Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP’s Compensation & Benefits Practice Group provides results-oriented legal advice to a diverse client base. These clients include large publicly traded employers, privately-held businesses, church-sponsored and other tax-exempt organizations, state and local governments, professional firms and individuals. We help clients design, prepare, and implement qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP), executive compensation and incentive programs, cafeteria plans, health benefit plans and other welfare and fringe benefit arrangements.
Compliance
Our attorneys advise clients about compliance issues that apply to employee benefit plans, including:
• The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
• The Internal Revenue Code (IRC)
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• Healthcare continuation coverage under state and federal law (COBRA)
• Federal and state mandates governing health plan benefits (HIPAA and other laws)
• State insurance law, plus state and federal securities laws
We have significant experience in helping clients with voluntary correction programs under Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor guidelines. We also assist clients with preparing employee communications and other materials to satisfy reporting and disclosure obligations.
Tax-Exempt Employers
We counsel tax-exempt, governmental, and church-affiliated organizations in addressing benefit issues, including Section 403(b) tax deferred annuities, Section 457 deferred compensation plans and church plans.
Mergers & Acquisitions
We work with the firm’s corporate attorneys to help structure the terms of business acquisitions and dispositions, and to address the impact of transactions on the company’s employee benefit plans.
Plan Audits
We negotiate with the IRS, the Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. during plan audits, and obtain determination letters for plan qualification, plan terminations, prohibited transaction exemptions and private letter rulings.