Employee Benefits Attorney

About the company

Our client is a law firm.

The role

Raydar is recruiting for this role on behalf of our client. Counsel employers on the creation, upkeep and regulatory compliance of retirement programs, with a focus on tax-qualified arrangements. Partner with corporate colleagues on the benefits side of deals and advise on senior-level pay structures. The position involves direct client contact and a route to equity partnership.

What you'll do

• Create and update retirement savings and pension arrangements for employer clients of many sizes.
• Guide plan sponsors and fiduciary committees through everyday compliance, testing, corrective filings and government audits.
• Roll out the requirements of new retirement legislation and track ongoing regulatory changes.
• Work with deal teams on benefits due diligence, reviewing a target's programs, flagging exposure, negotiating contract protections and managing integration after closing.
• Advise on deferred pay programs, senior-level pay packages, stock-based awards and separation terms.
• Build relationships with institutional clients and support them through busy year-end periods.
• Take part in a team-based practice that encourages cross-group work and helps junior lawyers grow.

What we're looking for

• Roughly 4 to 10 years of law firm practice in employee benefits, centered on retirement and ERISA matters.
• Hands-on background in setting up, documenting and revising tax-qualified retirement programs.
• Experience advising employers who sponsor benefit programs, or handling the benefits portion of corporate transactions.
• Command of qualified plan compliance topics such as testing, corrections, audit response and adoption of new legislative requirements.
• A JD from an accredited law school.
• Admission to the New York bar, or eligibility and willingness to waive in.
• Excellent drafting and written communication skills, producing plan documents, amendments, memos and client deliverables.
• A collaborative, team-oriented style and a responsive, proactive approach to communication.
• Residence in the region, or readiness to relocate there.

Bonus points

• Experience with benefits diligence and post-closing integration in mergers and acquisitions.
• Background in deferred pay rules, employment agreements, severance and equity-based incentive programs.
• A tax LL.M. or CPA credential.
• Exposure to group health and welfare plan regulation.
• Comfort working directly with clients.
• Existing ties to upstate New York.

Location and work model

• Rochester, Buffalo or Albany, New York, United States
• Hybrid, approximately 50% in-office over the course of a year
• Full-time