Leading Executive Compensation Experts Examine Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan Risks in New BNA Webinar

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Because they have relatively few moving parts, Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs) appear simple – but unfortunately the Section 409A analysis of the SERP is complex, presenting significant tax risk in a variety of circumstances and at various stages of their lifecycle. Understanding key sources of risk and how to navigate around them is essential to safeguarding SERPs under 409A.

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Three of the nation's leading executive compensation experts will identify common 409A pitfalls for SERPs and provide practical tips for accomplishing plan objectives while avoiding penalties in a new webinar, Keeping SERPs out of the 409A Penalty Box: How to Safeguard Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans, from BNA Business & Legal.

The September 14 webinar features Regina Olshan, leading Section 409A legal authority, and Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP; Mark Wincek, the leader of the Employee Benefits Practice Group of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP; and Elizabeth Drigotas, executive compensation and benefits expert, and a principal in Deloitte's Washington National Tax group.

This 60-90 minute webinar will highlight:

• Setting — and resetting — the terms of the SERP promise before it's too late
• The danger of linked plans
• The risk of various approaches to crediting service under the SERP
• Severance windows and SERP benefits
• When and how to de-grandfather SERPs
• Avoiding the hidden traps in SERP terminations
• Avoiding SERP non-compliance with expats and inpats

Attendees of this webinar are also eligible for CLE credit.

About the Speakers:

Regina Olshan is Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, whose practice focuses on advising companies, executives and boards on navigating the regulatory complexities of executive compensation and benefits. This includes tax laws (including laws governing deferred compensation, golden parachute arrangements and deduction limitation rules) and securities laws (including reporting and disclosure requirements and registration issues).

Ms. Olshan organized and led the successful effort by a coalition of more than 90 law firms requesting the extension of the original Internal Revenue Code section 409A compliance deadline. She is the author and editor of BNA Books' Section 409A Handbook, lectures frequently on executive compensation issues, and has been quoted in various major publications on issues arising under Internal Revenue Code sections 409A and 457A, and other executive compensation matters.

Mark D. Wincek is the leader of the Employee Benefits Practice Group of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. His practice concentrates on executive compensation, qualified plans and fiduciary matters, and it encompasses counseling, transactions and controversies. Mr. Wincek is the author of the chapter on "SERPs and Excess Plans" in the BNA Books Section 409A Handbook, and his list of professional publications includes dozens of articles on compensation and benefits issues. In addition, Mr. Wincek is a former Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, a Charter Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, a member of the Editorial Advisory Board, Benefits Law Journal, a member of the ECFC Flex Advisory Council, and a member of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association, where he served as Chairman of the Statutory Welfare Benefits Subcommittee (1986-1990).

Elizabeth Drigotas is a Principal in the Washington DC office of Deloitte Tax LLP, focusing on employee benefits and executive compensation. Ms. Drigotas practices primarily in the areas of nonqualified deferred compensation and equity compensation, including in the context of mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Deloitte Tax, Ms. Drigotas worked as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of the Benefits Tax Counsel for the U.S. Treasury Department. During her tenure there, she participated in a number of regulatory projects including golden parachute regulations, incentive stock option regulations, and regulatory projects related to qualified plans. She is a frequent speaker and writer on issues concerning employee benefits and compensation, in particular on the implementation of section 409A.

About BNA Legal & Business Webinars

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With our webinar topics covering the broad spectrum of legal practice areas and corporate issues, from Intellectual Property to Privacy to Pensions & Benefits, you can count on BNA to bring you quality content on today's hottest topics. What's more, BNA's Legal & Business webinars are CLE/CPE eligible, making it easy to stay compliant with your continuing education needs.

SOURCE BNA