Washington DC-based boutique firm Groom Law Group, Chartered is noted for its experience and capability across the full spectrum of employee benefits, executive compensation, health and retirement-related matters, assisting a range of plan sponsors, as well as financial institutions. Standout partner David Levine focuses on the redesign of retirement and executive plans, while Jon Breyfogle is recognized for his expertise in health and welfare mandates. Elsewhere, Jennifer Eller advises corporate and public plan sponsors on all aspects of ERISA fiduciary compliance, and Brigen Winters specializes in legislative policy issues, while Michael Kreps advises both private and public sector clients on retirement and health matters. Mark Lofgren handles tax-qualified retirement plan arrangements, while Christine Keller, advises employers, insurers, and service providers on health and welfare plan design and administration mandates. Tax specialist Louis Mazawey, Allison Ullman and Lisa Campbell are also key members of the team.

Noted for its capability across the full range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP houses ‘a diverse group of experts’ who collaboratively work ‘from every angle to solve a client’s problem’. In the firm’s New York office, Craig Bitman, who offers great experience advising on all aspects of benefit plans, jointly leads the team alongside Philadelphia-based deputy practice leader Amy Pocino Kelly. In Washington DC, Rosina Barker focuses on executive compensation matters, including Section 409A compliance issues, while Althea Day handles multi-employer plan mandates, and Boston-based Lisa Barton advises on health and welfare and 401(k) plans. Mary Hevener, who operates from the firm’s New York office, has experience in fringe benefits and tax-related matters, and Pittsburgh-based John Ferreira is a ‘trusted counsel’ in ERISA compliance issues. Elizabeth Goldberg also works from the firm's Pittsburgh office, and Michelle McCarthy and Daniel Salemi, based in Los Angeles and Chicago respectively, are key members of the team.

Praised for its ‘keen ability to quickly clarify and explain complexities in a very effective and efficient manner’, Proskauer Rose LLP has demonstrable experience in handling a broad range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters. Practice co-leader Paul Hamburger has considerable expertise in advising on all aspects of employee benefit programs, from tax-qualified retirement and executive compensation plans to welfare benefit plans. The ‘meticulous’ Robert Projansky co-leads the practice alongside Hamburger from the firm’s office in New York, and notably acts for companies in the entertainment sector on the full range of employee benefits issues. Seth Safra is a key contact in the group and advises on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, as well as 403(b) and 457 arrangements. New York-based Anthony Cacace acts as ERISA trust fund counsel to the boards of trustees for multi-employer pension and welfare benefit plans, while Justin Alex was promoted to partner in October 2021. Unless stated otherwise, all named attorneys are based in Washington DC.

Commended for its ‘great knowledge’ in a broad range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, Seyfarth Shaw LLP acts for clients across the manufacturing, retail, healthcare, insurance and financial services sectors. In the firm’s Chicago office, practice leader Diane Dygert has extensive experience advising on health and welfare plans, while Jonathan Karelitz ‘gives fantastic and practical advice’ to clients on pension de-risking matters. Also in Chicago, Jennifer Kraft focuses on qualified retirement and welfare plans, and Seattle-based Liz Deckman handles all aspects of tax-qualified retirement plans and trusts, including section 401(k), profit sharing and defined benefit plans. In New York, Richard Schwartz advises healthcare-sector clients on deferred and executive compensation arrangements, corrections under the IRS and DOL programs, as well as fiduciary issues, while Howard Pianko focuses on ERISA plan governance matters.

Counting public and private companies, healthcare systems and C-suite executives among its key roster of clients, Winston & Strawn LLP has demonstrable experience in handling the full range of employee benefits issues, as highlighted by its advice to Carnival Corporation on equity compensation, retirement, fringe benefits and healthcare plans. Joe Adams now leads the practice, and focuses on 401(k) and profit-sharing plans, as well as ESOPs. Both Amy Gordon and Susan Nash have considerable experience in health and welfare benefit plans, and frequently assist employers and health plans on Affordable Care Act and HIPAA compliance matters. David Rogers, who is the managing partner of the firm’s Washington DC office, is another key member of the team. All named attorneys are based in Chicago unless otherwise stated. Nancy Gerrie has retired.

Praised for its ‘depth of knowledge in the benefits space’, Ballard Spahr LLP’s workload includes health and welfare benefit plans and defined benefit pension plans, as well as executive compensation matters and ESOPs. Also noted for its capability in handling tax-exemption issues, the team counts health care systems, colleges, universities and non-profitable organizations among its roster of clients. Brian Pinheiro leads the practice from the firm’s office in Philadelphia and handles compliance matters relating to section 409A and 280G golden parachute rules, tax-qualified retirement mandates and 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. Also based in Philadelphia, counsel Edward Leeds focuses on health and welfare benefit plans work.

Noted for its expertise in the financial services and healthcare sectors, McDermott Will & Emery LLP advises public companies, individual executives and management teams on various executive compensation issues, as well as qualified retirement plans. In the firm’s Boston office, global chair Andrew Liazos frequently handles employment and severance agreement matters for senior executives, while Chicago-based Todd Solomon advises public and private companies, and tax-exempt entities, on deferred compensations plans. Also in Chicago, Judith Wethall focuses on health and welfare programs, and Lisa Loesel advises on 401(k) and pension plans, while Erin Turley and Allison Wilkerson are also key members of the team.

BakerHostetler notably advises on multi-employer plans, public company executive compensation arrangements and health and welfare plans. From the firm’s Columbus office, Susan Lubow, who focuses on ERISA compliance issues, jointly leads the practice alongside Cleveland-based Raymond Malone, who frequently acts for tax-exempt organizations such as research universities and hospital systems. Also in Cleveland, Jennifer Mills and Susan Whittaker Hughes focus on health and welfare plan matters, while Columbus-based counsel Seth Hanft advises on HIPAA compliance issues. Ann Caresani, who operates from the Cleveland office, is another key member of the team. Columbus-based Georgeann Peters recently retired.

Dentons acts for clients across the technology, insurance and healthcare sectors on matters pertaining to qualified retirement plans, equity incentive plans and health and welfare programs. In the firm’s Kansas City office, Martin Moderson advises ERISA-governed plan investment and administrative committees on fiduciary matters, while Washington DC-based Michael Maryn focuses on 401(k) plans, ESOPs and defined benefit plans, and advises on severance and retention agreements. Key clients include software companies Double Verify, Inc. and GetSwift, among others.

Eversheds Sutherland advises clients across the financial services, insurance, manufacturing and food services sectors on equity and deferred compensation mandates, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, as well as health and welfare plans. In the firm’s Washington DC office, Adam Cohen leads the practice and focuses on tax-qualified retirement plans and executive compensation arrangements, while Carol McClarnon handles ERISA and tax-related issues. Based in Atlanta, Brenna Clark advises on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, while Vanessa Scott left the firm in October 2021.

Goodwin has demonstrable capability in handling a range of executive compensation mandates, and also advises its roster of clients on employee benefits issues. In the firm’s Washington DC and Boston office, respectively, practice co-leader Patrick Menasco, who focuses on ERISA Title 1 matters, and Rachel Faye Smith, who handles qualified plans, are praised for providing ‘correct and timely answers to the most complicated matters’. In Silicon Valley, Lynda Galligan acts for public and private companies in the technology and life sciences sectors on equity-based arrangements, and Boston-based practice co-leader James Mattus is another key member of the team.

The employee benefits and executive compensation practice at Greenberg Traurig LLP counts multinational corporations, including Google, Amazon and Snap Inc., among its key list of clients and handles a range of matters, from 401(k) and non-qualified deferred compensation plans to ERISA fiduciary and HIPAA compliance issues. In Silicon Valley, key contact Magan Ray advises on all aspects of employee benefits, while associate Stephanie Ahmad focuses on health and welfare plans and Chicago-based Richard Sirus handles executive compensation programs. In Chicago and New York, respectively, Leslie Klein and Jeffrey Mamorsky jointly lead the team.

Labor and employment specialist law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. acts for clients across the retail, healthcare, technology, energy and hospitality sectors on a range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters. In the firm’s Baltimore office, Joy Napier-Joyce heads the team and advises on compliance issues relating to qualified retirement plans under ERISA and the IRS, while Kellie M. Thomas focuses on deferred compensation matters, including Section 409A issues, as well as defined benefit plans and HIPPA compliance mandates. South Carolina-based Suzanne G. Odom is another key member of the team.

K&L Gates is well-versed in an array of compensation and benefits matters, such as qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, deferred compensation arrangements, including Section 409A compliance issues, defined benefit plans, health and welfare benefit plans, and ESOPs. In the firm’s San Francisco office, Rikki Sapolich-Krol advises public, private and non-profit entities on structuring and administering benefit plans and compensation arrangements, while one client praises Seattle-based Karrie Johnson Diaz for ‘her deep knowledge on the most complicated retirement plan issues’. Also in Seattle, associate Jennifer Addis handles ERISA and tax compliance matters.

Counting investment managers, banks and other financial institutions among its roster of clients, Mayer Brown is noted for its capability in handling pension plan investment matters, as well as 401(k) and defined benefit plans. Based in Palo Alto, Maureen Gorman leads the practice and handles ERISA fiduciary issues, in addition to IRS and DOL audits. In the firm’s Washington DC office, Erin Cho joined the group from Groom Law Group, Chartered in March 2021, and focuses on ERISA Title I fiduciary matters, while senior counsel Lennine Occhino, who is based in the Chicago office, is another key member of the team.

McGuireWoods LLP is well-versed in an array of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, and counts banks, insurance companies, multinational automotive corporations, healthcare entities and educational institutions among its key roster of clients. In the firm’s Washington DC office, William Tysse co-chairs the practice alongside Charlotte-based Taylor French, whose experience extends to equity compensation plans, non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, and all aspects of tax-qualified retirement plans, as well as compliance issues relating to health and welfare benefit plans. Also in Charlotte, associate Allison Tanner advises on ERISA compliance matters.

Counting financial services, manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies among its key roster of clients, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP advises on 401(k) plans, defined benefit plans, deferred compensation matters, including Section 409A compliance issues, as well as ERISA fiduciary mandates. In San Fransisco, ‘exquisitely competent’ Jonathan Ocker advises public companies on a range of executive compensation matters, while Christine Richardson is praised as ‘a wonderful professional in the retirement and health and welfare spaces’. Cindy Schlaefer leads the team from the Silicon Valley office and New York-based Peter Hunt advises on ERISA fiduciary compliance issues.

Thompson Hine LLP advises on a range of benefits matters, including 401(k) plans, defined benefit plans, deferred compensation arrangements, including Section 409A compliance issues, as well as health and welfare plans. In Cleveland, Julia Ann Love leads the practice and focuses on group health plan rules under the Affordable Care Act, while Washington DC-based Dominic DeMatties advises on ERISA compliance issues relating to tax-qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements. Other key members of the team include David Whaley, Timothy Brown, Kim Wilcoxon and Laura Ryan, who are all based in the firm’s Cincinnati office.

Based in Chicago, the ‘top notch’ team at Vedder Price handles an array of benefits matters pertaining to 401(k) plans, defined benefit pension plans, as well as equity-based and deferred compensation plans. Christopher Collins leads the practice and focuses on retirement and welfare plan design matters, while Thomas Hancuch handles ERISA fiduciary compliance issues and Kelly Starr is ‘a star’ when it comes to advising on all aspects of employee benefits plans and executive compensation mandates. Associate Jason Faust is another key member of the team.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP advises clients across the retail, financial services, manufacturing and energy sectors on a range of compensations and benefits matters, ranging from qualified and non-qualified defined contribution retirement plans and welfare benefit plans to equity and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements. In Austin, Anthony Eppert focuses on ESOPs, while Scott Austin, who operates from the firm’s Dallas office, handles deferred compensation issues. Eppert and Austin lead the practice alongside Washington DC-based David Mustone, who advises on the ERISA aspects of employee benefits matters.

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP’s ‘extremely collaborative’ employee benefits and executive compensation team counts financial, retail, healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, as well as individual executives, among its key roster of clients. The Chicago-based practice is led by Patricia Cain, who advises on de-risking strategies for pension plans and executive compensation programs. Jeffrey Bakker focuses on ERISA and tax compliance issues relating to qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, while Linda Hoseman has experience in advising clients on health and welfare plans.