Best Atlanta, Georgia Employee Benefits (ERISA) Lawyers

Public and private companies call on Kerry Wenzel for unique, client-specific solutions to executive compensation issues. She is well-versed in corporate governance matters, securities laws, and tax issues. She takes a multifaceted approach when advising companies on executive compensation regulations, obligations, and corporate transactions. Kerry focuses her practice on corporate, tax, and securities issues relating to executive compensation, including Section 16 reporting and insider tradi...

Clay Walts concentrates his practice in employee benefits and executive compensation, which includes drafting and preparing qualified retirement plans, welfare benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements for both public and closely held companies; addressing employee benefit issues in corporate transactions; advising clients on issues relating to the investment of plan assets and exemptions from the plan asset and prohibited transaction rules; and counseling clients on issues relati...

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...

For a number of clients, Nicole serves as an extension of their benefits and rewards department, designing compliant total rewards programs that facilitate her clients’ business objectives. For publicly traded and private companies, predominately in the financial services, healthcare and restaurant sectors, as well as tax-exempt entities, Nicole regularly advises on retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, pension plans and government correction programs for fixing plan operational err...

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.

Mike Stevens is a partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group. He focuses on executive compensation matters, with a particular emphasis on tax, securities and corporate governance issues relating to stock plans, incentive compensation arrangements, executive employment agreements and deferred compensation. Mr. Stevens frequently advises clients with respect to executive compensation issues relating to mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactio...

Tiffany D. Downs is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Employment Law - Management. Tiffany D. practices law in Atlanta, Georgia Best Lawyers has recognized Tiffany D. Downs since 2026. 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 Tiffany D. Downs is held by other lawyers.

More than ever, companies face a constant evolution of health and welfare regulations for their employee benefit plans. Amy Heppner’s Fortune 500 clients rely on her experience and sound guidance on remaining compliant. Counsel in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group, Amy provides practical guidance to clients on how to comply with the myriad federal and state laws that impact employer-sponsored health and welfare benefit plans.

John Shannon's comprehensive knowledge of executive compensation enables him to provide efficient and practical solutions to complex tax, securities, and corporate governance issues. John counsels public and private companies on employment and severance agreements, stock plans, and deferred compensation arrangements, and has extensive experience with compensation issues in M&A and corporate transactions. He regularly advises on equity-based and other incentive arrangements, nonqualified d...

Ashley Gillihan is counsel in the Atlanta office and a member of the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation and ERISA Litigation Groups. Ashley focuses his practice exclusively on health and welfare employee benefit compliance and litigation issues for employers, health plan administrators, and other health and welfare benefit plan service providers. He also has extensive experience assisting financial institutions and insurance companies who serve as Health Savings Accou...

John Hickman is head of the firm’s Health Benefits Practice, where he leads several attorneys devoted exclusively to health care reform issues under the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA privacy, health savings accounts (HSAs) and consumer-directed health care, flexible benefit plans and related health benefit issues. Mr. Hickman has worked closely with health plans, financial institutions and employers, as well as the IRS, Treasury and DOL, in addressing health benefit issues. Mr. Hickman has...