In re: AME Church Employee Retirement Fund Litigation, No. 1:22-md-03035 (W.D. Tenn.).

Lieff Cabraser represents plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) and its retirement plan managers and financial advisors regarding allegations that AMEC failed to monitor the church plan’s retirement plan manager, Rev. Dr. Jerome Harris, for roughly 20 years. The certified class alleges that Defendants initiated a long-running conspiracy to embezzle plan funds and defraud plaintiffs, starting in 2001. It is believed that the conspirators’ actions led to the retirement plan having more than $200 million in assets than it should have.

Our firm is a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the ongoing MDL. In August 2025, the Court approved a partial class settlement of $60 million against certain defendants, including the Church. In March 2026, Plaintiffs announced that they had reached a settlement in principle with the main remaining defendant and trial is set for the fall of 2026 against the remaining defendants.