Employee Benefits

Escalating costs, increased governmental regulation and the current economic climate have all influenced the approach businesses need to take to employee benefit issues. Butzel Long emphasizes hands-on client service, particularly during challenging times, often serving as an extension of a company’s human resources and tax planning departments, providing comprehensive legal counsel and business advice, along with the cross-disciplinary resources to handle any issues that may arise. We advise clients ranging from professional corporations with one or two employees to employers with several thousand employees at locations across the country or the world and they include both for-profit and non-profit entities. The Employee Benefits Group works closely with actuaries, accountants, other benefits consultants and members in the firm’s other practice areas in the design and implementation of benefits programs. Our attorneys also regularly represent clients before the Internal Revenue Service, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and the Department of Labor.

Our group has the bench strength to handle a tremendous volume and variety of work and our attorneys provide ongoing legal services on a range of issues, including the design, drafting, preparation and termination of qualified retirement plans; counsel in connection with employee welfare and cafeteria plan benefits; as well as advisory services that can be critical in corporate mergers, acquisitions, financing arrangements, liquidations and other corporate transactions. We represent employers with multiemployer pension and health and welfare plan issues including benefit issues in union negotiations, delinquent contribution and audit defense, withdrawal liability strategy and approaches to plans in endangered or critical funding status.  We provide on-going advice to clients on the tax, compliance and strategic implications of executive compensation arrangements. The Employee Benefits Group also advises clients with regard to interpretation and compliance with the benefits aspects of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans With Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination In Employment Act, HIPAA, GINA and other benefits related statutes.