Employee Benefits

Team Leaders

Jeffrey H. Tour

Member

About

Steptoe & Johnson’s Employee Benefits (ERISA) Team designs creative, solid solutions to align with each client’s legal needs in all facets of employee benefits and compensation law. Our seasoned ERISA attorneys have extensive experience in tax and non-tax compliance issues, client counseling, fiduciary issues, IRS, DOL, PBGC administrative proceedings, and litigation.

Team members are located throughout the country, and they collaborate with other Steptoe & Johnson attorneys to best serve our clients through individualized employee benefits counseling concerning their retirement and health plans, corporate transactions, litigation, reductions in force, and settlement of IRS and DOL audits.

We value clear dialogue. Our attorneys do not just recite code; we listen to each client and design real-world solutions to advance their goals and interests.

Representative Clients

Boy Scouts of America
FirstGroup America
Greyhound Lines
Hydro Aluminum Metals USA
Presbyterian Retirement Services
Steel of West Virginia

How We Have Helped

Assisted plan sponsors in identifying and correcting errors in welfare benefit plans and retirement plans in accordance with U.S. Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service requirements
Briefed and argued ERISA-related cases before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Handled welfare plan issues regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), portability and privacy rules, cafeteria plans, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), extended medical benefits, retiree medical issues, Voluntary Employee Benefit Associations (VEBA), deduction rules, and unrelated business taxable income rules
Developed nonqualified deferred compensation plans and other executive compensation arrangements, including stock options (both incentive and nonqualified), restricted stock, and other equity-based and performance-based incentive plans
Advised clients on prohibited transaction and fiduciary breach allegations and on reversion issues and ERISA preemption issues
Counseled employers concerning the interplay of ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, and other federal laws such as FMLA, HIPAA, COBRA, ADA and WV WPCA, and assisted plan sponsors in making sense of the rules and regulations that govern all facets of their employee benefit plans

What Sets Us Apart

Plain talk and value. We don’t just cite code; we listen to our clients and then craft real-world solutions to advance their goals. All in plain English.

Our pragmatic approach and cost structure allow Steptoe & Johnson’s ERISA Team to provide exemplary service at a reasonable price.