Experience Advise employers on all aspects of all types of qualified retirement, and nonqualified deferred compensation, and welfare benefit plans
- Draft benefit plans, amendments including pension formula conversions, trust agreements, summary plan descriptions and employee communications
- Develop strategies and draft written rules related to plan governance, including committee structures for amending and administering plans
- Advise regarding claims procedures and disputes; draft claim denial notices
- Analyze legal developments; develop compliance strategies, including Code section 409A, nondiscrimination testing and self-correction of operational errors
- Advise on issues related to payment of plan expenses
- Advise plan fiduciaries regarding standard of care, documentation of procedures, and prohibited transactions; review scope of fiduciary insurance and commercial loss policies
- Advise regarding all aspects of employee benefits in mergers and acquisitions, including negotiation of agreements and implementations of plan consolidations and terminations
- Advise regarding administrative service agreements
- Represent client in IRS determination letter applications, and in IRS and Department of Labor audits of pension and welfare plans
- Provide ERISA litigation support
- Honeywell Inc. 1996 to 2000
- Senior Benefits Counsel - Advised the company with respect to all employee benefit plan matters.
- Worked with HR and benefits managers to consolidate and clarify administrative materials, procedures and records and coordinate with payroll systems
- Supervised fact-finding, prepared and presented benefit claims to fiduciary committees; drafted denial notices and related correspondence
- Developed, implemented and supervised governance structures for welfare benefit plans, including procedures for amendment, hearing and deciding benefit claims, and committee recordkeeping