue

 

Mr. McTigue founded McTigue Law LLP.  Prior to private practice, Mr. McTigue was counsel to committees of the United States House of Representatives and Senate.  His work included investigations and legislation pertaining to federal pension law and pension fund investment.  

As a Senate Legal Counsel for Special Projects, Mr. McTigue was responsible for initiating the first legislative proposal to reduce the percentage of sponsoring corporation stock permitted in the portfolios of 401(k) and similar defined contribution pension plans.  The bill represented the first congressional recognition of problems with the typical pension plan of the baby boom generation.   Although opposed by many employers and employer groups, several of the concepts embodied in the bill became law.  Since then, Mr. McTigue has assisted congressional offices with draft legislation which would give ERISA fiduciary breach claims greater protection when companies sponsoring plans file for bankruptcy.  

Mr. McTigue’s congressional investigation of Michael Milken, Drexel Burnham Lambert and the junk bond market was a basis for FDIC v. Milken, et al. brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and settled for $1.3 billion.  His congressional investigations into the funding of pension plans through annuities issued by the California-based Executive Life Insurance Company gave rise, after Executive Life later became insolvent, to a plethora of private class actions and United States Department of Labor litigation alleging violations of federal pension law, the Labor Department’s adoption of new fiduciary standards for pension plan termination annuities, and to the passage of the Pension Annuitants Protection Act.

 Prior to his legislative work, Mr. McTigue was an investigative reporter and television news producer for ABC and NBC News.  Before working in television he reported from Europe and Africa.  His investigative reporting has been awarded Emmys and a George Polk Award. 

Mr. McTigue is a graduate of Notre Dame and the Golden Gate University Law School, San Francisco, California.  Mr. McTigue is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. 

Mr. McTigue is from Fort Dodge, Iowa.