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“…the team’s ‘services are flexible, creative and of a high caliber’ and…its lawyers ‘approach legal issues in a seasoned and pragmatic way.’”

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A competitive employee benefits package can be a key factor in attracting and retaining top talent for your business. But regulatory and compliance requirements can make this an area of risk for employers large and small. For global and multinational companies, the risks escalate exponentially.

Blank Rome offers comprehensive employee benefits, executive compensation, and ERISA support, from helping clients design and manage retirement and fringe benefit plans, to corporate transactions, to benefits and ERISA litigation. Supported by robust corporate and financial services, and backed by more than 300 litigators across 15 offices, our Benefits and Executive Compensation team can assist with a wide range of issues.

The team serves as a “destination resource” for large employers, both for-profit and not-for-profit, seeking national benefits and compensation counsel. We also represent employers in connection with corporate transactions, including mergers, stock sales, and asset sales, as well as bank loans and bankruptcies, in which plan issues arise.

When litigation is necessary, our ERISA litigators apply a diagnostic approach to the operation of ERISA plans to ensure that they are legally compliant, to correct any deficiencies with minimum disruption to operations and, where necessary, to defend employers, plans, administrators, and fiduciaries. We routinely represent clients in ERISA matters before the U.S. Department of Labor arbitration panels, bankruptcy courts, federal district courts, and federal courts of appeal.

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Design, drafting, and implementation of retirement plans

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Welfare/fringe benefit plans and related documents

COBRA compliance, HIPAA, and ACA requirements

Employee benefits, executive compensation, and ERISA matters in corporate transactions

Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor representation

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Franchise and Distribution

Dalila J. Berry

Jacob M. Brownstein

Michael Carl Cohen

Anthony B. Haller

Brooke T. Iley

Cory G. Jacobs

Terence Liao

Anthony A. Mingione

Stephen M. Pennartz

Brandon S. Shemtob

Daniel J. Sobol

Gabrielle I. Weiss

Blank Rome Welcomes New Associates Caitlin M. Murphey and Terence Liao in Orange County

California’s AB 692 Reins in “Stay or Pay” Provisions in California Employment Agreements

Blank Rome Announces 2026 Elevations: 14 Partners, 5 Of Counsel

Blank Rome Tax Update 2025

IRS Announces 2026 Retirement Plan Limits

Blank Rome Highly Ranked in Best Lawyers® 2026 Edition of “Best Law Firms”

One Big Beautiful Bill Act: What Audit Committees Need to Know

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2026 Best Lawyers in America®

What the New Tax Treatment of Overtime Pay and Tips Means to Employers

Chambers USA 2025 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices

Understanding Cannabis Employee Stock Ownership Plans (“ESOPs”)—Key Questions and Practical Insights

Blank Rome Advises Impact of Minnesota, Inc. on Becoming 100 Percent Employee-Owned Through Newly Created ESOP

Blank Rome Bolsters National Labor & Employment Group with Team in Philadelphia

Blank Rome Highly Ranked in Best Lawyers® 2025 Edition of “Best Law Firms”

IRS Announces 2025 Retirement Plan Limits

Blank Rome Welcomes Benefits & Executive Compensation Associate Stephen M. Pennartz in Philadelphia

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2025 Best Lawyers in America®

Chambers USA 2024 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices

Regulatory Update

Secure Act 2.0

XPX Dallas: Understanding ESOPs

Secure Act 2.0 Update

Private Equity and Hedge Funds Take Note: The Tax Court Says Limited Partners Must Pay Self-Employment Taxes

Blank Rome Tax Update 2023

Blank Rome Highly Ranked in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® 2024 “Best Law Firms”

IRS Announces 2024 Retirement Plan Limits

Blank Rome Adds Veteran ESOP Lawyer to Growing Dallas Office

DOL Overtime Proposal Fight Is on Horizon

Proposed Overtime Rule Could Cost Businesses up to $664 Million

Employers Get a 2-Year Breather on Complying with the Secure 2.0 Change to Catch-Up Contributions

Blank Rome Attorneys Recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers in America®

Blank Rome Assembles Team of Leading Attorneys to Open Dallas Office

New York State Legislature Sends Broad Noncompete Ban to Governor’s Desk

Indemnification in Exec Separation Deals: Read the Fine Print

Chambers USA 2023 Recognizes Blank Rome Attorneys and Practices

National Labor Relation Board’s General Counsel Foreshadows More Expansive Restrictions on Separation Agreements Following Board’s McLaren Macomb Decision

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (“ESOPs”)

Employment Litigation

Executive Compensation

Class & Collective Actions

Labor & Employment

Labor Management Relations

Strategic Counseling & Employment Practices

Trade Secrets & Competitive Hiring

Wage and Hour

Service

Michael A. Kadlec

Jason S. Luter

Daniel L. Morgan

Jason C. Ray

<ul>
<li>Representation of a global pharmaceutical business, including handling all benefits and compensation aspects of a transformative merger, and advice on all aspects of administration and compliance relating to qualified and non-qualified retirement, health and executive compensation plans and arrangements.</li>
<li>Representation of a large telecommunication and entertainment business in connection with all benefits and compensation matters.  Our work has included the redesign of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, the operation of the health and welfare plan, and the structuring of the incentive compensation programs of acquired businesses (and leveraging the combined employee group to lower per-unit administrative costs), as well as advice on all benefit aspects of the Company’s 100,000+ employee-controlled group, from daily employee communications to board and senior management advice.</li>
<li>Representation of the U.S. arm of a global, publicly-traded French specialty chemical producer in connection with the operation of its tax-qualified 401(k) and defined benefit pension plan, including the successful representation of the client before the IRS in connection with a material operational failure relating to the defined benefit pension plan.</li>
<li>Provided employee benefits and executive compensation advice to a national specialty retailer with more than 5,500 employees, including advice in connection with the client’s initial public offering and ongoing benefits advice.</li>
<li>Advised a large regional healthcare system in connection with the failure to implement a healthcare policy for its employees that fully complied with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.</li>
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