Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
Attracting, retaining, and incentivizing key talent requires well-structured benefit programs and compensation arrangements that balance business objectives with an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Our attorneys advise employers, executives, and business owners on designing, negotiating, and administering benefit and compensation programs that support long-term organizational goals while mitigating legal and compliance risks. We help clients navigate the intersection of employment, tax, and ERISA rules to create clear, practical, and competitive arrangements that stand up to scrutiny and advance the interests of both the business and its leadership.
Employment & Executive Contracts>
Clear, well-drafted employment and executive agreements are essential for defining responsibilities, compensation, and expectations at the outset of a professional relationship. We assist clients in structuring executive offers, negotiating terms, and preparing contracts addressing compensation, duties, performance incentives, restrictive covenants, confidentiality, and severance arrangements. Whether representing employers or executives, our focus is on creating agreements that promote stability, protect key interests, and reduce the risk of future disputes.
Equity & Incentive Awards>
Equity and other incentive awards play a critical role in aligning the interests of owners, executives, and employees. We help clients evaluate the full range of incentive structures— including stock options, restricted stock, profits interests, phantom equity, and performance-based awards— and select the approach that best advances their goals. Our attorneys prepare and negotiate plan documents, explain tax and governance implications, and develop award frameworks that motivate performance while preserving flexibility and control for the business.
Deferred Compensation Arrangements>
Deferred compensation can be a valuable tool for rewarding executives and promoting long-term retention, but these arrangements are subject to strict rules under the Internal Revenue Code and related regulations. We counsel clients on designing and administering nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, including supplemental retirement benefits, bonus deferral programs, and executive pay structures governed by Section 409A. Our guidance focuses on ensuring compliance while crafting plans that meaningfully support recruitment, retention, and succession planning.
Qualified and Nonqualified Retirement Plans>
Retirement plans are a cornerstone of employee benefit programs. We assist employers in establishing, maintaining, and updating qualified and nonqualified plans, including 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, ESOPs, defined benefit plans, and supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs). Our attorneys advise on plan design, fiduciary obligations, operational issues, and administrative best practices. We also help clients navigate plan corrections, mergers, terminations, and transitions to ensure plans remain compliant, efficient, and aligned with the company’s workforce needs.
ERISA, DOL & IRS Compliance>
Employee benefit plans are subject to extensive federal oversight, and noncompliance can lead to significant penalties and operational disruption. We guide clients through the complex regulatory framework enforced by the Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service, and other agencies. Our services include assistance with audits and investigations, fiduciary compliance, reporting and disclosure obligations, prohibited transaction issues, and plan corrections under available relief programs. Our goal is to help clients maintain compliant, well-administered benefit programs and avoid regulatory pitfalls.