Lydia Lee

Lydia Lee is Of Counsel to our firm and has been practicing law for 40 years. She is an experienced and accomplished attorney specializing in corporate governance, pension practices, and fiduciary matters. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Lydia spent 19 years as the general counsel for a multi-billion dollar governmental retirement fund, advising a thirteen-member Board of Trustees and overseeing four different defined benefit and defined contribution plans.

Lydia has published articles on topics including fiduciary best practices and pension plan administration. She is also a member of numerous legal and pension organizations, including the Oklahoma Bar Association, the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems, and the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys, where she has served on the Executive Board and is the former President. In addition, Lydia currently served as an administrative law judge for several Oklahoma state agencies, including the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission and the Oklahoma Department of Labor.

Lydia has substantial responsibility for client communications. She frequently counsels public funds and other institutional investors with respect to corporate and board governance principles and fiduciary liability issues. She also has a significant role in advising our clients on such issues and is available to serve as governmental liaison to our institutional investor clients.

Publications & Presentations

•Moderator, “What Makes a Good Securities Case: Essentials for Public Funds,” NCPERS Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE), May 2024
•National Association of Public Pension Attorneys
Benefits Subcommittee, Chair - moderator/speaker: February 1996-June 2007
Small and Medium Fund Affinity Group, Convenor - moderator/speaker: June, 2011; June, 2012; June, 2013; June, 2014; June, 2015; June, 2016; Defined Contribution Plan Affinity Group - moderator, June 2017, 2023; New Member Session, June 2018-present
•National Conference on Public Employees Retirement Systems
Public Safety Employees Conference: “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the Sequel”, October, 2011; “Top Ten Practices of Highly Performing Public Retirement Boards”, October, 2015
Trustee Education Seminar: “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the Pension Edition”, May, 2012; “Who wants to be a Fiduciary?”, April, 2014
Annual Conference: “In the beginning - Trustee 101”, May, 2023; “Avoiding Front-page Scandals at your Pension Fund”, May, 2013
•Oklahoma Public Fund Trustee Education Conference
“Pay to Play and Best Practices”, October, 2010
•Oklahoma Employees Benefit Council
“Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Discrimination”, August, 2008
•Oklahoma Bar Association
Opinion Writing Seminar, December, 2005
•Fire and Police Funds Summit (Information Management Network)
“Understanding Your Fiduciary Obligations”, June, 2005
•Special Problems in Dividing Retirement for Employees of the State of Oklahoma, (co-author), 2002 OBA/FLS Practice Manual, Chapter 27.3
•QDROs for Oklahoma’s Public Pension Plans, Oklahoma Family Law Journal, Volume 13, September, 1998
•Featured Guest Speaker, Saturday Night Law, KTOK Radio
•Contributor and Editor, INFRE Course Books for CRA program

Past Employment Positions

•Law Office of Lydia Lee, Partner, 2005 - 2008
•Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, General Counsel, 1985 - 2005
•Law firm of Howell & Webber, Associate, 1983 - 1985

In the News

May 7, 2024
Lieff Cabraser Attorneys to Speak at NCPERS Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE) in Seattle