Best Lawyers Near You in Washington, District of Columbia for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
George Tsai is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. George, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which George is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Christy Tinnes is involved in all aspects of health and welfare plans, including the Affordable Care Act, ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She represents large employers designing health plans as well as insurers designing new products. She frequently advises both employers and service providers on the legal requirements for wellness programs, including HIPAA, ADA, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. She also has significant experience working...
Ian represents companies, executives, and fiduciaries in connection with Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation, employee benefits and executive compensation matters, class actions, and other commercial disputes. Trained as a trial lawyer, Ian has focused almost exclusively on employee benefits related litigation for the past 15 years. What do you focus on? I focus my practice on ERISA litigation. With broad experience in this area, I help defend plans, fiduciaries, and co...
Carolyn E. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Carolyn E., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Carolyn E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Elizabeth Thomas Dold’s practice focuses on the Internal Revenue Code and related compensation matters, including employment taxes and other reporting and withholding requirements. She covers all types of employee benefits, including qualified plans, IRAs, governmental plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, and health and welfare plans. She assists clients in all tax-related aspects of employee benefits including Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filings, compliance audits, desig...
Seth Perretta advises clients on a wide range of federal tax and ERISA matters regarding employee benefits and insurance. His practice encompasses qualified retirement plans, executive compensation, federal income and employment taxes, health and welfare arrangements, and insurance. Seth represents employers, private equity and investment firms, insurance companies, professional employer organizations (“PEOs”), trade associations, and public policy organizations on all aspects of ...
Joanne Jacobson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Joanne, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joanne is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Linda E. Rosenzweig is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Linda E., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Linda E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
An expert on ERISA’s fiduciary rules and government regulation of health insurance, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Jon Breyfogle counsels numerous financial services firms, health insurers, and their D.C.-based trade associations on retirement and health matters. His practice includes advice on regulatory and legislative strategies, compliance, and defense of federal and state investigations. Jon has testified before Congress and at Department of Labor hearings on both retirem...
Brittany McCants is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Brittany, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brittany is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Eric Keller is a partner in the Tax Department of Paul Hastings, and is a member of the firm’s Global Compensation, Benefits, and ERISA practice group and the Employment Law practice group. Mr. Keller is ranked by Chambers USA as one of the top employee benefits and executive compensation lawyers in the District of Columba. According to Chambers, he is "praised [by clients] for being ‘very good at identifying risk and then giving very pragmatic advice’ and works within all a...
Israel (Izzy) Goldowitz has more than 35 years of experience in employee benefits, most notably with mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and bankruptcy as they affect pension plans. As the Chief Counsel for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), Izzy led the legal teams that helped save the pensions of such companies as Chrysler and American Airlines. Working closely with financial analysts, actuaries and outside advisors, he also led the legal teams that negotiated pension pro...
Louis Mazawey brings decades of experience as an authority on the tax aspects of employee benefits in all forms to his work at Groom. As counsel to major insurance companies and a variety of plan sponsors—including corporate employers, trade associations, and public retirement systems—Lou has worked closely with qualified plans, 403(b) and 457 plans, IRAs, employee stock ownership plans, executive compensation, retiree medical benefits, plan terminations, mergers and spinoffs, the...
Justin S. Alex is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Justin S., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Justin S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Christine Keller advises a wide range of clients on all aspects of health and welfare plan design, administration, and funding including compliance with federal tax, ERISA, and other federal and state law requirements, plan and VEBA trust document drafting, participant disclosure, change in election issues, wellness program compliance, and claims and appeals. Her clients include employers, insurers, and service providers of all sizes. She draws on her prior IRS experience to provide practical...
Spencer F. Walters is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Spencer F., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Spencer F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.