Locke Lord Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group hosted our 30th Annual Employee Benefits Seminar. Our attorneys provided an overview of current developments related to employee benefit plans.
7:30 am - 12:00 pm (Central)
Registration and Continental Breakfast: 7:30 a.m.
Introduction and Program: 8:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
This complimentary program will be presented from our Dallas office and via webinar.
Locke Lord LLP
2200 Ross Avenue
38th Floor Conference Center
Dallas, Texas
(Parking validation provided)
The subjects to be covered include:
- Key Issues for 401(k) plan sponsors, including the elimination of the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule and the impact on retirement plan sponsors, the recent changes in the law to take into account for year-end plan amendments, and an update on ERISA fiduciary litigation
- Health and Welfare plan “hot” topics, including the Affordable Care Act landscape and the new association health plan guidance
- Key provisions of employment and severance agreements from a benefits and employment law perspective related to structuring competitive compensation and benefits to avoid unintended tax consequences, restrictive covenants to maximize enforceability, and severance to benefit the employer
Who Should Attend
CEOs, CFOs, COOs, In-House Counsel, Employee Benefits and Human Resources Managers and other compliance officers interested in the latest issues related to benefits.
Panelists
Philip Bush (Dallas, Partner - Moderator): Phil has been helping businesses understand and comply with the complex laws governing employee benefit plans and executive incentive programs for over 25 years. He has extensive experience in dealing with the IRS and the Department of Labor and resolving plan compliance issues.
Laura L. Ferguson (Houston, Partner): Laura has experience in drafting equity compensation plans, deferred compensation plans and employment agreements, ensuring compliance with various laws, including Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. From a mergers and acquisitions perspective, she regularly works on employee benefits and executive compensation matters arising from transactions, including negotiating purchase agreements, navigating diligence issues (such as Code Sections 409A and 280G issues), drafting transition services agreements, and assisting with a variety of compensation agreements (e.g., transaction bonus, equity, employment, and retention agreements).
Edward A. Razim, III (Houston, Partner): Ed has extensive experience in employee benefits and executive compensation, including drafting and implementing employee benefit and executive compensation programs for large and small employers; addressing compliance issues regarding Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and various equity compensation plan design matters. Mr. Razim has experience negotiating with the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation on a variety of audit and compliance matters.
Stefan P. Smith (Dallas, Partner): Stefan works with both public and private entities to establish and ensure the continued compliance of tax-qualified defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans, including 401(k)/profit sharing plans, traditional defined benefit plans, money purchase plans, employee stock ownership plans, and cash balance plans. In addition, Mr. Smith works with all forms of health and welfare plans and executive and equity-based compensation.
Kimberly F. Williams (Dallas, Partner): Kimberly focuses her practice exclusively on labor and employment law. She has experience representing employers in employment litigation matters involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful discharge. Kimberly also represents clients in enforcing and defending against non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements and in litigation concerning claims of unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract. She also has experience representing employers before various state and federal administrative agencies, including the Texas Workforce Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Office of Administrative Law Judges and the Administrative Review Board.
CLE, CPE & HRCI
This program has been approved for CLE, CPE & HRCI credit. Information will be available at the program location.
Questions
For more information, please contact Katie Fulton.