Ms Jennifer Kraft > Seyfarth Shaw LLP > Chicago, United States > Lawyer Profile

Seyfarth Shaw LLP
233 SOUTH WACKER DRIVE
SUITE 8000
CHICAGO, IL 60606 - 6448
ILLINOIS
United States
Jennifer Kraft photo

Work Department

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

Position

Partner

Career

Jennifer Kraft advises clients on the design, administration, and fiduciary responsibilities related to qualified retirement plans (401(k), traditional defined benefit and cash balance plans) and welfare benefit plans. Jennifer also regularly counsels on welfare benefits issues, including wellness programs. She has assisted a number of clients with the transition to retiree medical exchanges and has counseled and trained clients extensively on HIPAA compliance.  Clients turn to Jennifer for advice on cutting-edge benefits, as well as the tried and true basics that form the foundation of a great benefits plan. She guides her clients through the myriad intersecting (and ever-changing) benefits laws, counselling them on approaches that reduce risk and prevent mistakes.

As a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Jennifer delivers increased value to her clients at a time when more is expected of them. Further, she co-leads the firm’s technology and delivery efforts on ESG reporting, trends, and analytics.

Jennifer is also vice-chair of the Seyfarth’s Women’s Network, coordinating the efforts of all Seyfarth offices to promote and encourage opportunities for our women attorneys. The Women’s Network provides programming on topics important to women in the legal and business roles at the firm, and leads some of the firm’s global philanthropic efforts to support organizations for girls and women locally and in developing countries.

Memberships

  • Chicago Bar Association (Alliance for Women co-chair; Alliance for Women Mentoring Circles program co-founder)

Education

  • JD, University of Minnesota Law School
    Magna cum laude
    Order of the Coif
  • BA, University of Michigan
    With distinction

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design

With offices in California, New York, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, and New York, Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation team is well placed to advise on a diverse range of state and national employment legislations in industries with unique specialized employment legal requirements, such as healthcare and construction. Diane Dygert chairs the department from the Chicago office, and is well regarded for ‘communicating complex issues in a clear and practical way‘. In the same office, Jennifer Kraft is a strong choice for clients in the healthcare, life sciences, and pharmaceutical industries, while Benjamin Conley has strong experience in counseling clients regarding the Affordable Care Act. Also in Chicago, Jon Karelitz assists clients in implementing and administering pension and 401(k) plans. In the Seattle office, Liz Deckman drafts and implements health and welfare plans, in addition to all types of tax-qualified retirement plans and trusts. In Los Angeles, Mitchel Whitehead is particularly knowledgeable in acting for financial services clients.