Proskauer Benefits Brief: Legal Insight on Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

In this episode of The Proskauer Benefits Brief, partners Michael Album and Josh Miller discuss the nuts and bolts of a management buyout, and in particular, the issues and strategies that management needs to know. They examine the structure of a management buyout and discuss in detail the process behind the buy-out and how it unfolds for management. Be sure to tune in and listen for the latest insights and perspective on management buyouts in this first of a seven part series.

In this episode of the Proskauer Benefits Brief, partner Myron D. Rumeld and associate Joseph Clark discuss participant-directed defined contribution (DC) plans and the lawsuits against the fiduciaries and service providers which are responsible for administering them. We will examine the best practices that can achieve favorable results for plan participants and the practices that can avert litigation or enable plan fiduciaries to effectively defend themselves if there is litigation. With the proliferation of DC lawsuits in recent years, be sure to tune in for this very important issue impacting plan sponsors and fiduciaries.

In this episode of the Proskauer Benefits Brief, Paul Hamburger, co-chair of Proskauer’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, and partner Robert Projansky discuss ten basic steps for how to manage qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs). A QDRO is a judgment, decree or order for a retirement plan to pay child support, alimony or marital property rights to a spouse, former spouse, child or other dependent of a participant. Many of our clients and plan administrators spend a significant amount of time on QDROs. Tune in and listen to how we make it easier for them to handle QDRO issues and administration.

In this episode of the Proskauer Benefits Brief, Paul Hamburger, co-chair of Proskauer’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, and associate Katrina McCann discuss how to fix retirement plan overpayments, based on (1) the type of plan (i.e., defined contribution or defined benefit plan), (2) whether the overpayment was with respect to a lump sum or ongoing payments, (3) the type of overpayment (whether it was to the wrong person or paid at the wrong time), and (4) who caused the overpayment.  They discuss the requirements, the decisions involved, and certain ERISA and taxation issues that can arise when addressing these overpayments.

In this episode of the Proskauer Benefits Brief, partner Neal Schelberg and associate Miriam Dubin discuss cybersecurity issues impacting employee benefit plans. Data breaches are occurring with increased frequency in today’s digital environment. Benefit plans in particular are uniquely susceptible to cyber-risks because they store large amounts of sensitive employee information and share it with multiple third parties.  In this episode, we discuss the developing legal framework in the area of cybersecurity and outline practical tips that plan sponsors and record-keepers may use to secure plan data. So be sure to tune in for this very important issue impacting employee benefit plans.

In this episode of the Proskauer Benefits Brief, senior counsel Damian Myers and associate Liz Down examine the IRS’s enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer shared responsibility mandate. We discuss how the IRS is assessing penalties and offer tips on what employers can do when they receive assessment notices. Be sure to tune in for the latest insight on this very important issue.

Unfortunately, disaster scenarios have become all too common and can cause significant disruption for employers, employees and their affected family members. In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, Paul Hamburger, co-chair of Proskauer’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, explores the unique issues that employers must consider when preparing their employee benefits disaster relief programs.

Unfortunately, disaster scenarios have become all too common and can cause significant disruption for employers, employees and their affected family members. In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, Paul Hamburger, co-chair of Proskauer’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, explores the unique issues that employers must consider when preparing their employee benefits disaster relief programs.

In this episode of the Proskauer Benefits Brief, Paul Hamburger, co-chair of Proskauer’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, and associate Katrina McCann discuss the top ten things employers need to know to survive an IRS audit. Although plans can be audited at any time, the IRS is focused on Employee Plans Team Audits (EPTA), which deal with large plans that cover 2,500 or more participants. Even though the number of EPTA plans is fewer than 1%, the IRS has found that these plans cover approximately 60% of all participants and nearly 70% of all plan assets. So, whether you are subject to an EPTA audit, a random audit of a smaller plan, or an issue-specific audit, be sure to listen and understand how these tips can help you survive the IRS audit process.

In this episode of the Proskauer Benefits Brief, senior counsel Anthony Cacace and partner Robert Projansky discuss how severance plans can be subject to ERISA. We examine the key advantages of having severance pay arrangements covered by ERISA and what employers can do to design plans that comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of ERISA, but also maximize the likelihood of benefitting from ERISA coverage. Whether a severance plan or arrangement is governed by ERISA is a rather fact-intensive analysis, so be sure to tune in for how those facts and circumstances can give rise to an ERISA plan.