Employee Benefits Attorney
Legal · Posted 4 months ago
We need someone with 4–10 years of substantive employee benefits experience at a law firm, with a primary focus on the retirement / ERISA side — qualified plans, 401(k), pension, deferred compensation, and plan compliance counseling. You should be comfortable advising plan-sponsor employers on complex ERISA matters and...
- Way of working
- Hybrid
- Location
- Rochester, NY, Buffalo, NY, Albany, NY
- Pay range
- $139,000 to $192,000
- Level
- Mid
- Experience
- 4 to 10 years
- Type
- Full time
- Visa sponsorship
- Not offered for this role
- The company
- 50 to 200 people
What you would be doing
- Design, draft, and amend 401(k), pension, profit-sharing, and other qualified retirement plans for a sophisticated client base ranging from local employers to Fortune 100 and international public companies
- Advise plan sponsors and fiduciary committees on day-to-day plan compliance, nondiscrimination testing, plan corrections (EPCRS/VFCP), and IRS/DOL audits
- Implement SECURE Act / SECURE 2.0 changes and stay current on ongoing regulatory developments affecting plan sponsors
- Collaborate closely with the firm's active corporate and capital markets groups on M&A benefits diligence — reviewing target plans, identifying liabilities, drafting reps and warranties, and handling plan integration post-closing
- Counsel clients on nonqualified deferred compensation (409A), executive compensation arrangements, equity and incentive plans, and severance agreements
- Engage directly with demanding institutional clients, particularly around year-end deadlines, with client-facing opportunities available for those seeking to build toward partnership
- Work within a collegial, lockstep-with-accountability partnership model that structurally incentivizes cross-selling and early associate development — no eat-what-you-kill dynamics
The full description
What we're looking for:
We need someone with 4–10 years of substantive employee benefits experience at a law firm, with a primary focus on the retirement / ERISA side — qualified plans, 401(k), pension, deferred compensation, and plan compliance counseling. You should be comfortable advising plan-sponsor employers on complex ERISA matters and have a track record of handling qualified plan design, compliance, and M&A benefits diligence. Bonus points if you bring executive compensation experience (409A, equity plans, employment agreements) or a Tax LL.M. / CPA background.
What you'll do:
- Design, draft, and amend 401(k), pension, profit-sharing, and other qualified retirement plans for a sophisticated client base ranging from local employers to Fortune 100 and international public companies - Advise plan sponsors and fiduciary committees on day-to-day plan compliance, nondiscrimination testing, plan corrections (EPCRS/VFCP), and IRS/DOL audits - Implement SECURE Act / SECURE 2.0 changes and stay current on ongoing regulatory developments affecting plan sponsors - Collaborate closely with the firm's active corporate and capital markets groups on M&A benefits diligence — reviewing target plans, identifying liabilities, drafting reps and warranties, and handling plan integration post-closing - Counsel clients on nonqualified deferred compensation (409A), executive compensation arrangements, equity and incentive plans, and severance agreements - Engage directly with demanding institutional clients, particularly around year-end deadlines, with client-facing opportunities available for those seeking to build toward partnership - Work within a collegial, lockstep-with-accountability partnership model that structurally incentivizes cross-selling and early associate development — no eat-what-you-kill dynamics
How hiring runs
- 1Screen Interview
- 2In-Person Second Round – Panel Interviews
- 3Informal Lunch or Coffee
Interested in this one?
There is no apply button here on purpose. Tell us about yourself, we book a short call, and if this role fits we walk you through the company and ask before anything is sent. Always free for you.
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