Don't be Blindsided by ERISA: Understand Your Fiduciary Responsibilities to Your Health and Retirement Plans

Why Should You Attend:

Every employer that sponsors a health or retirement plan is subject to ERISA requirements. It is critical that employers understand the required standard of conduct in order to reduce potential liabilities not only for themselves but for the executives who oversee and the HR personnel who frequently administer health and retirement plans. A failure to comply with ERISA fiduciary requirements can result in personal liability, an obligation to restore losses suffered by a plan, the forfeiture of plan benefits, an obligation to restore profits made through the use of plan assets and other statutory penalties. Therefore, it is critical that employers help protect plan fiduciaries from liability by helping them understand and properly discharge their fiduciary duties.

This webinar will help attendees understand how the fiduciary responsibility provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) apply to their retirement and health plans. It will also help them understand their fiduciary responsibilities including the need to carefully select and monitor service providers, the importance of making contributions on time, how to provide appropriate disclosures to plan participants and how to avoid prohibited transactions.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Identifying plan fiduciaries
• ERISA fiduciary requirements for those who oversee and administer plans
• Prohibited transactions
• How to protect yourself and your company’s board from ERISA liability
• Avoiding ERISA liability for participant-directed investments
• How to avoid common problems in managing ERISA plans

Who Will Benefit:

• Attorneys working in labor and employment law
• In-House Counsel
• Human resources professionals
• Individuals who have any involvement with ERISA plans

Instructor Profile:

Steve Flores, is an attorney with Winston & Strawn LLP who concentrates his practice in employee benefits and executive compensation matters.

Mr. Flores advises clients of all sizes, both in the public and private sector, on a variety of employee benefit and executive compensation matters, including IRS and DOL audits, ERISA’s fiduciary and prohibited transaction provisions, HIPAA compliance, health care reform compliance, and the implementation and administration of employee benefit plans, including tax-qualified retirement plans, multiemployer plans, health and welfare benefits, employment and separation agreements, non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, stock options, and other incentive compensation arrangements.

Mr. Flores also advises clients with employee benefit and executive compensation issues in mergers and acquisitions and lending transactions.

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