J. THOMAS (TOM) CRISTYTom Cristy, a partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice, focuses on employee benefits, ERISA and executive compensation. Tom has more than 25 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 retirement plans, COBRA, health and other welfare benefit plans, cafeteria plans, fringe benefits and fiduciary compliance. He also counsels clients with respect to IRS and DOL audits and employee benefits litigation, as well as advises clients on employee benefits aspects of merger, acquisition, disposition and financing transactions.

Susan Daley has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of executive compensation, securities and employee benefits. She is president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, and chair of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Committee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section. She is also a former co-chair of the BNA Pension & Benefits Advisory Board as well as a former chair of the Federal Securities Law Subcommittee of the Employee Benefits Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation, the Illinois State Bar Association Employee Benefits Section Counsel, the Chicago Bar Association Employee Benefits Committee and the Chicago Bar Association Federal Taxation Committee.

April GoffApril Goff helps companies leverage their employee benefits plans to attract and retain the best talent. Her experience, both in-house and in private practice, enables her to negotiate the full life cycle of employment for C-suite and other high-level executives, from negotiating terms and coordinating governmental filings to preparing termination agreements.

Kiran GriffithKiran Griffith advises clients on employee benefits matters, including plan design and drafting, benefits strategy and innovation and regulatory compliance. Kiran’s clients include public and private sector employers, associations and boards of trustees, as well as service providers in the health and wellness space. Her practice focuses on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, the Internal Revenue Code and other federal and state laws that affect benefits design and administration under employer-sponsored employee welfare benefit plans.

Kurt LinsenmayerKurt Linsenmayer counsels clients on ERISA, federal tax and other rules applicable to 401(k) plans, qualified and nonqualified pension plans, other executive benefits and health and welfare programs. Kurt is committed to providing highly effective and responsive legal services, including through leveraging technology. His more than 25 years of legal practice experience includes serving as an in-house attorney of a Fortune 50 company, drafting and counseling advice to many public and private clients, and supporting all benefits related negotiation, diligence and integration aspects of mergers and acquisitions, financings and other corporate transactions. Kurt also guides clients in responding to benefits claims and represents them before the IRS, U.S. Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

Jeffrey MinzelJeff Minzel is an ERISA and employee benefits lawyer who advises a broad range of public and private clients. Specific areas of experience include employee benefit issues in qualified plan design and compliance; 401(k) and defined contribution plans; defined benefit plans; multiemployer pension plans; mergers and acquisitions; Code Section 409A compliance and nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, including severance and employment agreements; fiduciary liability; prohibited transactions; voluntary correction (EPCRS, VCP, and DFVCP); multiemployer withdrawal liability claims; and retirement plans for nonprofit and government entities (403(b) and 457 plans).

Chen, VickyVicky Chen is an ERISA and employee benefits attorney with extensive experience in qualified plan design, administration and compliance, specifically with respect to 401(k) plans. Vicky advises a broad range of public and private clients on their employee benefits related matters. She assists clients in amending and restating qualified retirement plan documents (including policies and procedures), preparing related employee notices and communications, merging or terminating retirement plans, filing determination letter applications with the IRS, and responding to IRS and DOL audits. She also addresses correcting plan failures under the IRS’ self-correction program (SCP) and voluntary correction programs (VCP), and the DOL’s delinquent filer voluntary correction program (DFVCP). In addition, Vicky advises on employee benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions as well as on retirement plans for nonprofit and government entities (457(b) and 403(b) plans).

Tomer VandsburgerTomer Vandsburger advises employers with the design and administration of their employee benefit plans, including assisting with plan drafting and compliance issues, and responses to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) plan audits and assessments. Tomer advises clients with Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), Internal Revenue Code, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Affordable Care Act issues in the context of mergers and acquisitions.

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