Ms Jennifer Kraft > Seyfarth Shaw LLP > Chicago, United States > Lawyer Profile
Seyfarth Shaw LLP Offices
233 SOUTH WACKER DRIVE
SUITE 8000
CHICAGO, IL 60606 - 6448
ILLINOIS
United States
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Ms Jennifer Kraft
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
Seyfarth Shaw LLP has particular expertise in handling ongoing employee benefits needs, handling the design and implementation of such plans and agreements. The firm is consistently involved in retirement plan design, handling issues such as the legislative compliance of plans, as well as health and welfare plan design. The firm represents large and well-known businesses engaged in notable industries, such as manufacturing, retail, health care, insurance and financial services. Based in the firm’s Chicago office, ‘valued and trusted advisor’ Diane Dygert has deep experience regarding the rules and regulations surrounding employee benefits, alongside considerable expertise in regard to the health and welfare space. Also based in Chicago is Jennifer Kraft, who advises clients on retirement and benefit plans, and ‘standout’ Jon Karelitz, who is experienced in executive compensation matters, as well as cutting-edge pension de-risking projects. Seattle-based Liz Deckman plays an important role in building the employee benefits capabilities for the firm on the West Coast.
Lawyer Rankings
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation)
- Labor and employment > Immigration
- Labor and employment > Labor-management relations
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)
- Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling
Firm Rankings
- Dispute resolution > E-discovery
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
- Labor and employment > ERISA litigation
- Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions)
- Tax > Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations)
- Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Government > Government contracts
- Real estate > Real estate
- Industry focus > Cannabis
- Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco)
- Real estate > Real estate finance
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious