The Legal 500 > United States > United States > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional

The New York-based practice at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP solely represents commercial clients and, despite the modest team size, is known for handling the employee benefits elements of some of the largest M&A transactions on the global market. Prevalent sectors include entertainment, pharmaceuticals, energy, mining and construction. Practice head Eric Hilfers, the ‘incredibly smart’ Jennifer Conway and Jonathan Katz routinely advise household name clients – from The Walt Disney Company to Unilever – on the structuring of senior executive compensation arrangements, ESOPs, succession arrangements and golden parachute negotiations. The wide-ranging knowledge of the team encompasses the relevant securities law, disclosure requirements (including for annual proxy statements) and tax-related considerations. Alongside the roster of big-ticket employers, the team also represents high-profile senior management teams throughout corporate transactions. Other regular mandates involve advising on joint ventures and $1bn+ minority equity investments.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s New York-based employee benefits and executive compensation team is particularly active in the investment funds space, including the rapidly growing secondary market. Experts such as practice head Lawrence Cagney and recently made-up partner Franklin Mitchell advise big-ticket fund managers or financial services clients on ERISA fiduciary responsibility for multibillion-dollar investments of pension plan assets. The team is also retained by a roster of private equity houses, for whom Meir Katz and Jonathan Lewis provide equity-based incentive and tax-related assistance on M&A transactions and spin-offs in sectors involving media, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Though the practice has a focus on private equity and investment funds, a number of public companies are also noted; these include The Walt Disney Company, with Cagney advising on incentive revisions for its integration with 21st Century Fox. Elizabeth Pagel Serebransky recently retired from the partnership.  

Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice handles some of the largest M&A transactions in the oil and gas and energy sectors, with Alexandra Mihalas and Matthew Antinossi, both based in Chicago, and New York-based Scott Price frequently advising publicly-traded and private corporations on multibillion-dollar deals. Owing to the firm’s high-profile restructuring and bankruptcy practice, the team regularly advises on the benefit plan issues of corporate restructuring and liquidation processes. Michael Falk’s expertise encompasses equity, incentive and deferred compensation plan arrangements, particularly in respect to complex tax considerations under the 409A and 280G codes. A number of key financial institutions and REITs retain the team for ERISA fiduciary guidance on pension plan asset investment. Healthcare, life sciences and technology are also sectors of focus.

The extensive bench of experts at Latham & Watkins LLP’s ‘tremendous’ employee benefits and executive compensation practice enjoys a healthy workflow of high-value M&A mandates for private equity clients and public companies in disparate sectors such as human spaceflight, telecoms, autotech, oil and gas, and biosciences. Equally diverse is the team’s jurisdictional presence; James Metz and Ashley Wagner leverage their Silicone Valley location to advise on equity compensation arrangements for unicorn companies; Laurence Seymour leads on deal work in Los Angeles; Bradd Williamson’s New York office routinely advises issuers and underwriters on the benefits plan issues of high-value IPOs; David Della Rocca is the go-to contact in Washington DC; and New York-based Austin Ozawa is a preferred name for complex tax issues. As a Title 1 expert, Ozawa is cited as ‘very smart and hardworking’, and frequently advises financial institutions or other asset managers on ERISA-compliant investment strategy.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP’s already considerable employee benefits and executive compensation bench has been further enhanced with the addition of the highly-regarded Jean McLoughlin from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. The partnership includes McLoughlin, Andrew Gaines and Lawrence Witdorchic, who all provide expert advice on high-value M&A transactions, Chapter 11 proceedings and corporate restructurings to global private equity funds and public companies. Of note is the team’s knowledge of securities law, tax and corporate governance issues associated with deferred compensation, equity-based benefits packages and golden parachute plans. Recent highlights involved big-ticket deals in media – including CBS Corporation’s combination with Viacom – technology, healthcare and offshore drilling. The team, based in New York, also provides advice on pension plan investment strategy (particularly regarding ERISA fiduciary compliance) to asset managers, and withdrawal liability negotiations to multiemployer pension plans.

With a particularly strong roster of private equity clients and their portfolio companies, the employee benefits and executive compensation professionals at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP have strength in handling high-value M&A transactions and spin-offs, along with structuring and implementing pension plan investments. Practice head Brian Robbins, Gregory Grogan, Andrew Blau, David Rubinsky, Jeannine McSweeney and Laurence Moss – all based in New York – routinely assist with equity compensation packages, deferred and other non-qualified retirement plans, CEO succession matters and golden parachute arrangements. Robbins also leads on ERISA Title 1 and other plan asset management matters. On the West Coast, Tristan Brown’s Palo Alto desk has an impressive portfolio of technology, life sciences, entertainment and retail clients, with regular advice provided on executive compensation disclosure rules governed by the SEC, particularly in connection with IPOs.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz’s New York office fields some of the premier names in employee benefits and executive compensation on the market, including Jeannemarie O’Brien, Adam Shapiro and Andrea Wahlquist. The team supports a market-leading corporate practice on high-value M&A transactions, spin-offs, IPOs and bankruptcies for public companies and private equity funds.

Led by Paul Wessel, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation team is a market-leader for handling big-ticket bankruptcies and restructurings, with recent mandates covering the energy, retail, electronics and automotive sectors. Wessel and Amy Rubin also enjoy a steady stream of M&A transactions for public companies, while Michael Nissan assists an impressive array of private equity funds and their portfolio clients with management compensation arrangements. Of particular note on the client list is Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, one of North America’s largest institutional pension plan investors, with a focus in the fields of healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medtech, life sciences and energy. Issues pertaining to ERISA fiduciary compliance are handled by Sarah Downie. The practice is based in New York.

Baker McKenzie LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice is a go-to name for handling multijurisdictional transactions due to an expansive global presence and its comprehensive database of share and incentive plan precedents. Most recently, Chicago-based partners Maura Ann McBreen and Christopher Guldberg advised corporate clients based in France and Germany on cross-border acquisitions which involved complex issues surrounding golden parachute excise taxes and equity-based retention agreements. Barbara Klementz’s San Francisco-based team – which also includes Denise Glagau and Victor Flores – acts as benefits counsel to a suite of technology and digital security companies; niche mandates include employee shareholder issues, employee stock purchase plan adjustments and equity award conversions associated with high-value IPOs.

Practice head Jeffrey Ross of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP’s executive compensation practice is noted for his strong ERISA Title 1 knowledge, and routinely advises hedge funds or private equity clients on fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction rules for pension plan investment transactions. Ross and Donald Carleen often work in tandem with the firm’s corporate practice to restructure equity-based and deferred compensation plans, qualified retirement plans and welfare programs on M&A transactions, spin-offs and leveraged buyouts. Additionally, the team recently lent its expertise to Tradeweb Markets’ high-value IPO on the Global Select Market. Alongside a portfolio of funds and financial services clients, assistance with executive compensation negotiations is also provided to senior management teams. Ranked partner Adam Kaminsky recent left for Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, but the firm has scooped up Jason Ertel from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. All named professionals are based in New York.

A strong focus on highly-regulated sectors sees Hogan Lovells US LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation team advising on a steady flow of mid- and upper mid-cap M&A transactions in the TMT and life sciences sectors; Silicone Valley-based Michael Frank and Washington DC-based Carin Carithers are the go-to names, respectively. The full breadth of equity-based compensation, qualified and non-qualified retirement, and welfare plan issues are handled by the team. Washington DC-based Kurt Lawson leads on matters pertaining to ERISA fiduciary compliance and prohibited transactions, while Martha Steinman – based in New York – often advises compensation committees, boards of directors and senior management teams on proxy disclosure and director compensation matters. Margaret de Lisser has retired from the partnership, though is still retained as senior counsel in the team.

Expertise in representing fully ESOP-owned companies (and the private equity funds acquiring them) is a noteworthy field of expertise for McDermott Will & Emery LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice, with Dallas-based Erin Turley and Allison Wilkerson assisting with mid- and large-cap acquisitions, divestitures and leveraged buyouts. Recent highlights were for clients in the healthcare and energy sectors. The team also fields significant experience in representing prominent senior executives in the insurance and financial services sectors; of note is Boston-based Andrew Liazos’ handling of multimillion-dollar exit package negotiations. Being part of a stand-alone benefits practice, as clients can take advantage of robust post-transactional support for all employee benefits issues, and practice head Todd Solomon – stationed in Chicago – is the key contact for ERISA fiduciary compliance.

Through referrals from its portfolio of investment banking clients, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation offering has developed a leading practice in representing management teams and senior executives. Typical transactional work in this field sees New York-based Gary Rothstein and Philadelphia-based David Zelikoff negotiating termination and compensation agreements, including equity-based incentives. Corporate clients are fielded from sectors involving consumer goods, financial services, pharmaceuticals and technology; deputy practice leader Amy Pocino, based in Philadelphia, has also increased the firm’s presence in the manufacturing sector by handling a suite of add-on acquisitions. Further noteworthy is the team’s multiemployer plan expertise, as Pittsburgh-based Randall McGeorge advises companies with collectively bargained employees on high-risk withdrawal liability considerations. Washington DC-based Patrick Rehfield is also cited for handling proxy reporting and other SEC disclosure issues.

Located in New York unless otherwise stated, the experts at Proskauer Rose LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice regularly advise on IPOs, joint ventures, corporate restructurings and high-value M&A transactions. Andrea Rattner and Washington DC-based Paul Hamburger handle the full suite of deferred and equity-based compensation and benefit plan integrations, while Ira Bogner focuses on ERISA Title 1 guidance for fund formation mandates including REITs. Also in the funds space, Michael Album and Washington DC-based Josh Miller have a notable practice handling management buyouts on behalf of founders and portfolio managers in the private equity and hedge funds fields. Album, Miller and Los Angeles-based Colleen Hart also represent senior executives in high-value transactions involving significant equity incentives and tax considerations.

Working in tandem with the firm’s corporate governance partners, Shearman & Sterling LLP’s New York-based compensation team represents private and publicly-listed companies in high-stakes negotiations concerning executive compensation (both equity-based and deferred), retention and succession arrangements. Securities expert Gillian Emmett Moldowan is the go-to name for advice on proxy disclosure rules, which is also applicable to the executive compensation aspects of capital markets transactions. Leveraging the firm’s broad international presence, practice head Doreen Lilienfeld and Kenneth Laverriere lead on large-cap, and often cross-border, M&A transactions for multinational corporate clients across sectors as diverse as financial services, consumer goods, electronics, media and pharmaceuticals. The team also acts for C-suite employees and management teams during company acquisitions and disposals.

With a strong footprint in the private equity space, Winston & Strawn LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation experts handle a solid stream of mid-cap portfolio acquisitions and divestitures, with New York-based practice co-chair Scott Landau and associate Maria Kenny being leading names in this space. Publicly-traded companies are also counted on the client list, with Washington DC-based David Rogers and New York-based Nyron Persaud assisting on benefit plan integrations, proxy reporting obligations and ERISA fiduciary compliance. Bill Merten heads up the ESOP practice from the Chicago office, acting for boards of directors, shareholders and trustees on management buyouts, ESOP-owned company sales, public-to-private transactions and private equity acquisitions. The team also advises on the benefits elements of high-profile CEO implementations.

Dechert LLP’s reputed Title 1 expert and employee benefits and executive compensation co-chair Andrew Oringer is a go-to name for clients seeking ERISA fiduciary guidance on investments of plan assets and fund formation projects. Steven Rabitz further strengthens this side of the New York-based practice; their client roster includes global investment banks, hedge funds, investment banks, asset managers and other financial institutions. Core benefits advice on corporate transactions is handled from the Chicago office by co-chair David Jones and Eric Rubin, whose typical mandates include mid-cap M&A transactions for public companies and portfolio acquisitions for private equity funds. The team’s client base predominantly consists of financial services names, although manufacturing, real estate and technology are additional fields of expertise.

A proactive expansion strategy has brought a number of key additions to Goodwin’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice. Previously of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, Silicone Valley-based Patrick Menasco has reinforced the team’s ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction knowledge, while New York-based Andrew Barton – recently acquired from Kirkland & Ellis LLP – adds strength to cash and equity-based compensation negotiations in mid-cap private equity transactions. Silicone Valley-based practice head Lynda Galligan and associate Monica Patel have a strong portfolio of technology and life sciences clients, having recently advised on high-profile IPOs in the biotechnology and ride-hailing sectors. Practice head Scott Webster, Natascha George and James Mattus are leading names in the Boston office, with particular strength in advising REITs, financial services companies and clients in the software sector.

Co-heading Morrison & Foerster LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice from New York, Ron Aizen, Ann Becchina and Domnick Bozzetti frequently advise on high-value M&A transactions and IPOs. The team’s client base spans early-stage companies, venture capital funds, private equity houses and publicly-listed companies. As well as providing bespoke equity-based and deferred compensation advice to sophisticated technology clients, Becchina is also the firm’s go-to ERISA Title 1 and prohibited transactions expert for pension plan or investment funds clients, having taken over from the recently-retired former practice head Paul Borden.

With its solid West Coast footprint including Michael Yang in Santa Monica, along with practice head Juliano Banuelos and Jason Flaherty in San Francisco, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is suitably placed to handle employee benefits and executive compensation issues for clients in the technology, software, online payments and medtech sectors. Recent highlights saw the team handling portfolio acquisitions, spin-offs, IPOs and $1bn+ funding rounds, including for Europe-based unicorn companies. Other sectors of expertise include retail and financial services. Banuelos and Yang, respectively, have extensive practices in assisting public companies with proxy disclosure and tax-related matters for executive compensation packages. Flaherty provides experience representing senior management teams in company sales to private equity funds.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP fields a robust team of West Coast-based employee benefits and executive compensation experts, with practice head Cindy Schlaefer in Silicon Valley, Mark Jones in Los Angeles and Marcus Wu in San Francisco. As such, the team regularly provides transactional support to clients in the technology, medtech, telecoms and renewable energy sectors, with recent highlights involving mid-cap acquisitions, spin-offs and equity investments. In New York, Peter Hunt and Jessica Lutrin provide advice on equity incentive plans and benefit plan integrations to a suite of public and private companies on high-value M&A deals, private equity investment rounds and, notably, a recent acquisition of nuclear power station assets.

Boston-based Loretta Richard and Renata Ferrari head up Ropes & Gray LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensations practice, routinely advising multinational companies or private equity funds on benefits negotiations for fund formations, portfolio acquisitions and spin-offs. A full-service asset management offering covers the breadth of issues pertaining to ERISA Title 1 compliance. New York-based Alexandra Alperovich has a strong focus on advising private equity clients, with recent deal highlights involving strategic acquisitions in the highly-regulated healthcare sector. Washington DC-based Adam Stella is also noted for leading on the benefits issues of a large-cap public M&A deal in the biopharmaceuticals sector. Firm clients further benefit from a robust in-house team of actuaries and benefits consultants.

Vinson & Elkins LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice has as strong focus on the oil and gas and energy sectors, solidified by a solid Texas footprint including teams led by George Gerachis in Houston and David D’Alessandro in Dallas. Routine mandates involve negotiating equity-based compensation arrangements, severance packages and the complicated tax questions of M&A, capital markets transactions and investment rounds. Dallas-based Brian Bloom is notable for handling large-cap transactions for infrastructure clients.

Based in New York, White & Case LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation offering handles mid- and large-cap M&A transactions and exits for an international client base consisting of private equity funds and public companies across all sectors. Of particular note are practice head Henrik Patel, Tal Marnin, Nicholas Greenacre and Helen Levendi, who maintain cutting-edge knowledge of global employee equity practices, including complex tax questions and 409(a) deferred compensation considerations, to serve both employers and senior executive teams. Counsel Heidi Schmid has been added to the team to enhance the ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction services for private equity and hedge funds clients, while counsel Kenneth Barr and associate DeVoia Stewart assist the team across a full range of corporate transactions.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP’s New York-based employee benefits and executive compensation experts often work with the firm’s top-tier insurance vertical to handle high-value M&A transactions. Practice heads Michael Katz and Jordan Messinger also advise on a steady workflow of mid-cap M&A deals and public offerings in the financial services and technology fields; the firm’s recent West Coast expansion into the Palo Alto and San Francisco markets may help to strengthen its presence in the latter. Solid experience in proxy reporting and SEC disclosure is cited, while Peter Haller is the go-to name for asset managers, investment banks and investment funds clients seeking advice on ERISA fiduciary compliance or prohibited transaction advice.

Headed by Gail Stewart out of the Houston office, Baker Botts L.L.P.’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice has an emphasis on advising energy, oil and gas, engineering and manufacturing clients. Routine mandates concern equity-based incentive programs, salary continuation plans and golden parachute arrangements of M&A transactions and joint ventures, while the uptick in Chapter 11 proceedings in these sectors preempted an increase in the team’s restructuring and insolvency mandates. Special counsel Laura McDaniels’ Palo Alto desk complements Stewart’s offering, where she regularly assists technology and life sciences-focused growth companies with the compensation and benefits issues – including equity-based compensation arrangements – of their IPO exits. Rob Fowler recently moved to Kirkland & Ellis LLP, with clients praising Mark Bodron’s diligence in taking over his portfolio.

Since the recent retirement of former practice head Bruce Jocz, the key names for Bracewell LLP’s Houston-based employee benefits and executive compensation team are Scott Sanders and new practice head Matthew Grunert. The team has a focus on the energy and utilities sectors, handling high-value asset acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and M&A deals. Given the significant level of ongoing insolvency in the firm’s sectors of focus, it is highly experienced in Chapter 11 transactions and restructuring mandates.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice is engaged by a diverse client base of management teams, private equity houses, publicly-listed companies and big-ticket asset managers, with recognition for the firm's extensive Title 1 offering. New York-based practice heads James Frazier and David Teigman handle mid-cap M&A transactions, spin-offs and shareholder activism campaigns. The team has established a strong practice acting for high-profile CEOs and other senior executives in high-stakes compensation negotiations arising from company buyouts. Teigman also routinely advises on investment transactions which involve equity-based incentive negotiations.

DLA Piper LLP (US)’s employee benefits and executive compensation offering spans numerous offices and takes an integrated approach to working with the corporate team. Transactional support typically focuses on the middle market M&A field, with a client list including international corporates, hedge funds, private equity houses and senior management teams, with cited expertise in dealing with multiemployer plans. Chicago-based Richard Ashley is the key name for ERISA Title 1 and prohibited transaction matters, with Silicon Valley-based Cisco Palao-Ricketts commonly advising on retention strategy for spin-offs in the start-up and emerging markets scene. In Washington DC, Mark Muedeking has expertise in handling ESOP transactions, while Rita Patel recently drafted long-term incentive plans related to an IPO in the life sciences sector.

With a substantial California presence, Fenwick & West LLP is a trusted employee benefits and executive compensation advisor to a host of start-ups and venture capital clients in the biotechnology, life sciences, medtech and other innovative sectors, often handling complex equity compensation negotiations. Mountain View-based practice heads Scott Spector and Shawn Lampron frequently advise on the target side of high-value acquisitions, while Matthew Cantor is driving the firm's New York expansion and is the go-to name for handling IPO exits.

Despite lacking an in-house corporate vertical, benefits boutique Groom Law Group advises on the employee benefits elements of a range of transactions, including company divestitures, spin-offs and de-risking exercises for defined benefit plans – with Mark Lofgren being a key contact for the latter. The team has significant expertise when advising ERISA plan fiduciaries on their Title 1 obligations for high-value investments in private equity, hedge funds and funds of funds vehicles, while Jon Breyfogle also assists plan sponsors with the closure of employer stock funds. The firm is based in Washington DC.

Recent highlights for Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation team involve advising on large-cap acquisitions for infrastructure-focused private equity finds, IPOs in the financial services sector, and a host of other mid-cap energy transactions. Anthony Eppert and Scott Austin lead the teams based in Austin and Dallas respectively, with expertise in deferred compensation, ERISA fiduciary compliance, equity-based compensation, severance package negotiations and ESOP transactions provided.

The client list of Jones Day’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice includes public and private companies and their compensation committees in the transport, construction, tobacco and packaged food sectors. The team recently advised on a number of high-value acquisitions and joint ventures. Practice heads Daniel Hagen and Evan Miller – based in New York and Washington DC respectively – have solid knowledge of the tax laws governing deferred compensation and golden parachute plans, while ERISA fiduciary training is also provided.

King & Spalding LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice is integrated alongside other verticals within the firm, and routinely advises on REIT transactions, bankruptcy proceedings and M&A deals in the energy or financial services sectors. Georgia-based Sam Choy and New York-based Laura Westfall provide advice on the full scope of equity-based compensation and incentive negotiations, post-transaction benefit plan integrations and tax-related questions. Plan asset managers also benefit from the team’s ERISA fiduciary expertise. Former practice head Kenneth Raskin announced his retirement in early 2020.

Chicago-based partners Debra Hoffman and Ryan Liebl, and peer-praised Stephanie Vasconcellos, are the go-to employee benefits and executive compensation experts at Mayer Brown, having recently handled a suite of M&A deals and spin-offs in the insurance, fintech, consumer electronics and packaging sectors. Hoffman also structured complex employee retention programs for publicly-listed companies in the cloud-based software industry. The firm has a sophisticated ERISA fiduciary practice under Lennine Occhino, who works exclusively in this field. Occhino advises plan sponsors, investment managers and other asset managers on all matters pertaining to prohibited transactions and Title 1 compliance for their pension plan investment deals. Practice head Maureen Gorman splits her time between Palo Alto and New York.

Milbank’s employee benefits and executive compensation team works closely alongside the firm’s bankruptcy vertical to handle significant Chapter 11 proceedings and out-of-court restructurings, with practice heads Manan Shah and Joel Krasnow advising on go-forward employee retention and incentivization strategy. The practice recently advised on a number of high-value M&A transactions for corporate clients in the gaming, leisure, energy and infrastructure sectors, while a number of global investment funds enlisted the team to provide executive compensation advice on fund formation mandates. The team is based in New York.

O'Melveny & Myers LLP's employee benefits and executive team recently advised on a number of high-value transactions in the TMT sector alongside an extensive list of middle-market matters in the biopharmaceuticals, entertainment and transport sectors. The full suite of deals, from cross-border mergers and spin-offs to IPOs and private equity investments, are handled by the Newport Beach-based team which includes practice head Jeff Walbridge, Chris Del Rosso and Wayne Jacobson. High-profile individuals, including hedge fund founders, also employ the practice for full-scope benefits advice.

Recent highlight matters for Paul Hastings LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice involved private equity acquisitions of fully ESOP-owned companies (with asset classes covered under ERISA) and multijurisdictional spin-offs for high-profile public companies. Eric Keller heads the Washington DC office team, where he advises – and often acts as lead benefits counsel to – a global client portfolio consisting of hedge funds, financial institutions and conglomerates. Palo Alto-based Dan Stellenberg assists the team with all tax and securities-related questions concerning deferred compensation and golden parachute negotiations, while Stephen Harris leads the Los Angeles-based team.

Vedder Price's Chicago-based employee benefits and executive compensation team recently advised on a suite of lower- to mid-cap M&A transactions in the manufacturing, aviation and healthcare sectors, as well as larger-scale mergers in the financial services sector. Practice head Christopher Collins, Thomas Desmond and Kelly Starr regularly represent public companies, management teams, compensation committees and individual executives in deferred compensation, equity-based compensation and severance package negotiations. Daniel Lange is noted for his expertise in representing buyers, sellers and management teams in transactions involving ESOP-owned companies.

Recent transactions for the employee benefits and executive compensation team at Baker & Hostetler LLP involved disposals of ESOP-owned companies, as well as the representation of senior executives and management teams in the sale of their businesses. The practice is headed up by Cleveland-based Raymond Malone and Columbus-based Georgeann Peters, who also handle de-risking transactions aimed at reducing pension liabilities.

Choate, Hall & Stewart’s Boston-based employee benefits and executive compensation team is closely aligned with the firm’s tax practice. As such, it is suitably placed to advise on the securities and tax-related issues of equity compensation programs, retention and severance packages, and deferred compensation negotiations during M&A transactions. Recent highlights saw Wells Miller advising on deals in the consumer products, management services, healthcare, technology and media sectors.

Clifford Chance’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice is headed by New York-based Howard Adler, who advises on equity compensation and pension plan terminations in the context of M&A transactions. Given the global reach of the firm, clients are often premier multinational names in private equity and financial services. A solid ERISA fiduciary practice is provided to asset managers, with recent matter highlights involving third-party mortgage securitization programs and the establishment of cross-border REIT platforms.

Corporate clients in the healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, mining and oil and gas sectors engage the Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. employee benefits and executive compensation practice on high-value divestitures, acquisitions, and asset spin-offs. Recent transactions saw Dallas-based practice head Susan Wetzel and Houston-based Jesse Gelsomini handling cross-border equity compensation arrangements, health and welfare plan amendments and transfers of retirement benefits from a group health plan to a health reimbursement arrangement.

Sectors of focus for Jenner & Block LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice include aerospace, defense, manufacturing, healthcare and other highly-regulated industries. The Chicago-based team, which includes practice head Matthew Renaud, Raymond Sinnappan and Sarah Haddy, focuses on advising public companies and senior executives in M&A transactions in the mid- and lower-middle market, while ERISA fiduciary compliance advice is also cited. Further noteworthy is the team’s representation of retiree committees in insolvency proceedings and its handling of high-value group annuity purchases and other pension de-risking transactions.