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Morgan Lewis
Buchanan

Sariyah S. Buchanan

Associate

Philadelphia Phone +1.215.963.5484 Fax +1.215.963.5001

1701 Market St.//Philadelphia, PA 19103-2921//United States

Sariyah S. Buchanan ensures that benefit plans and compensation arrangements comply with US state and federal laws including ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. Sariyah drafts employment agreements, equity plans, grant agreements, and proxy materials, and prepares custodial agreements, disclosures, and election and beneficiary designation forms for IRA custodians. She assists clients in corporate transactions and represents clients before the IRS, PBGC, and DOL. Sariyah’s clients include startup and Fortune 500 clients in financial services, insurance, real estate, pharmaceutical and life sciences, technology, and energy. She is an associate representative for the firm’s First Generation Lawyer Network.

Sariyah assists with single-employer and multiemployer retirement and welfare plan design and administration, drafts related documents, and advises individual retirement account custodians.

Her strong commitment to pro bono work includes serving several nonprofits including organizations dedicated to improving maternal and child health, mentoring at-risk youth, and providing legal services to low-income families. She assists these clients with matters related to corporate governance, securing and maintaining 501(c)(3) status, and 403(b) retirement plan compliance.

Before joining Morgan Lewis, Sariyah was a law clerk to Judge Petrese B. Tucker of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Prior to attending law school, Sariyah was a management consultant for a boutique consulting firm that specialized in assisting Fortune 500 companies in designing, implementing, and assessing the performance of their shared services organizations.

Awards and Affiliations

Member, Practice Group of the Year, Benefits, Law360 (2022)

Member, Law Firm of the Year, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Chambers USA (2019)

Member, Law Firm of the Year, Employee Benefits (ERISA Law), US News/Best Lawyers – Best Law Firms (2019)

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania

Education

  • Duke University, 1999, A.B.
  • Howard University School of Law, 2009, J.D., Cum Laude

Services

Regions

Events

1/25/2023 - The Benefits of Employee Benefits, Part 1: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent Through Benefit Plans
6/22/2022 - Hot Topics in Employee Benefits: What We’re Seeing - June 2022
5/18/2021 - ERISA Litigation Virtual Roundtable – Providers and Carriers Program
4/6/2021 - Building a Better Team: Employee Onboarding and Benefit Options
10/8/2020 - ERISA Litigation Virtual Roundtable: For Providers and Fiduciary Insurance Carriers

News

2/25/2022 - Morgan Lewis Panel Explores Black Exceptionalism
3/1/2021 - Morgan Lewis Lawyers Selected by Leadership Council on Legal Diversity as Fellow and Pathfinders
10/16/2017 - Morgan Lewis Advises Aramark in $1 Billion Acquisition of AmeriPride Services
6/27/2016 - Morgan Lewis Advises MeetMe in Skout Acquisition
12/29/2014 - Morgan Lewis Advises BNI in Growth Investment
10/1/2014 - Morgan Lewis Represents UBM in $972M Purchase of Advanstar Communications
4/9/2012 - Morgan Lewis Advises Sun Capital on Acquisition of CornerStone

Publications

10/4/2022 - Procrastinators Rejoice Part II: IRS Extends CARES Act Amendment Deadlines for Loan Relief and COVID-19-Related Distributions
8/10/2022 - Pending SECURE Act 2.0 Legislation: Significant Changes for Retirement Plan Sponsors, IRA Providers, and Service Providers
3/15/2022 - Update for IRA Providers: IRS Temporarily Halts Prototype IRA Opinion Letter Program
10/5/2020 - SECURE Act: IRS Sets Amendment Deadline for IRA Providers and Addresses Other IRA Issues
August 2020 - COVID-19: New IRS Guidance Provides Relief for IRA Owners and Providers, Lexis Practice Advisor
7/23/2020 - COVID-19: Two New Stops on the Roadmap to Relief for IRA Owners and Providers
7/2/2020 - IRS Issues More Guidance on Required Minimum Distributions
6/30/2020 - IRS Guidance Permits Certain Individuals Affected by COVID-19 to Cancel NQDC Plan Deferral Elections
6/2/2020 - COVID-19: IRA Providers Have Until August 31, 2020 to File Form 5498 for 2019
5/26/2020 - COVID-19: A Roadmap to Relief for IRA Owners and Providers
3/26/2020 - COVID-19: IRS Insights for IRA Owners, Guidance Needed for IRA Providers
2/5/2020 - SECURE Act Provides RMD Statement Relief for IRA Providers
1/8/2020 - The Good News and Really Bad News for IRA Owners Under the SECURE Act – Next Steps for IRA Providers
2/20/2019 - IRA Owners Have a Couple More Months to Make 2018 IRA Contributions
12/6/2018 - IRS Extends Transition Relief for New Escheated IRA Tax Withholding, Reporting Rules
8/29/2018 - IRS Guidance Suggests Employer Nonelective Contributions to 401(k) Plans Under Student Loan Repayment Program Do Not Violate ‘Contingent Benefit Rule’
1/29/2018 - UPDATE: US Tax Reform Impacts Roth IRA Conversions
1/17/2018 - Impact of US Tax Reform on Roth IRA Conversions
1/17/2018 - US Tax Reform Impacts Roth Individual Retirement Account Conversions
2/1/2016 - Developments in Spousal Rights under Employee Benefit Plans (Part I)
7/17/2015 - What Skeletons Are Hanging in Your Closet? How to Ensure Good Plan Governance
10/10/2012 - IRS Guidance on Additional Medicare Tax