Robin Melman > Baker Botts L.L.P. > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Baker Botts L.L.P.
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10112-4498
NEW YORK
United States

Work Department

Tax / Executive Compensation & Benefits

Position

Partner

Section Chair – Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Firmwide)

Career

Robin Melman is adept at navigating the relevant corporate governance, disclosure requirement, tax and contractual issues that arise during sensitive management transitions, including as part of deal negotiations. Robin also has extensive experience guiding clients through the executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of various corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, spin-offs, initial public offerings, and private equity and leveraged buyouts. She provides practical advice about how to address real business concerns, such as retention issues, qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation plan treatment alternatives and 280G tax loss mitigation. Robin is a thought leader in the evolution of human capital management and executive compensation disclosure requirements and the resulting impact on compensation practices. Robin also provides ongoing advice to public and private companies, boards of directors, and compensation committees with respect to day-to-day executive compensation matters, including equity and incentive compensation plan design and implementation, and related securities, tax, and public disclosure issues. She
negotiates employment agreements, separation agreements and noncompetition agreements and designs bonus plans, long-term incentive plans and other compensation-related plans and programs. Robin assists clients with the drafting of relevant sections of proxy statements, periodic and current reports, and registration statements.

Robin has been providing advice to clients on their most delicate and important executive compensation issues for over fifteen years. Her clients have included public and private companies, boards of directors, compensation committees, special committees of the board of directors, chief executive officers and management teams.

Memberships

New York State Bar

Education

J.D., The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, 2006,
Managing Editor, Ohio State Law Journal, cum laude;

B.B.A., Business Economics, Ohio University, 2003, magna cum laude

Personal

NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange Propose New Listing Standards for the Clawback of Executive Compensation, Clint Update February 2023,
SEC Charges Former McDonald’s CEO with Securities Act and Exchange Act Violations and McDonald’s for Public Disclosure Violations, Client Update, January 2023,
Implications of the FTC Proposed Rule to Ban Non-Compete Clauses, Clint Update, January 2023,
SEC Proposes Significant Changes to 10b5-1 Trading Plans and Enhancements to Insider Equity Compensation Disclosure, Client Update, December 2021
Crafting Human Capital Goals for Executive Comp in an ESG World, Bloomberg Law, April 2021
New Hampshire v Massachusetts and the Human Capital Implications, March 2021

Lawyer Rankings

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

Baker Botts L.L.P. is renowned for its ‘sophisticated, practical advice’ on all aspects of compensation and employee benefit plans under the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA. The firm tackles emerging issues such as pay-versus-performance disclosure, clawback provisions, and non-compete clauses. New York-based Robin Melman, at the helm of the practice, addresses corporate governance matters, disclosure requirements, and tax implications associated with management transitions and transaction negotiations. Jason Loden in Dallas offers his expertise in qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, and welfare benefit schemes, and Houston’s Gail Stewart is well-versed in equity-based incentive plans, golden parachute arrangements, and designing executive compensation programs. Meanwhile, Katie Birnhak in New York advises both public and private firms on various executive compensation matters.