Wealth Management and Employee Benefits
The Wealth Management and Employee Benefits Practice Group primarily focuses on employee benefits, retirement planning and planning for closely held businesses, their owners and other individuals. Our expertise includes the following areas of practice:
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Closely Held Business Planning
Mergers and Acquisitions Succession Planning for Business Owners
Succession Planning for Business Owners
Business Governance / Disputes
Income Tax Planning
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Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning
Qualified Retirement Plans
Welfare and Employee Fringe Benefit Plans
Deferred Compensation Plans
Stock and Equity Incentive Plans
Employment Contracts
Change of Control Agreements
Plan Filings and Corrective Action
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Wealth Planning
Estate Planning
Asset Protection Planning
Trust and Estate Administration
IRS Tax Audits
Trust and Estate Litigation and Mediation
International Planning for U. S. and Non-U.S. citizens
Charitable Planning
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Fiduciary Representation
Investment & Insurance Products/ Financial Instruments/
Risk Management
Fiduciary Representation and Counseling - ERISA Plans
Fiduciary Representation and Counseling - Trusts and Estates
Wealth Management and Employee Benefits
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
- Alabama Power Company
- BBVA Compass Bank
- Bill L. Harbert International
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
- Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC
- Harbert Management Corporation
- Hattiesburg Clinic
- HealthSouth Corporation
- Intergraph Corporation
- Jenkins Brick Company
- Qualis Corporation
- Regions Bank
- Wolverine Tube, Inc.
Representative Experience
Formed numerous closely held business entities including limited liability companies and partnerships.
Drafted and designed virtually every type of qualified retirement plan, including defined benefit plans, cash balance plans, profit sharing plans, 401(k) plans, and employee stock ownership plans, along with summary plan descriptions and other administrative forms.
Represented owners with the sales of their businesses, including substantial pre-sale and post-sale tax planning.
Provided incentive and other benefit plans for employees as part of acquisitions.
Drafted welfare and employee fringe benefit plans including flexible spending account plans, cafeteria plans, VEBAs, and severance plans and assisted in compliance with FMLA, COBRA, HIPPA and other legal requirements applicable to the plans.
Created over $1MM in estate tax savings through innovative after-death tax planning strategies.
Involved with merger and termination of qualified plans.
Represented fiduciaries in resolving fiduciary/beneficiary disputes.
Represented fidicuaries in amendments and termination of trust.
Drafted executive employment contracts with special incentive and bonus arrangements.
Designed and implemented deferred compensation plans including excess benefit plans, supplemental retirement plans, phantom stock plans, and other executive incentive arrangements.
Helped with the establishment of a family office to help simplify the life of a business client.
Implemented international planning using foreign trust.
Drafted stock option plans and other equity incentive arrangements.
Successfully concluded several tax cases before the courts.
Structured family foundation for a family to use to mentor children in philanthropy.
Consulted with fiduciaries of ERISA plans on investments, prohibited transactions, and other administrative matters.
Created change of control agreements for executives of public and private companies.
Counseled on succession planning for business owner with some children working in the business and others not.
Advised numerous charities on various aspects of their planned giving and other charitible activities.
Advised clients regarding proper actions to take to correct qualified plan document and administrative errors.
Enabled a father to transfer over $6MM of value to his children without any gift or estate tax.
Assisted corporate executives with maximizing their stock options, retirement benefits and executive compensation.
Represented a corporate fiduciary with risk management and other issues involving the termination of a significant trust.