| Biography | Rebecca K. Atkins is an associate in the Employee Benefits and Retirement Plans practice group of Berenbaum Weinshienk PC. She focuses her practice on qualified retirement plans, health and welfare benefit plans, and executive compensation. Qualified Retirement Plans: Ms. Atkins has advised a number of clients on the day-to-day administration of their qualified defined benefit and qualified defined contribution retirement plans, providing guidance on such issues as participant distributions, Qualified Domestic Relations Orders, Powers of Attorney, claims for benefits, and appeals of denied claims for benefits. She also has extensive experience with communicating with third party vendors to assist with day-to-day plan administration issues, and to implement recent plan design changes. Ms. Atkins regularly drafts plan amendments to accomplish desired design changes and to ensure continued legal compliance, and also has experience in merging qualified plans, terminating qualified plans, and correcting errors through the various correction programs with the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor Health and Welfare Benefit Plans. Health and Welfare: Ms. Atkins has advised many clients on the day-to-day administration of Cafeteria Plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, Dependent Care Spending Accounts, and other consumer-driven health care products. Ms. Atkins has also advised clients on recent federal and state legislation and has been extensively involved with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its implementing regulations. Additionally, she has years of experience with multiemployer welfare funds, including the review and preparation of resolutions and consents for Trustee and Committee meetings, and the review and preparation of plan and contract amendments to effectuate the executed resolutions. In conjunction with her day-to-day advice, Ms. Atkins has experience reviewing Summary Plan Descriptions, Summaries of Material Modifications, COBRA notices, HIPAA notices, and other participant communications for legal compliance. Ms. Atkins graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Florida in 2004, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, magna cum laude, and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, magna cum laude. Ms. Atkins earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence at Vanderbilt University Law School in 2007, where she was an Authorities Editor for, and also published in, the VANDERBILT JOURNAL OF TRANSNATIONAL LAW. |