Employment

The Wagner Law Group, a Professional Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts 2006 -
Senior Associate responsible for:
-Designing employee benefit plans, including
--qualified retirement plans and tax-sheltered annuities
--nonqualified deferred compensation
--health and welfare plans (and related funding arrangements such as VEBAs)
-Drafting plan documents
-Negotiating with IRS to obtain favorable IRS determination letters for all types of qualified retirement plans
-Representing clients during IRS, DOL, and PBGC audits of employee benefit plans
-Counseling clients on employee benefit issues

Aon Consulting, Research & Technical Services. Newburyport, MA. (1978-2006)
Research director responsible for:
-Anticipating the information needs of practitioners
-Managing internal and external publications
-Directing research staff of ten professionals
-Answering questions from practitioners about tax, accounting, and funding issues, and legislative and regulatory development affecting human resource management and employee benefits
-Counseling the firm's investment consultants on compliance with their fiduciary obligations under ERISA and the Investment Advisers Act

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Washington, D.C. (1977-1978)
Staff attorney responsible for:
-Preparing PBGC comments on proposed IRS regulations affecting PBGC's plan termination insurance program
-Writing legal opinions in response to inquiries to PBGC's Office of General Counsel
-Advising PBGC case officers handling plan terminations

Suitter, Axland & Armstrong. Salt Lake City, UT (1975-1977)
Associate responsible for:
-Drafting employee benefit plans for the law firm's clients
-Counseling the law firm's clients on compliance with ERISA and other federal statutes regulating their employee benefit plans
-Developing the law firm's immigration practice

Education

Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Juris Doctor, 1975

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1971
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
Phi Beta Kappa

Professional Activities

Bar Admissions: Massachusetts, Utah, District of Columbia, New Hampshire

CEBS: Fellow of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists

Graduate Course Taught: Legal Issues in Human Resources, 1997-2002, at Lesley University School of Management, Cambridge, Mass.

Book Published: The FMLA Guide: Practical Solutions to Administration and Management/Chicago: Irwin Professional Pub., 1996

Articles Published:

“Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System:  A Guide for the Novice,” Benefits Law Journal, Spring 2008

"Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System: A Guide for the Novice" Benefits Law Journal, Fall 2007, with Diane Goulder Cohen

"Supreme Court Confirms Health Plan's Right to Reimbursement from Third Party Recoveries," Benefits Law Journal, Autumn 2006, with Stephanie V. Rosseau

"Solving the Dependent Definition Dilemma in Employee Benefit Plans," Benefits Law Journal, Spring 2006, with Brian Malynn

"Dependent care spending accounts-do they make sense in 2003?" Benefits Quarterly, Second Quarter 2003, with Joe Lineberry

"Designing long-term disability plans: Tax efficiency vs. maximizing wage replacement." Benefits Quarterly, First Quarter 2003, with Randall W. Luecke

"State Income Tax Statutes Could Frustrate Retirement Plan Sponsors," Benefits Quarterly, First Quarter 2003

"Retirement planning: More Than Investment Education," Journal of the American Society of CLU & ChFC, May 1995, with Andrea T. Sellars

"Bankruptcy Protection for Retiree Health Benefits Increasing," Benefits Law Journal, Autumn 1993

"Insider Reporting and Short Swing Trading Rules for Qualified Defined Contribution Plans," Benefits Quarterly, First Quarter 1992.

"Defined Contribution Plans and Investments in GICs," Tax Management Financial Planning Journal, Mar. 17, 1992

"Walking Through the Discrimination Testing Maze for Welfare Plans," Benefits Quarterly, Second Quarter 1987, with Mark W. Kimble

White Papers Distributed to Clients:

Using Captives to Fund Benefits

Mergers & Acquisitions: Employee Benefits Due Diligence

HIPAA Privacy and EDI: Employer Compliance Strategies

Electronic Plan Administration Standards
Fiduciary and Investment Issues: Beyond the Basics

Medicare Part D: An Employer's Perspective

Group Term Life Insurance Imputed Income

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