PRACTICE
Executive Compensation and Benefits
Overview
The Pierson Ferdinand Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Team is dedicated to addressing the diverse needs of closely-held and publicly-traded businesses, not-for-profit organizations, churches, and individuals in matters concerning employee benefits under the Internal Revenue Code (Code) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).
We pride ourselves on offering technical proficiency, cost-effective solutions, and a pragmatic, easily comprehensible approach to achieving our clients’ goals. Given the complexity of the Code’s benefits regulations and ERISA’s requirements, we are committed to providing clarity and client education, making the law and alternative solutions to emerging issues understandable and helping to prevent problems proactively.
Experience
Our services encompass a broad spectrum of areas, including tax-qualified retirement plans such as 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, pension plans, cash balance plans, 403(b) plans, 457(b) plans, ESOPs, and more. We assist in the design, qualification, administration, determination letters, preparation of summary plan descriptions, reporting and disclosure, handling prohibited transactions, dispute resolution, qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs), and addressing problems when they arise. We specialize in prototype and volume submitter plan adoption, implementation, service agreements, outsourcing, and maintenance.
Moreover, our expertise extends to scenarios involving workforce reductions in conjunction with retirement and group health plans. In the context of mergers and acquisitions, we conduct thorough due diligence, offering representations and covenants, identifying issues, and devising integration and consolidation plans for benefit programs. We navigate the complexities of health and welfare plans, flexible benefit plans, and Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations (VEBAs), handling matters related to HIPAA, COBRA, PPACA (healthcare reform), Reference Based Pricing (RBP), and self-funding of group medical plans. Our services also encompass retiree medical plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs), executive severance agreements, executive employment and consulting agreements, IRC Sections 162(m) and 280(g) golden parachutes, stock option plans, employee stock purchase plans, and advising non-U.S. businesses on benefit issues related to U.S. acquisitions.