Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Deborah B. Hembree is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Deborah B. practices law in Atlanta, Georgia Best Lawyers has recognized Deborah B. Hembree since 2023. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Deborah B. Hembree is held by other lawyers.

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...

Gregory M. Hansen, Of Counsel, concentrates his practice in the areas of employee benefits; stock option, stock purchase and equity incentive plans; general corporate and business law; and state and federal income tax controversy matters, with an emphasis on employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) and custom designed retirement arrangements. While an attorney with the U.S. Treasury Department, Mr. Hansen tried U.S. civil tax cases and helped prepare criminal fraud tax cases for review by the U....

Fred Suggs is a certified specialist in labor and employment law by the South Carolina Supreme Court. He is a founding lawyer of Ogletree Deakins, having been with the firm since its inception. Mr. Suggs helps companies avoid work-related legal exposure by giving preventive advice and providing training for managers at client locations. Mr. Suggs speaks regularly at employment law conferences, Bar Programs for other lawyers, Association of Corporate Council Meetings, SHRM Conferences for Huma...

Jeremiah D. Wood practices in the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group. His practice includes experience in the design, implementation, administration and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans (including traditional pension plans, cash balance plans, profit-sharing plans, 401(k) plans, and ESOPs), 403(b) plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans (including 457(b) and 457(f) plans and deferral compensation arrangements for executives) and healt...

Chris Crevasse focuses his practice on employee benefits, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and other aspects of employment law, including immigration law. He assists his clients with the design, drafting, and updating of retirement plans and other employee benefit plans; with ERISA and federal tax compliance; with benefit plan administration and audits, including audits by the IRS and DOL; and with resolving employee benefits issues through the IRS and DOL correction programs. He also counsels ...

Paula Calimafde chairs the firm’s Retirement Plans , Employee Benefits and Government Relations practice groups and is also a senior member of the Estate Planning , Tax and Nonprofit groups. She has more than 35 years of experience advising companies and tax-exempt organizations on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and employee benefits, including non-qualified deferred compensation, welfare benefit and cafeteria plans. She is a nationally recognized leader in the field of cr...

Peter M. Rosene is a shareholder in Reinhart’s Employee Benefits Practice and Taft-Hartley Group. Peter specializes in all aspects of ERISA plan compliance. He has 37 years of multiemployer benefit experience. Peter’s practice centers on representing trustees/fiduciaries in employee benefit plan matters regulated by federal law. He offers counsel on all aspects of federal fiduciary law, including investment contracts and investment monitoring for approximately $1 billion in plan a...

David Godofsky is a partner in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group of Alston & Bird. He is chair of the Retirement and Benefits Committee of the firm, and during his tenure as Leader of the Employee Benefits Group (including ERISA Litigation) the firm was named “Law Firm of the Year” by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® for ERISA Litigation in 2016 and Employee Benefits (ERISA) in 2015 and 2017. David is part of the firm's team of litigators which repres...

After more than 25 years of practicing labor and employment law, David Walston has developed a formula for building successful client relationships. He believes that all good engagements begin with a face-to-face meeting to perform an assessment of the current policies and practices of the client’s human resources operations. David’s assessment is designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations and agency and court interpretations. David then offers day-to-day empl...

Thomas M. Cryan, Jr. is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Tax Law. Thomas M. practices law in Washington, District of Columbia Best Lawyers has recognized Thomas M. Cryan, Jr. since 2022. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Thomas M. Cryan, Jr. is held by other lawyers.

Scott Mayland is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Scott practices law in Washington, District of Columbia Best Lawyers has recognized Scott Mayland since 2027. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Scott Mayland is held by other lawyers.

Rachel Faye Smith is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Rachel Faye practices law in Boston, Massachusetts Best Lawyers has recognized Rachel Faye Smith since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Rachel Faye Smith is held by other lawyers.

J. Mark Poerio is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. J. Mark practices law in Washington, District of Columbia Best Lawyers has recognized J. Mark Poerio since 2013. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which J. Mark Poerio is held by other lawyers.

Willig, Williams & Davidson Partner James S. Beall advises and represents a wide variety of public and private-sector single and multi-employer funds on comprehensive employee benefit and tax matters. He specializes in employee benefits law for the firm’s joint labor-management pension and welfare fund clients, as well as its labor union clients. Jim also represents workers in the longshore, transportation, baking, construction, hospitality and public safety industries. Jim serves a...

Joanne Grimes is a Partner in the firm’s Honolulu Office and is licensed to practice law in Hawaii and Guam. She has over two decades of experience in representing institutional businesses, nonprofit organizations, and private and charitable trusts in matters involving governance, employment & employee benefits, procurement, contracts, proprietary rights protection, fiduciary duties and trust administration. Ms. Grimes is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and is acti...