Overview
Butzel's Employee Benefits team provides a comprehensive array of technical compliance and counseling services that relate to a business qualified retirement plans. Our attorneys assist employers throughout the life cycle of a retirement plan, from initial plan design and drafting through plan termination and disposition of its assets, while maintaining the objective of helping make retirement plans effective tools in meeting an employers specific benefits needs. Butzel's clients rely on the extensive experience our attorneys possess in structuring plans, amending plans to comply with constantly changing technical requirements, advising on plan administration and compliance issues, obtaining favorable IRS determination letters, and assisting with plan compliance corrections through government sponsored compliance programs. In addition to drafting individually designed retirement plans, Butzel sponsors both a prototype defined contribution retirement plan and a volume submitter defined contribution retirement plan for clients who may benefit from these types of pre-approved plans.
Butzel's Employee Benefits attorneys provide strategic planning and implementation assistance on retirement plan mergers, plan terminations and conversions, and proper treatment of qualified retirement plans in corporate acquisitions and dispositions. Our clients turn to us to help guide them through their business opportunities and legal obligations when providing retirement incentives for downsizing and crafting effective retirement based severance packages. We work closely with our clients labor relations personnel in properly managing qualified retirement plan issues in the context of collective bargaining, including with regard to multiemployer pension fund contribution obligations and managing potential withdrawal liability.
Butzel attorneys provide employers strategic advice outside of the strict technical plan qualification context. Our benefits attorneys serve as legal counsel to pension and 401(k) plan investment and administrative committees, often as regular attendees at committee meetings. We provide on-going fiduciary best practice services related to qualified retirement plans. As part of our benefits counseling and compliance services, our attorneys negotiate vendor contracts with retirement plan service providers, such as trustees, investment managers and consultants, actuaries, record keepers, and insurance companies. Whether our clients are seeking full service, comprehensive legal assistance related to their qualified retirement plans, or advice on unique plan related legal problems, the Butzel Employee Benefits practice group provides cost effective, understandable, and timely solutions.
