Practice Areas

Pension Plans

Working with pension plans is at the core of our group’s practice. On a regular basis, we assist our clients to design, implement and administer defined benefit plans, cash balance plans and defined contribution plans (including 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, and money purchase plans). We are counsel to single-employer pension plans as well as multiemployer and public pension plans.

Single-Employer Pension Plans

We are regularly called upon to advise plan sponsors, trustees and administrators on the wide array of legal issues facing all types of single-employer plans. We provide guidance on all aspects of tax, ERISA and related securities laws.

Single-Employer Defined Benefit and Cash Balance Plans

Our experience covers the design and day-to-day administration of single-employer defined benefit and cash balance pension plans including obtaining favorable determination letters, drafting and amending plan documents and summary plan descriptions, reporting and disclosure obligations, negotiating service provider agreements, merging plans and defending plans during government investigations and audits.

Single-Employer Defined Contribution Plans

We routinely design, implement and administer 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, stock bonus plans, and money purchase plans. Our lawyers are experienced in the complex fiduciary issues surrounding investing assets for both investment-managed and participant-directed plans.

Multiemployer and Public Pension Plans

For a description of our multiemployer & public pension plan practice, click here.

Awards

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Who’s Who Legal Awards

Charter Fellows of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers

Former Chairs of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section

New York Super Lawyers

Former Chairs of the New York State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section

Former Chair of the American Bar Association’s Equal Employment Opportunity Committee

AV Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell

Practice Highlights

  • Counsel to multi-billion dollar pension funds.
  • Successfully designed, created and obtained regulatory approval of a cutting-edge welfare benefit plan with multiple employer participation.
  • Negotiated a severance package and agreement for a senior executive of a Fortune 500 company.
  • Successfully defended a multiemployer pension plan against the Department of Justice, having several hundred thousand dollars in penalties abated.
  • Counsel to the employee benefit plans of professional athletes.
  • Established nonqualified deferred compensation plans for tax-exempt entities with significant assets.
  • Counsel to VEBAs with individual assets exceeding $500 million.
  • Negotiated an employment agreement for a senior executive in conjunction with a change in control.