Jeffrey J. Bakker 15YEARSAWARDED

Jeffrey J. Bakker

recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2010
Awarded Practice Areas
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Jeffrey J. Bakker
Jeffrey J. Bakker
Chicago, IL
Works at
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP

50 Best Lawyers awards

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP logo

Biography

Jeff provides strategic counsel to clients nationwide concerning every executive compensation and employee benefit matter that affects their businesses, including designing and preparing deferred compensation and equity compensation plans, maintaining ERISA and tax compliance for all qualified and nonqualified retirement plans (defined contribution, defined benefit and cash balance plans) and representing clients in Department of Labor benefits plan audits.

Jeff regularly advises clients regarding their critical fiduciary responsibilities in connection with the administration of employee benefit plans and provides valuable strategic advice to clients and other attorneys regarding the employee benefits aspects of corporate transactions. As part of his executive compensation practice, Jeff also frequently negotiates and prepares employment and separation agreements.

Before starting his legal career, Jeff applied his natural mathematical and analytical skills to his duties as an actuarial technician for a major Chicago consulting firm. Jeff’s clients have said that he is “fantastic, responsive and has really good business sense. He is always at the top of his game.” They appreciate his even-handed temperament and his rare ability to combine an intensive analytical approach with creative problem-solving skills to develop legal solutions that consistently advance their short- and long-term business objectives.

Works at
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP

50 Best Lawyers awards

Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP logo

Locations

Languages

  • English

Education

  • University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, J.D., graduated 1997
  • Monmouth College, B.A., graduated 1990

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois, Illinois State Bar

Client Testimonials

He has the ability to make a very complicated area of the tax law easy to understand and work with. He's very responsive and very helpful.

Great to work with. Very knowledgeable and responsive.

Jeffrey Bakker has very strong technical and practical skills. He is very helpful in addressing technically challenging areas, like 409A, with practical solutions.

Jeffrey Bakker's most noteworthy trait is his advocacy for the client in a manner that leaves nothing to doubt. At the same time, he knows how to best utilize that advocacy including compromise. He is exceptionally pleasant to work with, timely in his responses, and thorough in asking questions that will ultimately inform his opinion. He does not assume the answer nor does he bias the results.

Robert J. Moore (LPL Financial)

San Diego, CA

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 for work in:
  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Leisure and Hospitality Law

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