Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
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Steve Kisling likes to make things simple for his clients, which is fortunate considering the complexity of his employee benefits and tax practice. While it is a generalization, but no great secret, that many lawyers run a little hot-blooded, Steve is calm, patient and always composed. He knows that business owners, benefits professionals and human resources personnel have multiple balls in the air at any given time, and he enjoys relieving some of the strain and worry that comes with the adm...
Marla Aspinwall concentrates her practice in the tax, ERISA, labor and securities aspects of executive compensation for publicly held, private and tax-exempt organizations, including employment agreements; nonqualified deferred compensation; and equity, retirement, incentive and welfare benefit plans. Ms. Aspinwall has extensive knowledge of insurance-funded executive benefits and estate planning arrangements. She also specializes in the tax and business aspects of agricultural cooperative or...
Peter L. Peterson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Nonprofit / Charities Law, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Peter L., who practices law in Salina, Kansas, has been recognized since 1983. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Peter L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Deborah B. Hembree is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Deborah B., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Deborah B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Tom Cristy, a partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice, focuses on employee benefits, ERISA and executive compensation. Tom has more than 20 years of experience drafting and reviewing employee benefit plans and counseling clients with respect to employee benefits and executive compensation, including ERISA, qualified plans (pension, profit sharing, 401(k) and employee stock ownership plans), non-qualified deferred compensation, supplemental executive...
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...
For over 40 years, Otto has helped individuals, business owners, and employers comply with and plan for laws and regulations related to federal and state taxation, employee benefits, and executive compensation. He assists clients with audits, investigations, and regulatory disputes related to these areas, and advises businesses and their owners regarding business transactions and long-term business succession and estate planning. Otto also has significant experience in federal procurement reg...
Lori Shannon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Lori, 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 Lori is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Susan Daley is a partner with Perkins Coie and has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of executive compensation, securities and employee benefits. She is currently President of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, Chair of the Federal Securities Law Subcommittee of the Employee Benefits Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, and a member of the BNA Pension & Benefits Advisory Board. She is a former Chair of the Ill...
Tim Stanton is an energetic advocate for and trusted advisor to inside counsel and benefits and HR executives. His clients include: retailers and wholesalers; insurance, banking and financial services firms; and food companies and manufacturers, as well as colleges and universities. Tim actively counsels clients on the roller coaster ride that is national health care reform, as well as on ERISA fiduciary duties, health information privacy and security, retiree medical age discrimination, and ...
Loretta R. Richard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Public Finance Law and Tax Law. Loretta R., who practices law in Boston, Massachusetts, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Loretta R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nationally recognized trial attorney John Joseph (J.J.) Conway has legally navigated the complexities of disability, employee health benefits, and ERISA law since 1999. Founding J.J. Conway Law on the principle of helping people secure the employee benefits rightfully owed to them, Conway has recovered more than $100 million for his clients and won landmark class-action lawsuits in favor of families and retirees. Among his focus areas, Conway is a trailblazer in advocating for children’...
Felicity has more than 28 years of experience representing employers in all facets of employment law, including litigation, arbitrations, injunctive relief, administrative proceedings, counseling and trainings throughout the United States and in a few foreign jurisdictions.She has been certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1998 as a specialist in the field of Labor and Employment Law, and chaired a multitude of lawsuits on behalf of employers in state and federal courts (...
A. Wyckliff Nisbet, Jr. is a partner in the Employee Benefits Practice Group of the firm and an honors graduate of both the University of Arkansas and Georgetown University. Wyck has practiced law at Friday, Eldredge & Clark since 1974. Specializing in employee benefits and taxation, he has more than 40 years of experience representing employers in the design, implementation and administration of tax-qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation and executive compensatio...
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.