We navigate the complicated rules that govern employee benefit plans. We work with your outside actuaries, consultants, accountants or in-house personnel to identify and solve legal problems relating to employee benefit plans at key points during the life of your business. Below is a brief overview of the services we provide, or you can click here to view our Services At-A-Glance .

OVERVIEW

NEW BENEFIT PLANS

If your business is involved in a merger or acquisition, or undergoes rapid growth, reorganization or even unionization, its benefit programs may require overhauling. We can help. If your business has personnel changes, experiences a dramatic shift in profitability, or reaches a higher level of organizational maturity, we can help redesign its benefit plans to meet evolving business needs and minimize potential liability.

TROUBLE-SHOOTING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING

Although much of our work is preventative, when there's a problem, we're there to represent you. We can step in to resolve problems involving underfunded plans, benefit issues during insolvency and bankruptcy, plan qualification, plan terminations, compliance issues and governmental audits, fiduciary issues, or claims filed by participants.

PLAN MAINTENANCE, UPDATES AND UPGRADES

As companies grow and laws change, benefit plans require periodic maintenance to stay current and in compliance with ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. Maintenance might include discretionary amendments, new employee communications, or amendments required by tax code changes.

SERVICES AT-A-GLANCE

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS:

* Identify objectives and recommend plans
* Produce legal documents required for the operation and administration of the plan
* Obtain determination letters or rulings from the IRS on tax qualification of plans
* Recommend strategies to minimize government involvement and employer cost
* Develop benefits plans, including:

ADVICE AND COUNSEL ON:

* Administering and interpreting plans
* Tax consequences and liability implications of proposed actions
* Plan amendments required by law or regulation, or voluntary amendments
* COBRA, HIPAA, fiduciary, and prohibited transaction issues
* Plan investment and funding vehicles
* Plan terminations, mergers, spin-offs and freezes
* Optimizing retirement plan distributions to participants

REPRESENTATION IN:

* IRS and DOL audits
* Negotiating executive employment and severence contracts
* Participant claims and litigation under benefit plans
* Employer claims against service and investment providers
* Obtaining IRS approval of plans and correction of disqualified plans


COMPLEMENTING OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN:

* Business acquisitions, mergers, and divestitures
* Leveraged ESOPs and tax-deferred sales to ESOPs
* Insolvency and Bankruptcy
* Formation of investment funds with benefit plan investors
* Benefit plans for tax-exempt employers