John advises clients regarding compliance with ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, COBRA, HIPAA and other complex federal laws applicable to employee benefit plans. He frequently represents clients before the IRS and United States Department of Labor in audits and investigations and represents clients in litigation involving employee benefit plans. John provides advice to employers regarding all forms of executive compensation and health and welfare plans. John also advises executives concerning stock options, compensation issues and estate planning involving IRAs and retirement benefits. John received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law (1989) and his B.A. from Dartmouth College (1984). Practice/Industry Groups · Corporate Business Law · Education and Independent Schools · Employment and Labor Law · Estate Planning and Trust and Estate Administration · Financial Services · Health Care Law · Pension/Profit Sharing/Employee Benefits Law · Taxation Law Representative Work · Restated retirement plans for tax law changes and received IRS determination letters · Advised SAUs, school districts and tax exempt employers on implementation of new Tax Code Section 403(b) annuity plan regulations · Served as expert witness on QDROs and calculation of pension benefits in divorce litigation · Analyzed the effect of recent deferred compensation legislation on nonqualified retirement plans · Obtained a favorable IRS private letter ruling to allow implementation of legislation involving a governmental retirement plan · Advised several employers of their fiduciary responsibilities in connection with transitions to new retirement plan service providers · Successfully obtained IRS approval for the correction of administrative errors made by service providers to retirement plans Admissions & Recognition John is admitted to practice in New Hampshire and Connecticut. He is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association (NHBA), Former chairman of the NHBA Tax Section, former member of the Board of Trustees of the New Hampshire Employee Benefits Council. Recognition: · Woodward/White's Best Lawyers in America®, (Employee Benefits Law) · Chambers & Partners USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business Articles · Tax Issues With Elder Care · Changes to Health Care Plans Effective January 1, 2011 - What Employers and Employees Need to Know · Mutual Fund Developments-What Should A Retirement Plan Fiduciary Do? · Health Care Reform Passed; What New Hampshire Employers Need to Know Now · New Hampshire Legislature Legalizes Same Sex Marriage: How Should Employers Prepare? · Recession Realities Of Benefit Plans · The Impact of the New Hampshire Civil Union Law on Employee Benefits · Pension Protection Act of 2006 Provides Employers More Opportunities to Help Employees Save For Retirement · Duties Of Retirement Plan Fiduciaries In The Wake Of Mutual Fund Settlements · COBRA Notice Regulations Finalized · Union Leader: KNOW THE LAW Withdrawing 401K Money for Hardship - 11/2010 · What Employers Need to Know About the New Retirement Plan Fee and Expense Disclosure Rules · Changes to Health Care Plans Effective January 1, 2011 - What Employers and Employees Need to Know · Union Leader: KNOW THE LAW · Health Care Reform Passed: What New Hampshire Employers Need to Know Now · New Hampshire Legislature Legalizes Same Sex Marriage: How Should Employers Prepare? · Recession Realities Of Benefit Plans · The Impact of the New Hampshire Civil Union Law on Employee Benefits · Pension Protection Act of 2006 Provides Employers More Opportunities to Help Employees Save For Retirement · Duties Of Retirement Plan Fiduciaries In The Wake Of Mutual Fund Settlements · COBRA Notice Regulations Finalized · Mutual Fund Developments-What Should A Retirement Plan Fiduciary Do? · Tax Issues With Elder Care Lectures · Health Care Reform Changes for Employers and Their Employees, McLane's Seacoast Employment Law Update, October 2010. To view program materials, please click here. · Employee Benefit Plan Issues for Civil Unions, NH Bar Association, November 2007 · When the Unimaginable Happens: Recovery After a Traumatic Event - Selected Legal Issues, NH Medical Group Management Association, January 2007 · Benefits Update, Deferred Executive Compensation and Tax Code Section 409A · Nuts and Bolts of Section 401(k) Plans in New Hampshire · Tax Qualified Retirement Plans for the Small Business Owner · Overview of Beneficiary Designation Issues for Qualified Retirement Plans and IRAs |