Senior Associate Attorney - Employee Benefits

A law firm seeks an experienced Senior Associate Attorney to join its Employee Benefits team in Chicago, IL. The ideal candidate will have at least seven years of experience in employee benefits law, specifically with ERISA and qualified retirement plans, including defined benefit plans and 401(k) plans. The role will involve advising clients on benefit structures, tax qualification, fiduciary duties, plan investments, and more. The successful candidate will play a key role in drafting and reviewing retirement plan documents, handling plan corrections, and guiding clients through compliance and regulatory matters.

Duties:

• Provide expert legal advice on qualified retirement plans, including traditional defined benefit plans, 401(k) plans, and other types of employee benefit structures.
• Draft and review retirement plan documents, including individually designed and pre-approved plans, ensuring compliance with evolving tax qualification requirements.
• Offer guidance on fiduciary responsibilities, plan governance, plan funding, investments, and administration.
• Advise on benefit plans within the context of mergers, acquisitions, and downsizing.
• Handle plan corrections and regulatory compliance issues, ensuring that all plans adhere to federal regulations.
• Review and negotiate service provider agreements for retirement plans.
• Assist clients with participant communications and benefit claims.
• Conduct legal research to stay current on employee benefits laws and best practices.
• Prepare clear and actionable written and oral communications to distill complex legal concepts into understandable advice.
• Build strong, lasting relationships with clients, offering high-level strategic and legal support.

Requirements:

• Minimum of seven years of experience with ERISA and employee benefits law, specifically in qualified retirement plans (e.g., defined benefit plans and 401(k) plans).
• Experience with multiemployer plans, cash balance plans, and 403(b) plans is a plus.
• Extensive experience in drafting, reviewing, and amending retirement plan documents, as well as advising on plan governance and corrections.
• Proven ability to advise clients on tax qualification, fiduciary duties, plan investments, and benefits issues related to mergers and acquisitions.
• Expertise in negotiating and reviewing service provider agreements for retirement plans.
• Ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to clients and team members.
• Strong client relationship management and business development skills.

Education:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.

Certifications:

• Admission to practice law in Washington, DC, or one of the following states: Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Tennessee.

Skills:

• Deep knowledge of ERISA and employee benefits law.
• Strong drafting and contract negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex legal matters simultaneously.
• High-level research and analytical abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex legal concepts.
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Client-focused approach with excellent interpersonal skills.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health and dental insurance.
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and holidays.
• Retirement savings plan with employer contributions.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment.

Here is a firm with a strong presence in the Midwest that is well known for its expertise in labor and employment law. The firm actually is considered a trend setter in the areas of labor and employment law, and its attorneys are well known for their abilities in this field throughout the United States. Despite this strong expertise, this firm has grown into a powerful full service firm and has strong practice groups in litigation, corporate, tax, government contracts/technology, bankruptcy, immigration, entertainment, environmental, real estate transactions, employee benefits, estate planning and other areas of law. Associates who have interviewed with this firm are impressed with the fact that the firm appears to do extremely good work and is in a serious growth mode. From our observations, the growth of this firm appears to have been very intelligent and deliberate. Despite the fact that this is a branch office, there do appear to be opportunities for significant associate advancement here.