Employee Benefits Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

Salary range: $139K - $192K About this role

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