Advised on compliance issues relating to former company’s employee benefits, compensation and equity plans, including benefits-related SEC disclosures, annual bonus plan and incentive plan issues and 409A deferred compensation issues, defined benefit and defined contribution plan strategies, plan mergers and terminations, ERISA claims procedures, Affordable Care Act, wellness programs, HIPAA privacy and security, and COBRA administration.

Advised senior management on executive compensation and benefits, equity and incentive compensation, and HR-related merger and acquisition issues, including governance and regulatory developments.

Served as lead HR merger and acquisition lawyer for telecommunications merger valued at almost $80 billion, including HR due diligence, executive compensation issues, 280G analysis and integration projects.

Managed and developed strategy for executive benefit programs, including deferred compensation, SERPs, executive health, change-in-control arrangements and executive severance.

Developed strategy and design of shareholder-approved global equity plan and drafted all required documentation, including committee and plan documentation and global award agreements (approximate $60 million annual grant value in 26 countries).

Drafted executive employment agreements in partnership with executive compensation team, including certain C-suite contracts and other succession planning projects.

Conducted RFP and negotiated contract and related materials with independent fiduciary for company stock fund.

Reviewed and negotiated all service provider contracts and business associate agreements with third-party benefits administrators and vendors and monitored vendor compliance with such contracts and applicable plans.

Served as chief legal counsel for former company’s fiduciary committees (benefit administrative committee and investment committee) and pension assumption committee.

Managed former company’s ERISA litigation, including claims involving denial of retirement, health, life, disability and severance benefits; alleged breaches of fiduciary duty; the application of state law (federal preemption); and alleged misrepresentations regarding benefits.