Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
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Mr. Merline is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Merline has been with the firm since 1983. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the following fields: Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Employee Benefits Law, Litigation - ERISA, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and...
John J. Cleary is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Litigation - ERISA. John J., who practices law in Boston, Massachusetts, has been recognized since 1987. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
As a bench and jury trial lawyer with decades of experience, Co-head of Litigation Mark Nebrig has earned favorable verdicts and settlements in high-stakes business, securities, and class action disputes that span a range of industries and geographies. He maintains a general business litigation practice, and over the years has gained widely sought tactical skills representing clients in financial services class actions, ERISA/ESOP class actions, non-public shareholder disputes, and reinsuranc...
Robert Friedman practices in the area of ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation. Since 1996, he has been the head of the firm's national Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and ERISA Practice Group. Mr. Friedman is also co-chair of the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) Practice Group. His clients include private, non-profit and governmental employers. He is a frequent speaker on employee benefits, ERISA fiduciary matters and pension and tax planning. Mr. Friedman’...
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....
Jacob M. Mattinson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Jacob M., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jacob M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Alexandra Ifrah is a partner in the Employee Benefits Practice Group of Friday, Eldredge & Clark and serves on the firm's Management Committee. Since joining the firm in 1999, Alexandra has concentrated her practice on the representation of employers from a myriad of industries in complex employee benefits, taxation and executive compensation matters. Alexandra has extensive experience in the design, implementation, compliance and administration of tax-qualified retirement plans (includin...
Gary Streit is the Board President of S&I. Gary's practice focuses on estate and business succession planning, qualified plans and employee benefits, taxation, and other general business matters. Gary has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits Law, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates for over 10 consecutive years. Gary is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and is a member of the Cedar Rapids Area Estate Planning Council, Inc. Gary is a past ...
Josh Steele serves as a representative for both private and public sector employers in Pittsford, New York, covering diverse employment law matters. His experience spans from tackling wage and hour class action lawsuits to managing litigation and administrative proceedings under pivotal regulations such as Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the New York Labor and Human Rights Law. Alongside his work i...
Brad has been practicing in the employee benefits field for over forty years, and his practice is primarily in the areas of ERISA litigation, fiduciary responsibility matters, qualified pension and profit sharing plans and Department of Labor investigations. Brad serves as a private mediator in ERISA litigation matters and has been appointed as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Neutral in over sixty ERISA cases by the United States District Court, Northern District of California. Brad has als...
Mr. Gregory’s practice is focused primarily in the areas of ERISA, employee benefits, and executive compensation. Mr. Gregory advises clients on all aspects of employee benefits including qualified retirement plans, welfare plans, and nonqualified compensation programs. Mr. Gregory assists clients with plan design, drafting, and implementation of 401(k), profit sharing, 403(b), 457, and defined benefit plans. Mr. Gregory also provides advice on the design, implementation, and administra...
Jay G. Maples is a shareholder in Dentons' Birmingham office, where he is a member of the Corporate practice and co-leads the Dentons US Region Aviation and Aerospace team. With his extensive corporate and tax experience, he regularly handles a wide range of complex transactions and issues spanning various industries, including aviation, manufacturing, insurance, banking and financial services, and real estate. Jay's exceptional knowledge and experience in the aviation industry enables him to...
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...
Bob Schmidt joined Kean Miller in 2016 and is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he focuses his practice on Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and related tax matters. He has represented employers for more than 40 years, advising organizations of all sizes on the design, implementation, and ongoing operation of pension plans and other employee benefit arrangements. Earlier in his career, Bob served as an attorney-adviser with the United States Tax Court in Washington, DC. His practice includes...
Mr. Wentzell practices in the areas of employee benefits law, ERISA and taxation. Mr. Wentzell represents clients in the areas of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans, ERISA, fringe benefits, and compliance with other federal laws relating to employee benefits matters. Mr. Wentzell assists clients in designing and drafting plans, advises clients regarding the legal requirements for operating and administering plans, and prepares and submits filings to the Int...
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.