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ERISA Plan Investments: From Precautions to Plan Amendments


Product Code - LGN152
Speaker(s): Maureen Dry-Wasson, Allegis Group, Inc.; Khalif Ford, Northrop Grumman Corporation; J. Mark Poerio, Paul Hastings LLP; Patricia Spraguer, Express-Scripts
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Bloomberg BNA is pleased to present this program in partnership with the In-House Benefit Counsel Network (IBCN).

The monitoring and selection of investments and fees for Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plans gets more complicated all the time, and 2013 has begun with a significant increase both in litigation and notable court decisions. The faculty members for this program will describe the key cases, lessons to learn, and plan changes to consider.

Attendees will be brought “inside the 401(k) committee room” to hear about organizational alternatives, such as charters and investment policies. Target date funds and complex investment alternatives will receive particular attention, including a discussion of the Department of Labor’s recent “tips” for fiduciaries and how to respond to them. Overall, the risks are many but the precautions are feasible, and our panel will address each.

Educational Objectives:

• Learn about the key 2013 ERISA litigation decisions relating to the selection and monitoring of 401(k) plan investments.
• Understand the best and worst practices that ERISA fiduciaries should consider with regard to particular investments and the involvement of outside advisors.
• Find out how ERISA fiduciaries should address target date funds.
• Learn what plan changes will better position an employer and its ERISA fiduciaries for claims and litigation.

Who would benefit most from attending the program?

ERISA plan fiduciaries, especially members of ERISA plan investment committees; ERISA attorneys; in-house counsel; professionals specializing in pensions and benefits.

Program Level: Intermediate.

Credit Available: CLE. For more information, please click on the “CLE Credit” tab.

Maureen Dry-Wasson, Allegis Group, Inc.; Khalif Ford, Northrop Grumman Corporation; J. Mark Poerio, Paul Hastings LLP; Patricia Spraguer, Express-Scripts

Maureen Dry-Wasson, Allegis Group, Inc.
Maureen Dry-Wasson is an Assistant General Counsel at Allegis Group, Inc. and is Division General Counsel for all of Allegis Group’s Canadian operations as well as Division General Counsel for Major, Lindsey & Africa. In addition, she is responsible for all benefits issues for all of Allegis Group’s U.S. companies as well as any information regarding security and privacy issues. Mrs. Dry-Wasson has been an in-house attorney for 17 years. She currently serves as legal counsel to her company’s ERISA fiduciary committees.

Mrs. Dry-Wasson earned a J.D., with honors, from the University of Maryland, and a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the University of Virginia. She is admitted to the Bars of Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Khalif Ford, Northrop Grumman Corporation
Khalif Ford’s practice focuses primarily on retirement plan considerations. He began his career working as a Pension Analyst for the Employee Benefit Security Administration of the Department of Labor. Mr. Ford subsequently left the Department of Labor for private practice, where he was an associate with Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. He then transitioned to Nationwide Insurance, where he supported the company’s retirement plan recordkeeping and custodial business as Managing Counsel. Mr. Ford now serves as Senior Counsel for Northrop Grumman Corporation, where he supports the company’s retirement plan benefits.

Mr. Ford earned a J.D. from Howard University School of Law.

J. Mark Poerio, Paul Hastings LLP
Mark Poerio is a partner in the Employment Law practice of Paul Hastings, and co-chairs its ERISA and Global Benefits Practice. For 25 years, Mr. Poerio has been in private practice with a focus on executive compensation and employee benefit matters, especially from a business, governance, tax, and securities perspective. He works regularly and globally with every Paul Hastings office and has significant pro bono representations relating to not-for-profit governance, executive compensation, and tax matters. He is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law.

Mr. Poerio earned a J.D., cum laude, from Cornell Law School and a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Virginia. He is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar.

Patricia Spraguer, Express-Scripts
Pat Spraguer is the Assistant General Counsel for Compensation and Benefits at Express-Scripts and has been a compensation and benefits counsel for more than 20 years, both in private practice and in-house. She has advised on all aspects of ERISA-covered plans, compensation programs, payroll, employment tax, benefits and compensation issues. Ms. Spraguer currently serves as legal counsel to her company’s ERISA fiduciary committees.

Ms. Spraguer earned a J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.B.A. from Rutgers University Graduate School of Management, and an Sc.B. (Bachelor of Science with Honors) from Brown University. She is admitted to the Bars of New York and New Jersey.

This program’s CLE-credit eligibility varies by state. Bloomberg BNA is an accredited provider in the states of New York, California, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia, and most other jurisdictions grant CLE credit on a per-program basis. At this time, Bloomberg BNA does not apply directly to the states of Florida, Rhode Island, Montana and Hawaii although credit is usually available for attorneys who wish to apply individually. Additionally, the following states currently do not grant credit for Bloomberg BNA OnDemand programming: Arkansas, Ohio, Nebraska, and Delaware. All requests are subject to approval once the live webinar has taken place or the customer has viewed the OnDemand version. Please contact the Bloomberg BNA accreditations desk if you have specific questions that have not been addressed.

If you have further questions regarding a specific state or how to file for CLE credit, please contact Bloomberg BNA customer service at 800-372-1033 and ask to speak to the CLE Accreditation Coordinator.

Hardship Policy
Bloomberg BNA offers a hardship policy for attorneys earning less than $50,000 per year. If an attorney wishes to take advantage of this option, he or she must contact Bloomberg BNA directly. For attorneys who are unemployed or earning less than $35,000 per year, a full discount off the price of the program will be awarded upon written proof of hardship. Attorneys earning between $35,000 and $50,000 per year will receive a 50% discount off the price of the program. Any attorney working in the public service sector also qualifies for a special price. If you have further questions regarding the hardship policy or seek additional information, please contact Bloomberg BNA customer service at 800-372-1033 and ask to speak to the CLE Accreditations Coordinator, or email us at accreditations@bna.com.

Questions
For more information about Mandatory or Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) requirements, visit the American Bar Association website at http://www.abanet.org/cle/mandatory.html.