Kathy A. Lawler
Kathy Lawler helps employers in a wide range of industries and sectors with qualified pension plans and the complex fiduciary issues relating to ERISA plans. Her practice primarily involves the design, submission, implementation, merger, termination, and interpretation of qualified pension plans, as well as the design of nonqualified plans, such as excess benefit plans, SERPs, deferred compensation arrangements, and Rabbi trusts to fund such plans.
Businesses rely on Kathy for counsel regarding benefits issues in corporate transactions and outsourcing arrangements. In addition, she advises them about welfare benefit plans, including the tax and ERISA implications of plan design, amendment, and termination. She also regularly counsels employers on issues arising under the Affordable Care Act, COBRA and HIPAA.
Kathy lectures and has been published widely on employee benefits trends and issues. She holds a leadership position as chair of the firm's Pension and Welfare Committee and is a former member of the firm's Executive Board.
Chosen for inclusion in Chambers USA Legal Directory (Chambers & Partners) as a leading employee benefits & executive compensation attorney, 2006-2020
Chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White, Inc.), Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, 1995-2017, 2020-2022
Selected to the list of New Jersey Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), Employee Benefits, 2005-2020
Chosen in The Newark Area's Best Lawyers (Woodward/White, Inc.) as Employee Benefits Lawyer of the Year, 2011
Recognized as one of the Top 50 female New Jersey Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2006-2008
Recognized as one of New Jersey Monthly's "Top Lawyers" each year since 1997
AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell (LexisNexis)
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