John N. Parker v. the Board of Trustees of the City Pension Fund for Firefighters & Police…

Summary

The Court held that prevailing-party attorney’s-fee provisions governing firefighter and municipal police pension systems apply to judicial proceedings enforcing claims under local-law pension plans, including benefits created by a special act. Because the local plan operates within the statutory framework and the claim was brought pursuant to that framework, the Court quashed the contrary decision and remanded. The Court also held that a complaint requesting costs and attorney’s fees sufficiently pleads a fee claim without identifying the precise statutory basis. Justice Canady, dissenting, would have held that the provisions do not apply to claims for benefits not required by the governing chapters.