Steven B. Lapidus

Steven B. Lapidus

Steve's practice emphasizes executive compensation, employee benefits and estate planning. Steve is also the Founder and Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Global Benefits and Compensation group and the Chairman of the firm's Miami tax department.

Areas of Concentration

· Executive compensation

· Employee benefits

· Estate planning

· ERISA

Significant Representations

· Developing and implementing executive compensation strategies for closely-held, emerging and publicly-held clients, including incentive and non-qualified stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock and other forms of equity compensation, negotiating and documenting executive employment agreements, designing and drafting non-qualified executive retirement and deferred compensation plans and arrangements, including 401(k) wraparound plans, and rabbi trusts and other funding arrangements for those plans, employee stock purchase plans, split dollar life insurance arrangements, and change in control severance (golden-parachute) agreements.

· Advising clients with respect to Section 409A compliance for arrangements that provide for a deferral of compensation, and amending plan documents and agreements to satisfy the requirements of Section 409A.

· Providing advice and services with respect to qualified pension, profit sharing and 401(k) plans (including techniques to satisfy non-discrimination requirements and maximize contributions for highly compensated executives), ESOP transactions, health and welfare plans, cafeteria plans and other employee benefit programs.

· Providing advice and services to plan fiduciaries with respect to their duties and responsibilities under ERISA, including compliance with Section 404(c) of ERISA and other methods of minimizing risk, and compliance with reporting and disclosure requirements.

· Advising with respect to various executive compensation and employee benefit plan issues in connection with corporate mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence services, analyzing and helping to minimize tax costs associated with excess parachute payments, and integrating the buyers and sellers benefit programs post-closing.

· Representing governmental entities and other tax-exempt organizations with respect to their employee benefit programs, including qualified plans, and Section 403(b) and 457 plans, and helping solve the unique problems faced by these organizations in providing deferred compensation for their executives.

Awards & Recognition

· Selected by Super Lawyers magazine, 2007 and 2008

· Listed, "Top Lawyer," South Florida Legal Guide, 2005

· Listed, Best Lawyers in America

· Listed, Chambers & Partners USA Guide, an annual listing of the leading business lawyers and law firms in the world, 2004 - 2008, every edition (Band 1, which is highest ranking)

Articles, Publications, & Lectures

Articles

· Co-Author, "Executive Compensation," Volume Two, The Emerging Growth Company Series, published by West Law Thompson Publishing

Lectures

· Lecturer, New York University Tax Institute

· Lecturer, American Bar Association

· Lecturer, The Florida Bar

· Lecturer, University of Miami Tax Institute

Documents by this lawyer on Martindale.com