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Steven D. Spencer
Partner - Philadelphia
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Fast Facts
More than 80 lawyers and other benefits professionals
More than 100 interdisciplinary practice attorneys from our investment management, securities, business and finance, and labor and employment practices
12 attorneys listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers (2011)
7 fellows of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
Areas of Experience
- Benefit Plan Corrections Programs
- Defined Benefit/Cash Balance Plans
- Defined Contribution Plans/401(k) Plans
- ERISA Litigation
- ESOP Compliance/Transaction Matters
- Executive & Equity Compensation
- Fiduciary & DOL Matters
- Global Benefits Practice
- Health & Welfare Plans
- Multiemployer Plans
- Payroll Tax & Fringe Benefits
- Plan Audit
- Tax-Exempt & Governmental Employers
- Transactional Matters
Related Practices
Presentation | Speech
John Ferreira, Peter Watt-Morse, Eric Kline
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
This LawFlash contains a summary of some of the recent developments relating to employee equity plans in selected foreign jurisdictions. The countries covered in this edition of the Global News Flash include the United Kingdom,... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Labor and Employment LawFlash
Labor and Employment
With less than two months before the April 14, 2003 deadline for compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Regulations, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services published the final HIPAA Security Regulations on February 20, 20... more
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
March 2003
Newsletter | Morgan Lewis on Benefits
Employee Benefits
In this Issue: Featured Articles: HIPAA Deadline Approaching Fast Deemed IRAs — Effective January 2003 Administrative Notes: New Guidance on Age Discrimination Rules for Cash-Balance Plans... more
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles, Althea Day
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Outside Publication | Chapter
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
In response to the consolidation in the financial services industry that has resulted in more trustees having affiliations with broker-dealers, the Department of Labor has adopted a technical amendment to ERISA Prohibited Transa... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
An ERISA fiduciary owes a duty of loyalty to the plan it serves and the plan’s participants and beneficiaries. That duty has never been easy to fulfill, particularly for company officers who often must contend with confli... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
The Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration and the Internal Revenue Service are undertaking a joint project to ensure that all employee benefit plans have complied with ERISA and IRS obligations ... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
On August 26, 2002, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued Advisory Opinion 2002-08A (the “opinion”) to express its views regarding a trend in the benefits industry among plan service providers of requiri... more
October 2002
Newsletter | Morgan Lewis on Benefits
Employee Benefits
In this Issue: Feature Articles: Compensation and Benefits Implications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act New Rules and Proposed Regulations for “204(h) Notices” Enforceability of Subrogation/ Reimbursement Pr... more
Outside Publication | Article
Stuart Kasiske
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
October 15, 2002 Deadline for Electronic Transmission Standards. Group health plans that provide medical benefits, dental benefits, vision benefits, employee assistance benefits and health flexible spending accounts must com... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
At its open meeting on August 27, 2002, the SEC adopted final rules implementing provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that amend the Section 16 reporting requirements. A general description of the SEC final rules (&ldqu... more
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
LawFlash/Client Alert | Labor and Employment LawFlash
Labor and Employment
In response to numerous recent corporate accounting scandals, President George W. Bush signed into law the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Act") on July 30, 2002. The Act generally is aimed at policing the accounting industry,... more
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Outside Publication | Article
John Kober
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
Employers that experienced reductions in force or layoffs over the last several years may wish to consider filing a claim for a refund for the Social Security taxes paid on severance benefits based upon the recent decision by th... more
Outside Publication | Article
Craig Bitman
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
On April 4, 2002, the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2002-24 suspending the annual Form 5500 reporting requirement imposed on Internal Revenue Code section 125 cafeteria plans. This notice is effective immediately for a... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
On April 15, 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") announced its Site Specific Targeting 2002 ("SST-2002") Program. Under the Program OSHA will inspect 3000 worksites that reported high injury and ill... more
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
March 2002
Newsletter | Morgan Lewis on Benefits
Employee Benefits
In this Issue: Feature: Company Stock in 401(k) Plans Administrative Notes: IRS Guidance on EGTRRA Changes to 415 Limits IRS Issues Sample EGTRRA Plan Amendments DOL Guidance on Claims ... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
On February 25, 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") sent letters to over 13,000 employers notifying them that its 2001 Data Initiative (collecting data for calendar year 2000) showed that they had th... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Outside Publication | Article
John Kober
Outside Publication | Article
Brian Hector
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
Consistent with its liberal construction of "notice" under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), 29 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq., a U.S. Court of Appeals recently held that minimal notice is required for an employee to ... more
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
Presentation | Speech
Marla Kreindler
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
Prevailing on a motion to dismiss an employment discrimination complaint just became more difficult for employers. According to the Supreme Court's recent decision in Swierkiewicz v. Soreman N.A. , complaints of employmen... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
Section 402(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), requires a plan administrator of a qualified retirement plan or a 403(a) annuity plan to provide a written explanation to any recipient of an "eligibl... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
On January 15, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that even if an employee has agreed to arbitrate all employment-related disputes, the EEOC may still seek "victim-specific" relief in court for that individual, including backpay, reins... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
In response to inquiries from businesses wanting to help victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has issued guidance on programs that allow employees to forgo vacation, sick or perso... more
Outside Publication | Article
John Kober
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 ("EGTRRA"), enacted on June 7, 2001, made several changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), that increase an individual's opportunities t... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 ("EGTRRA"), enacted on June 7, 2001, made several changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, that increase an individual's opportunities to save for re... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
LawFlash/Client Alert | Labor and Employment LawFlash
Labor and Employment
Following recent reports about Anthrax exposures, employees justifiably are asking what they can do to ensure that they are safe from chemical and biological agents. Employers also should remember that the Occupational Safety a... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
Just days after the attack on the United States, President Bush called as many as 35,000 members of the military reserves and National Guard to active duty. When these men and women leave their civilian jobs to fulfill their mi... more
Outside Publication | Article
Althea Day
August 2001
Newsletter | Morgan Lewis on Benefits
Employee Benefits
In this Issue: Features: Overview of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: Provisions Applicable to Retirement and Welfare Plans EGTRAA Qualified Plan Amendment and Filing Deadlines HH... more
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
Presentation | Speech
Joseph Ronan, Jr.
Presentation | Speech
Stuart Kasiske
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
In response to concerns raised by group health plan sponsors, administrators and service providers, the Department of Labor has delayed the effective date of the new claims procedures published on November 21, 2000. Scheduled t... more
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Joseph Ronan, Jr.
On June 7, 2001, President Bush signed into law the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (“EGTRRA”), a comprehensive tax bill that significantly cuts federal income tax rates, provides some relief for th... more
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Outside Publication | Article
Marla Kreindler
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") recently issued Publication 15-T, New Withholding Tables for 2001 (June 2001), which sets forth revised withholding rates and tables on wages paid to employees. The new withholding tables in... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
On May 26, 2001, Congress passed the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 which provides for extensive changes to qualified retirement plans. In general, these changes are favorable to employers and to empl... more
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
On April 12, 2001, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced President Bush’s decision to immediately begin the process of implementing the Health Information Portability and Acco... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Employee Benefits LawFlash
Employee Benefits
Many employees now use so-called "rabbi trusts" as a vehicle to hold assets to provide security to stand behind unfunded deferred compensation obligations. If structured properly, funding of these trusts does not cause adverse ... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
LawFlash/Client Alert | Labor and Employment LawFlash
Labor and Employment
On March 5, 2001, the Supreme Court denied certiorari in Erie County Retirees Association v. County of Erie . While the Supreme Court's denial of certiorari in Erie is not indicative of the Court's view of the substance of t... more
LawFlash/Client Alert | Labor and Employment LawFlash
Labor and Employment
The U.S. Supreme Court put its stamp of approval on the use of arbitration clauses in employment agreements, holding that federal law supports the resolution of workplace disputes through the arbitration process. In a 5-4 decis... more
Outside Publication | Article
Marla Kreindler
Outside Publication | Chapter
David Ackerman
LawFlash/Client Alert | Labor and Employment LawFlash
Labor and Employment
On December 11, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") issued new regulations which prohibit certain types of provisions in agreements that provide for the waiver of age discrimination claims under the federal Age ... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Employee Benefits
On October 3, 2000, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) released enforcement guidance (the “Guidance”) analyzing discrimination in employee benefits. The Guidance serves as a reference f... more
Outside Publication | Article
Althea Day
Presentation | Speech
Stuart Kasiske
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Robert Abramowitz
The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) has granted an exemption that will significantly expand an employer's ability to fund employee benefits through a captive insurance company. The exemption is significant... more
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
Outside Publication | Article
Craig Bitman
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Steven Spencer
During the Spring of 2000, the Supreme Court and the Third Circuit issued several decisions which define the scope of liability for ERISA fiduciaries and parties in interest. In one Supreme Court decision and in two Third Circu... more
Outside Publication | Article
Joseph Ronan, Jr., Gary Rothstein
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Robert Abramowitz
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has released Interpretation No. 44 (Int. 44), which consolidates a variety of interim guidance issued by FASB relating to the financial accounting treatment of equity compensation ... more
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
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David Ackerman
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Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
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I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
Presentation | Speech
David Ackerman
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I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
Thomas Wotring
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Gary Rothstein
Outside Publication | Article
Althea Day
Presentation | Speech
Steven Spencer, Joseph Costello
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Steven Spencer, Robert Abramowitz
On June 8, 1998, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Geissal v. Moore Medical Corp. , that an employer may not deny COBRA health care continuation under its health plan to an otherwise eligible beneficiary because the beneficiary is... more
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Outside Publication | Article
Gregory Needles
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Steven Spencer, Robert Abramowitz
The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA) requires health benefit plans offering mental health coverage to establish the same annual and lifetime dollar limits for such coverage as they do for medical and surgical benefits. O... more
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Steven Spencer, Robert Abramowitz
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was signed into law on August 21, 1996. HIPAA established limits on the maximum pre-existing condition exclusion period that may be imposed by a group heal... more
Presentation | Speech
Steven Spencer, Joseph Costello
Presentation | Speech
Robert Smith
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Robert Abramowitz
Earlier this year, in Act 1997-7, Pennsylvania changed the treatment of contributions to cafeteria benefit plans for state income tax purposes. In late September, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued a policy statemen... more
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Outside Publication | Article
Steven Spencer, Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Outside Publication | Article
Althea Day
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Michael J. Collins, Brian Dougherty
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting en banc , recently affirmed in most respects, but also modified in one important respect, an earlier decision by a three-judge panel regarding the ability of individuals incorrectly t... more
Outside Publication | Article
Robert Abramowitz
Outside Publication | Article
Steven Spencer, Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Presentation | Speech
Steven Spencer, Joseph Costello
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Steven Spencer, I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Steven Spencer, Robert Abramowitz
The Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services recently issued Interim Regulations implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIP... more
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Outside Publication | Article
Gregory Needles, Steven Stone
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
Outside Publication | Article
Gary Rothstein
Outside Publication | Article
Gregory Needles
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Michael J. Collins
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held, by a 2-1 vote in Vizcaino v. Microsoft Corporation , 1996 WL 560235 (9th Cir.), that an employer must pay benefits under two employee benefit plans to a g... more
Presentation | Speech
Robert Lichtenstein, Mims Zabriskie, I. Lee Falk, Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Althea Day
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Robert Abramowitz, Harry Burton
This White Paper discusses many of the benefit-related provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This legislation represents a slimmed-down version of previous bipartisan health insurance re... more
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Robert A. Bildersee
The Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996, signed into law by President Clinton on August 20, may do more to encourage tax-favored retirement savings than any pension legislation since section 401(k) was added to the Interna... more
Outside Publication | Article
Marla Kreindler
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
Mims Zabriskie
Presentation | Speech
Gregory Needles
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk, Steven Spencer
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Outside Publication | Article
Gregory Needles
Outside Publication | Article
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Michael Ossip
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Carol V. Calhoun
The taxability of damages in employment discrimination claims has been thrown into question by the Supreme Court's decision in Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Schleier (no. 94-500), in which the Court held that back pay an... more
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Presentation | Speech
Gary Rothstein
Presentation | Speech
Vivian McCardell
Outside Publication | Article
Gary Rothstein
Outside Publication | Article
Althea Day
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Steven Spencer, Brian Dougherty, I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Carol V. Calhoun
Presentation | Speech
Steven Spencer, Harry Burton
Outside Publication | Article
Robert Abramowitz
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Linda Griggs
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
I. Lee Falk
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
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I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
Steven Spencer
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
Steven Spencer
Presentation | Speech
Robert Lichtenstein
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
I. Lee Falk
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Brian Dougherty
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
John Battenfeld, Frank Smith, Jr.
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Michael Bloom
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Michael Ossip, Steven Spencer, Robert Abramowitz
Outside Publication | Article
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Brian Dougherty
Presentation | Speech
Robert Abramowitz
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Robert Abramowitz
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Brian Dougherty
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
Robert Abramowitz
Morgan Lewis Title | White Paper
I. Lee Falk, Vincent Candiello
