Bruce L. Ashton is a partner in the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group. With more than 35 years of practice, Bruce has gained wide experience representing businesses in sophisticated business transactions and employee benefits matters. Bruce's practice focuses on all aspects of employee benefits issues, including representing public and private sector plans and their sponsors, negotiating the resolution of plan qualification issues under IRS remedial correction programs, advising and defending fiduciaries on their obligations and liabilities, structuring qualified plans, non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements and health care arrangements, and representing plan service providers (including RIAs, independent record-keepers, third party administrators, broker-dealers and insurance companies) in fulfilling their obligations under ERISA. Combining his employee benefits and transactional expertise, Bruce is also active in the installation and funding of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
Bruce served as president of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) for the 2003-2004 term. From 1998 through 2002, he served as the co-chair of ASPPA's Government Affairs Committee and was a member of its board of directors from 1997 to 2007. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Actuaries during 2003-2004, was the president of the Western Pension & Benefits Conference Los Angeles Chapter from 2008-2009, and has served as a member of the leadership counsel of the National Tax Sheltered Accounts Association (NTSAA).
He has been recognized as one of "The Best Lawyers in America" and as a "Super Lawyer" in Southern California. Bruce is listed in the California edition of Who's Who Legal and has been recognized by 401kWire as one of the Most Influential People in the 401(k) Industry. Bruce was the 2011 winner of the ASPPA Harry T. Eidson Founder's Award in recognition of his contributions to the retirement plan industry.
Bruce has co-authored four books on employee benefits issues and a quarterly column in the Journal of Pension Benefits on IRS remedial programs, and is a frequent contributor to various tax and pension publications, including Journal of Taxation, CCH Pension Plan Guide, Journal of Pension Benefits and The ASPPA Journal. He is a frequent speaker on employee benefits issues ranging from fiduciary responsibility to ESOPs. Bruce is a regularly featured speaker at conferences of ASPPA, the Western Pension & Benefits Conference and various other organizations.
In General. Bruce earned his J.D. from Southern Methodist University, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, Phi Alpha Delta and a Roy R. Ray Scholar. He was a recipient of the Johnson, Bromberg, Leeds & Riggs Award, and the Arthur Stedley Hansen Consulting Actuaries of Dallas Award. He was a member (1968-1970), note and comment editor (1969-1970), and acting index editor (1970) of the Journal of Air Law & Commerce. He received his B.A. from Rice University.
Publications
5/10/2012, The Final 408(b)(2) Regulation: Impact on Investment Managers
Investment Management Bulletin
Fred Reish, Joan Neri, Bruce Ashton, Gary Ammon, Bradford Campbell
4/1/2012, "The Problem With Spending Too Fast: Retirement Savings Withdrawal Rates"
Institutional Retirement Income Council
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
2/24/2012, Fiduciary Considerations for Insured Retirement Income Products: Focus on Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefits
Bulletin
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
2/14/2012, The Final 408(b)(2) Regulation: Impact on RIAs
Client Bulletin
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton, Joan Neri
2/3/2012, Finally the Final ... 408(b)(2) Regulation
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Alert
Bruce Ashton, Fred Reish
1/1/2012, "408(b)(2) and the Rise of Benchmarking"
Sparks Journal
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton, Joseph Faucher
12/14/2011, "Minimizing Risks for Charity Board Members"
Daily Journal
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
12/8/2011, Fiduciary Investment Advice for Participants
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Alert
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton, Gary Ammon
10/20/2011, DOL Investigations: Broker-Dealers and RIAs as Targets
Investment Management Insights
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton, Summer Conley
10/5/2011, Service Provider Disclosures: The Impact on Plan Sponsors
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Bulletin
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
10/3/2011, "Fiduciary Considerations for Insured Retirement Income Products: Guaranteed Withdrawal Benefits"
Journal of Pension Benefits
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
9/30/2011, Open Multiple Employer Plans: Tax and ERISA Considerations
401k Safe
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton, Joshua Waldbeser
8/2/2011, "Fiduciary implications: Using re-renrollment to improve target date fund adoption"
J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
8/2/2011, Investment Management News
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
7/20/2011, Fee Disclosure Compliance Delayed
Financial Services ERISA Alert
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
6/6/2011, The DOL's 408(b)(2) Regulation: Impact on Investment Managers
Investment Management Alert
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
6/1/2011, The Prudence Standard: Affiliated Products and Services
Drinker Biddle
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton, Summer Conley
5/4/2011, The Problem With Living Too Long
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Bulletin
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
2/1/2011, The Impact of 408(b)(2) on Service Providers
Bulletin
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
9/1/2010, The DOL's 408(b)(2) Regulation: Impact on Broker-Dealers and Registered Representatives
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Alert
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
8/1/2010, The DOL's 408(B)(2) Regulation: Impact On Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs)
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton
Speaking Engagements
6/26/2012, IRI 2012 Government, Legal & Regulatory Conference
"Product Developments: Legal and Regulatory Challenges"
Bruce Ashton, Washington, DC
1/17/2012, NAPA
"Are You Being Targeted by the DOL?"
Bruce Ashton
10/17/2011, Center for Due Diligence
"2011 Advisor Conference"
Fred Reish, Bruce Ashton, Chicago, IL
5/13/2011, Soltis Investment Advisors
"ERISA Responsibilities: Fee Disclosure and Other Good Stuff"
Bruce Ashton
4/28/2011, Employee Benefits Webinar
"Income Replacement Solutions are Coming: Are You Ready?"
Bruce Ashton, David Wolfe, Chicago, IL
1/13/2011, Los Angeles Benefits Conference
"Fiduciary Fallout: Educating Clients on Fiduciary Duties and Protecting Yourself"
Bruce Ashton, Los Angeles, CA