Lisa H. Barton advises clients in designing, drafting, and operating tax-qualified retirement and health and welfare plans, as well as nonqualified deferred compensation and equity compensation plans. She counsels companies on complying with the US Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, COBRA, the Affordable Care Act, and other state and federal laws pertaining to benefit plans and programs. Her clients come from such industries as retail, manufacturing, life sciences, energy, and information technology.
Lisa provides support in transactional matters, including assessing benefits and liabilities before the deal, and integrating the benefits after it’s completed. In equity compensation arrangements, she advises clients on complying with 409A and other tax requirements.
Representing clients before the federal agencies responsible for regulation of employee benefit plans and programs, she helps companies navigate the requirements of the IRS, the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). She has years of experience working with the agencies’ remedial correction programs and agency-initiated audits. Lisa procured favorable resolutions for many clients, including consumer goods distribution, manufacturing, and retail clients in IRS audits of 401(k) plans. She has also attained favorable resolutions for several clients relating to DOL Health and Welfare audits, including a major clothing retail client.
The National Diversity Council named Lisa one of the “Most Powerful and Influential Women in Pennsylvania” in 2011. She also speaks frequently on employee benefits matters, and co-chairs the practice’s Plan Sponsor Task Force.
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Boston (2023–2025)
Recommended, Labor and employment: Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design, The Legal 500 US (2019, 2022)
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)