New DOL Guidance Regarding Proxy Advisory Firms and Proxy Voting for Retirement Plans

Mr. French is leader of the firm’s employee benefits and executive compensation group. His employee benefits practice covers a wide range of traditional executive compensation and employee benefits matters along with a variety of inter-disciplinary practice areas and industries that are affected by executive compensation and employee benefits laws. Mr. French regularly works with clients to design, implement and maintain equity compensation plans, long-term incentive plans, bonus programs and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements for executives, employees and non-employee directors. He also advises and represents executives, boards of directors and compensation committees in the negotiation and drafting of employment, severance, retirement, termination and change in control agreements. Mr. French also has extensive experience advising clients on the impact of Code Section 409A on executive compensation arrangements and has assisted clients utilize IRS programs to correct plan deficiencies or operation errors. In connection with his executive compensation practice, he frequently counsels compensation committees of publicly traded clients on the Dodd-Frank financial reform laws and regularly assists with the drafting and preparation of proxy statements and other SEC filings related to executive compensation matters.

Ms. Grey counsels employers on employee benefit and executive compensation matters. She advises on qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans, executive compensation arrangements, and payroll and fringe benefits. Ms. Grey also counsels clients on the legal issues arising under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, COBRA, and securities laws. In addition to helping employers resolve day-to-day compliance issues, she advises on complex employee benefits and executive compensation matters.