ERISA & Employee Benefits Counsel

ERISA & Employee Benefits Counsel

Description -

Unique mastery and recognized authority on ERISA employee benefits fiduciary governance and related tax and regulatory requirements. Contributes to the development of innovative legal principles governance frameworks and risk-management strategies. Successfully operates in HPs most complex employee benefits and fiduciary matters. Provides practical solutions to complex legal regulatory and business issues affecting HPs U.S. retirement health and welfare and other employee benefit programs.

Advises cross-division multi-function teams involving Legal Total Rewards Human Resources Finance Tax Treasury and other stakeholders. Provides compliance guidance to lower-level employees and serves as a trusted advisor to senior management and fiduciary committees. Routinely exercises independent judgment in developing methods techniques and criteria for achieving business objectives. Develops strategy and sets functional policy and direction within area of expertise. Acts as a project manager and recognized subject matter expert but does not manage other employees as a primary job function.

Responsibilities

• Acts as principal legal advisor to assigned internal clients fiduciary committees plan administrators and other Legal team members with respect to ERISA employee benefits fiduciary governance and related tax and regulatory matters.
• Provides strategic legal advice regarding the design administration governance amendment and termination of qualified retirement plans including 401(k) pension and other tax-qualified plans.
• Advises on ERISA fiduciary duties prohibited transaction rules plan asset considerations fiduciary delegation committee governance investment-related matters and the development and maintenance of prudent fiduciary processes.
• Provides legal counsel regarding health and welfare benefit plans including ERISA the Internal Revenue Code COBRA HIPAA ACA MHPAEA and other applicable federal and state benefits requirements.
• Manages the development of legal strategies by providing specialized ERISA and employee benefits expertise on matters of strategic importance or having significant impact on financial exposure employee programs regulatory compliance fiduciary risk or corporate policy.
• Leads complex multidimensional benefits projects and transactions by identifying and resolving highly complex legal regulatory fiduciary tax operational and business issues requiring specialized knowledge and judgment.
• Advises on benefit plan implications of mergers acquisitions divestitures restructurings workforce transitions and other corporate transactions including due diligence integration strategy plan harmonization and transition arrangements.
• Advises on plan qualification correction and compliance matters including issues arising under the Internal Revenue Code ERISA IRS and Department of Labor guidance and applicable correction programs.
• Counsels internal stakeholders regarding plan documents amendments summary plan descriptions participant communications administrative procedures claims and appeals and other plan-related documentation.
• Provides institutional knowledge support and fiduciary oversight in relation to corporate and local governance standards committee charters delegations of authority policies processes documentation and reporting requirements.
• Advises fiduciary committees and senior management regarding governance practices fiduciary decision-making conflicts of interest vendor oversight investment governance and documentation of fiduciary processes.
• Partners with Human Resources Total Rewards Finance Tax Treasury Payroll Compliance Internal Audit Procurement and external advisors to develop legally compliant and operationally effective employee benefit programs.
• Provides legal oversight regarding benefit plan audits governmental inquiries participant disputes benefit claims regulatory examinations and matters involving the Internal Revenue Service Department of Labor Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and other regulators.
• Monitors and evaluates legislative regulatory litigation and enforcement developments affecting ERISA and employee benefits and develops strategies for implementing required changes across HPs benefit programs.
• Plans and facilitates training sessions with Legal team members fiduciaries plan administrators Human Resources professionals and other internal clients regarding fiduciary responsibilities regulatory developments governance expectations and employee benefits compliance.
• Leads development of new ideas governance models processes and methods to effectively address recurring or emerging ERISA fiduciary and employee benefits issues affecting multiple client organizations.
• Identifies opportunities to improve legal service delivery through standardized processes technology data analytics automation and appropriate use of artificial intelligence while maintaining appropriate legal and fiduciary controls.
• Acts as a functional expert within ERISA and employee benefits assisting in developing enterprise strategy and setting functional policy and direction.

Education and Experience Required

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) or equivalent law degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
• Typically has 10 years of legal experience advising on ERISA employee benefits fiduciary governance retirement plans health and welfare benefits and related tax matters in a major law firm corporate legal department or comparable environment.
• Demonstrated experience advising sophisticated employers fiduciary committees plan sponsors or financial institutions on complex employee benefits matters.

Preferred Certifications

• State Bar Membership.
• Significant ERISA and employee benefits experience at a nationally recognized law firm and/or large multinational corporation.

Knowledge & Skills

• ERISA
• Internal Revenue Code
• Fiduciary Governance
• Fiduciary Duties
• Qualified Retirement Plans
• 401(k) Plans
• Pension Plans
• Health and Welfare Plans
• Internal Revenue Code
• COBRA
• HIPAA
• Affordable Care Act
• Mental Health Parity
• Prohibited Transactions
• Plan Governance
• Plan Documentation
• Benefits Administration
• Regulatory Compliance
• IRS and Department of Labor Requirements
• Government Audits and Investigations
• Corporate Governance
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Due Diligence
• Risk Management
• Risk Mitigation
• Legal Research
• Providing Legal Advice
• Executive and Fiduciary Committee Counseling
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Policy Development
• Legal Technology and Process Improvement

Cross-Org Skills

• Effective Communication
• Results Orientation
• Learning Agility
• Digital Fluency
• Customer Centricity
• Strategic Thinking
• Executive Presence
• Collaboration
• Judgment and Decision-Making
• Influencing Without Authority

Impact & Scope

• Impacts large functions and enterprise-wide employee benefit programs and leads large cross-division projects.
• Serves as a recognized subject matter authority on ERISA employee benefits and fiduciary governance for matters involving significant financial regulatory operational reputational or employee impact.
• Advises senior leaders and fiduciary committees on matters affecting long-term benefit strategy governance risk management and organizational objectives.

Complexity

• Provides practical solutions to complex ERISA employee benefits fiduciary tax regulatory and governance problems within established policy.
• Independently evaluates issues for which legal precedent regulatory guidance business requirements or organizational practices may be evolving or ambiguous and develops risk-based solutions.
• Regularly addresses matters requiring the integration of legal tax financial fiduciary operational and employee-relations considerations across multiple functions and business units.

The pay range for this role is $190450 to $259750 USD annually with additional opportunities for pay in the form of bonus and/or equity (applies to United States of America candidates only). Pay varies by work location job-related knowledge skills and experience.

Benefits:

HP offers a comprehensive benefits package for this position including:

* Health insurance
* Dental insurance
* Vision insurance
* Long term/short term disability insurance
* Employee assistance program
* Flexible spending account
* Life insurance
* Generous time off policies including;
* 4-12 weeks fully paid parental leave based on tenure
* 11 paid holidays
* Additional flexible paid vacation and sick leave (US benefits overview compensation and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time with or without notice subject to applicable law.

#LI-POST

Job -

Legal

Schedule -

Full time

Shift -

No shift premium (United States of America)

Travel -

No

Relocation -

Yes

Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) -

HP Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees without regard to race color religion sex national origin ancestry citizenship sexual orientation age disability or status as a protected veteran marital status familial status physical or mental disability medical condition pregnancy genetic predisposition or carrier status uniformed service status political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national federal state and local law(s).

Please be assured that you will not be subject to any adverse treatment if you choose to disclose the information requested. This information is provided voluntarily. The information obtained will be kept in strict confidence.

For more information review HPs EEO Policy or read about your rights as an applicant under the law here: Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal