Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
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Brandon Cate i s a litigation attorney based in the firm’s Northwest Arkansas office. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, including litigation involving ERISA, employment law, insurance coverage, real estate disputes, mortgage servicing, media law, and class action defense. Some of Mr. Cate’s no table successes include securing a declaratory judgment for landowners in a 27-acre adverse possession dispute near Harrison and securing a trial victory for Fayetteville homeow...
Sarah Crooks, a partner in the firm's Commercial Litigation group, focuses her practice on navigating clients through complex business litigation, class action lawsuits and attorney general investigations across a variety of industry sectors, including the telecommunications, food and restaurant, childcare and education and real estate sectors. Sarah also has extensive experience representing clients in the areas of consumer protection, securities litigation, fraudulent transfer litigation an...
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...
Stuart Harris counsels clients on a wide range of employee benefits issues, including the design and administration of qualified retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, executive compensation programs, and health/welfare plans. Areas of particular expertise include 401(k) plans, ESOPs, and stock option plans, as well as group health and cafeteria plans. Stuart's work includes advice on the tax and ERISA implications (including COBRA rules) of all types of employee b...
John Blackman is a partner in the Tax Practice Group. He focuses on employee benefit plans, estate planning, and individual, corporate, and pass-through entity income tax planning. John has drafted qualified plans, employment agreements, and deferred compensation plans; has advised and represented clients on tax and ERISA matters, including Internal Revenue Code Section 409A; and has frequently represented clients in matters involving ERISA litigation. He works with clients to draft complex w...
James K. Estabrook is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Trusts and Estates. James K., who practices law in New Providence, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James K. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jeff Smith is a partner in the Cleveland office and a member of the firm's Employee Benefits Practice Group. He works with clients to create, implement and maintain their retirement and health plans. He also advises employers on the impact of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) and Voluntary Employer Beneficiary Associations (VEBAs). While in la...
Mitchel C. Pahl is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Mitchel C., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mitchel C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.
Ms. Broxterman was admitted to practice in the State of Georgia in 1997. She practices exclusively in the area of employee benefits law. She represents clients in the areas of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans, ERISA compliance, COBRA administration, compliance with the privacy rule under HIPAA, and other federal laws relating to employee benefits matters. Ms. Broxterman has published articles on various employee benefits topics, including the funding of s...
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...
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.