John F. Strother

Jack is of counsel to the firm’s Tax and Employee Benefits practice groups. He has broad experience in legal matters involving the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and other laws pertaining to employee benefit plans. He advises clients ranging from the largest corporations to small businesses on the laws impacting their pension, 401(k) and stock plans, including the maintenance of the federal tax qualification of such plans. He represents plan sponsors in IRS and DOL audits and provides counsel on fiduciary matters.

Jack has significant expertise in some of the more technical aspects of employee benefits law, including the treatment of benefit plans in mergers and acquisitions and the special legal status of municipal pension plans and plans maintained by Native American tribes. He advises clients on section 125 plans, benefits aspects of force reductions, employee claims matters involving retirement, health and disability plans, and executive “nonqualified” deferred and equity-based compensation.

With a background in tax law, Jack is experienced in the special tax considerations affecting public charities, private foundations and other exempt organizations, including attainment and maintenance of their exempt status and issues pertaining to “unrelated business taxable income”. He collaborates on benefit plan issues with attorneys practicing in general employment law, labor law, corporate law, litigation and estate and trust planning. He has also authored numerous articles in his fields of practice and has been a frequent speaker to audiences of both fellow attorneys and business managers.

Jack is a member of the Connecticut and New York Bars. He earned his B.A., cum laude, from Princeton University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.