Employee Benefits

Executive compensation and employee incentive plans are a key component to recruiting, attracting and maintaining talent for any business owner.   Attorneys in our Employee Benefits practice group understand the importance of a thoughtfully created plan for your executives and employees. We routinely assist clients with a range of plans, arrangements and agreements, such as executive compensation plans and employment agreements (including change in control agreements), nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, fringe benefits, and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).  Our firm also has extensive experience in crafting equity-based compensation arrangements including incentive and non-qualified stock options, restricted stock awards, profits interest plans and value appreciation rights, and phantom equity plans.

Once in place, we counsel clients over the life of the plan regarding implementation, administration, design changes, compliance, and plan amendments.

In anticipation of corporate transactions, our Employee Benefits attorneys consult with clients on tax planning regarding executive benefits, equity compensation plans, and change in control agreements to help prevent unwanted tax surprises in the event of a company sale.

Complex tax and healthcare regulations place significant documentation, disclosure, and reporting burdens on employers. We often consult and provide guidance in order to comply with COBRA, HIPAA, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), Internal Revenue Code Section 409A (taxation of deferred compensation), Internal Revenue Code Section 280G (golden parachute payments) and Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) (limits on deductible compensation).