--- title: Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation date: 2023-06-12T15:36:00-04:00 author: Import Bot canonical_url: "https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/employee-benefits-and-executive-compensation" section: Services --- # Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Kelley Drye’s comprehensive legal and counseling services can help you motivate talented employees, retain key executives, and transition your workforce in times of change. ![People Blocks](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Hero-Objects/labor_blog2.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1880&q=80&w=1880&s=4c9844984a488e1acc2796001a9e07d8) - About - Team - Honors - Events Our team advises on a spectrum of employee benefits and executive compensation programs, including retirement and welfare programs, executive compensation, and associated legal and tax issues. We are particularly skilled in navigating clients through mergers, acquisitions, and changes in control. With Kelley Drye, you work with a team that understands how benefits, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, equity-based plans and other programs combine to create value for employees and build loyalty. With a deep understanding of the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA, we can help you document and administer your plans and execute your plan sponsor fiduciary duties. ### Retirement and Welfare Benefits We work with you to keep your programs compliant and navigate legal and business issues and fiduciary duties to plan participants. - Board and Committee consultation - Church plans - Employee communications: post-transaction benefits integration - ERISA compliance - Executive physicals - Fiduciary training for benefit plan committees - HIPAA compliance: plan document maintenance and compliance with rapidly changing laws - Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation audits and plan corrections - Negotiating service provider agreements - Non-discrimination testing under Internal Revenue Code considerations - Participant claims - Plan mergers and terminations - Taft Hartley/multiemployer plan considerations ### Executive Compensation With complex compensation plans comes the need for attorneys who understand the business and legal issues that can arise, such as Section 409A, change-in-control, and transaction-based compensation. - 280G / 4999 analysis in transactions - 409A compliance and corrections - 457(b) and 457(f) plans - Awards: incentive, retention - Consultation with Compensation Committee - Executive compensation plans: deferral, bonus - International equity awards - Startup company considerations such as retention and awards - Rabbi trusts [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Bio-Photos-1200x1200/Kaplan_Pamela.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=956&q=80&w=956&s=b9de8c668c21f279583ab3ac26e6bdfe) ![](/static/img/team-card-bg/square_team_listing_1.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/pamela-d-kaplan) ### [Pamela D. Kaplan](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/pamela-d-kaplan) Partner [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Bio-Photos-1200x1200/Anderson_Victoria.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=956&q=80&w=956&s=a0d6dfed1877c67a0ca937e0d977d61d) ![](/static/img/team-card-bg/square_team_listing_2.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/victoria-e-anderson) ### [Victoria E. Anderson](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/victoria-e-anderson) Partner [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Bio-Photos-1200x1200/Chargar_Richard.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=956&q=80&w=956&s=5166128004738f25b627f7e3f7b8af43) ![](/static/img/team-card-bg/square_team_listing_3.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/richard-s-chargar) ### [Richard S. Chargar](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/richard-s-chargar) Partner [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Bio-Photos-1200x1200/Downing_Levi.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=956&q=80&w=956&s=663d2a5f1e33aa0f8758a3f7cf9b33be) ![](/static/img/team-card-bg/square_team_listing_4.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/levi-m-downing) ### [Levi M. Downing](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/levi-m-downing) Partner [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Bio-Photos-1200x1200/Hoey_Barbara.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=956&q=80&w=956&s=075f1ac7045111dd804f887b989c95d6) ![](/static/img/team-card-bg/square_team_listing_5.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/barbara-e-hoey) ### [Barbara E. Hoey](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/barbara-e-hoey) Partner [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Bio-Photos-1200x1200/Saylor_James_v2.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=956&q=80&w=956&s=2fb95c313c60bc0878f295a19d0be8a6) ![](/static/img/team-card-bg/square_team_listing_6.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/james-b-saylor) ### [James B. Saylor](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/james-b-saylor) Partner [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Bio-Photos-1200x1200/Solomon_Richard.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=956&q=80&w=956&s=f60c448a378a7314e17a085e0b6a38de) ![](/static/img/team-card-bg/square_team_listing_7.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/richard-b-solomon) ### [Richard B. Solomon](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/richard-b-solomon) Senior Associate Honors [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-Images/star_award.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=750&q=80&w=1125&s=689e013005bf95956401d931cf38a235) ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-rectangles/Honors_Listing.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/the-best-lawyers-in-america-recognizes-64-kelley-drye-attorneys-in-2026-edition-3) August 21, 2025 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/the-best-lawyers-in-america-recognizes-64-kelley-drye-attorneys-in-2026-edition-3) In the News [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-rectangles/In_the_News_Listing.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/the-best-lawyers-in-america-recognizes-56-kelley-drye-attorneys-in-2025-edition) August 15, 2024 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/the-best-lawyers-in-america-recognizes-56-kelley-drye-attorneys-in-2025-edition) Honors [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-Images/honor.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=750&q=80&w=1125&s=0ccfb43d882ccc491009b78088b61f0c) ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-rectangles/Honors_Listing.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/kelley-drye-attorneys-named-to-the-2024-edition-of-the-best-lawyers-in-america) August 17, 2023 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/kelley-drye-attorneys-named-to-the-2024-edition-of-the-best-lawyers-in-america) [ View all for this practice ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news?practice=Employee+Benefits+and+Executive+Compensation&newsType=Honors#listing) - Past Firm Event [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-rectangles/Firm_Event_Listing.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/events/trump-reframes-the-eeo-agenda-what-does-it-mean-for-your-business) [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/events/trump-reframes-the-eeo-agenda-what-does-it-mean-for-your-business) January 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm | Zoom Firm Event [ ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Hero-Objects/team_group_of_people.webp?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=750&q=80&w=1125&s=94b5e56aa4c89bd7ba60f675e602a6d1) ![](https://d3iuizmsm2hayf.cloudfront.net/content/uploads/Listing-rectangles/Firm_Event_Listing.svg) ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/events/employment-law-update-post-election-webinar) [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/events/employment-law-update-post-election-webinar) November 19, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm | Zoom - Share this entry - - - - - [ View entry pdf ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cdn.kelleydrye.com/content/uploads/pdf-snapshots/employee-benefits-and-executive-compensation-20231128091529.pdf) ### Contact Information - [Pamela D. Kaplan](https://www.kelleydrye.com/people/pamela-d-kaplan) Partner (212) 808-7980 email hidden; JavaScript is required ### Related Services - [Employment and Employee Benefits](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/employment-and-employee-benefits) - [Employment Litigation](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/employment-litigation) - [Labor and Employment Counseling and Compliance](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/labor-and-employment-counseling-and-compliance) - [Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/trade-secrets-and-restrictive-covenants) - [Organized Labor and Labor Relations](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/organized-labor-and-labor-relations) - [Corporate and Tax](https://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/corporate-and-tax) Advisory January 30, 2026 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/viewpoints/client-advisories/employer-action-needed-hipaa-notice-revisions-required-for-substance-use-disorder-record-protections) Blog Labor Days November 11, 2025 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/viewpoints/blogs/labor-days/october-layoffs-hit-22-year-high-legal-considerations-for-employers) Blog Labor Days July 28, 2025 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/viewpoints/blogs/labor-days/simplified-option-for-correcting-certain-retirement-plan-failures) [View all related viewpoints](https://www.kelleydrye.com/viewpoints?practice=Employee+Benefits+and+Executive+Compensation#listing) Press Release July 1, 2025 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/kelley-drye-announces-new-partners-and-special-counsel-5) In the News June 18, 2025 [ ](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news/mark-konkel-quoted-by-financial-times-on-the-prevalence-of-non-compete-clauses-in-employment-contracts) [View all related news](https://www.kelleydrye.com/news?practice=Employee+Benefits+and+Executive+Compensation#listing)