Compliance: Challenge and Opportunity
I am pleased to offer expert advice to my clients in order to help them comply with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and its many progeny and associated regulations. I am guided by the principle of helping my clients succeed and make ERISA work for them beyond rudimentary compliance. This means assisting clients develop imaginative solutions that foster best practices and promote operating efficiencies that reduce internal costs and improve plan participant satisfaction.
Plan Compliance Services Offered
- Provide written analysis of legislative, regulatory and judicial developments in business English and offer suggestions on how best to comply
- Assist stakeholders in the employee benefit plan selection process
- Prepare draft documentation, including plan, trust and SPD
- Prepare draft amendments and restatements in order to comply with changes in the law
- Assist in securing a favorable determination letter (qualification of plan) from the IRS (Form 5300, Notices, et al)
- Prepare draft employee communications, including the preparation of SPDs, SMMs, letters to participants and beneficiaries
- Assist in responding to IRS and Department of Labor audits and self-audits
- Assist in the submission of Plans to IRS and DOL voluntary compliance programs (EPCRS, VCP and DFVCP)
- Offer technical support in handling plan terminations, partial plan terminations and in the case of multiemployer plans, withdrawal liability questions
- Assist in the preparation of annual reports (Form 5500) and disclosure requirements
- Draft claims and appeals procedures
- Assist in claims and appeals
- Review QDROs
- Provide research assistance with respect to litigation questions
- Analyze and respond to benefits compliance questions that arise during collective bargaining negotiations
- Assist in RFP process (including the drafting of the RFP) for new vendors or carriers
- Conduct or assist in handling of compliance reviews of retirement plan operations and administration
- Speak on current issues and developments in employee benefit law to any level of audience
- Draft and amend as needed plan investment policy statements
- Assistance in developing prudent practices and procedures relating to errors and omissions
- Assist in educating and training plan fiduciaries, including plan committees and boards of trustees
- Offer independent advice to fiduciaries as issues arise
- Review fiduciary liability insurance contracts