BIO: The U.S. Senate today unanimously confirmed the nomination of attorney Phyllis Borzi as Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration

Highly respected by both union and non-union employee benefit plan practitioners and leaders, Ms. Borzi brings key policy and regulatory knowledge, practical industry and political experience and strong leadership and administrative skills to her post. 

Ms.  Borzi comes to her new role with an extensive resume of employee benefit experience including extensive governmental and private practice experience as well as employee benefit leadership in the American Bar Association and numerous other professional organizations.   Her private practice employee benefit experience has encompassed extensive representation of union and other employee benefit plans, their sponsors, fiduciaries and others. 

In addition to her extensive private sector experience, Ms. Borzi also has extensive Congressional and other governmental experience.  Until January 1995, Ms. Borzi served as pension and employee benefit counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations of the Committee on Education and Labor.  She was on the Committee staff for 16 years. 

In 1993, in connection with the Presidential Task Force on Health Care Reform, chaired by former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ms. Borzi served on working groups dealing with insurance reform, workers’ compensation and employer coverage.  She holds a Master of Arts degree in English from Syracuse University and received her law degree from Catholic University Law School, where she was editor-in-chief of the law review.  

Ms. Borzi is a charter member and a former President of the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel; she served as a member of its Board of Governors from 2000-2008.  Ms. Borzi has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the BNA Pension & Benefits Reporter (and a former co-chair of the Board) and a former member of the Advisory Committee of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. 

Ms. Borzi also has served on the Advisory Board of the Pension Research Council, The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Board of the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER). 

In 2008, Ms. Borzi was appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to serve as a public member of the Administrative Committee for the Goodyear VEBA, an entity that was judicially established pursuant to a negotiated settlement agreement between the company, the Steelworkers and class representatives for the Steelworkers retirees.

Ms. Borzi has published numerous articles on ERISA, health care law and policy and retirement security issues and is a frequent speaker on programs sponsored by legal, professional, business, consumer and state and local governmental organizations. 

An active member of the American Bar Association throughout her career, Ms. Borzi surrenders her post as chair of the ABA’s Joint Committee on Employee Benefits (representing the Health Law Section).

This presentation will cover the following topics
Before:  Accept or Reject?
 

Steven E. Trytten, Esq., CPA, MBA, is a nationally recognized authority on tax and estate planning, quoted in financial publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Bloomberg Wealth Manager, Kiplinger=s Retirement Report, and the Los Angeles Business Journal. He lectures across the country (including Heckerling Estate Planning Institute, ALI-ABA programs, NYU Tax Institute, USC Tax Institute, CEB-UCLA Estate Planning Institute, Southern California Tax and Estate Planning Forum, Great Western Tax Institute, Great Southern Tax Institute, AICPA programs, and NAELA Annual Institute, among others). Recent publications include his papers for these Institutes, as well as articles for Trust and Estates Magazine and other publications for professionals engaged in tax and estate planning. 

Steve is one of the top 1% of lawyers in the U.S. to be included in the "Best Lawyers of America." He has been voted by his peers in Los Angeles County as a "Super Lawyer" each year since the “Super Lawyer” process began in 2004, and was further recognized in 2004 as one of the top 100 vote recipients county‑wide among all practice areas 

Steve is a "Certified Specialist" in two areas: Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law (certification by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California).

Steve is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (AACTEC) and a Member of the ACTEC Employee Benefits Committee.

Steve is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Trust & Estates Magazine (Retirement Benefits Section).

Steve served as Chair of the California State Bar Taxation Section Committee on Estate and Gift Taxation from 1996 to 1998. He is an active member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Steve attended the University of Illinois where he received his undergraduate, MBA, and JD degrees. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1978 and to the California Bar in 1983. He became licensed as an Illinois CPA in 1979.

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The landscape of rights to employee benefits and resulting tax treatment afforded to same-sex couples and other “domestic partners” has changed dramatically over the last few years and seems certain to continue to evolve. States such as California and even some cities have adopted “domestic partner” and “civil union” measures designed to insure treatment of parties to these relationships in the same manner as spouses.  Further complicating the picture, in May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples may no longer be excluded from civil marriage. The ever-changing rights afforded to same-sex couples and other “domestic partners” presents a host of challenging issues to benefit plan sponsors and an absolute morass for multi-state employers. 

This webinar identifies the benefit challenges caused by current laws regarding same-sex marriage and offers real world solutions to complex compliance problems. Our speakers will provide guidance on defining eligibility and coverage for same-sex couples and will explore restrictions and opportunities for extending the tax-advantaged treatment and the protections of retirement plans, health coverage, and other employee benefits.

Speakers:  Connie Hiatt has over 20 years experience as an attorney specializing in  employee benefits and executive compensation.  Prior to joining Altman & Cronin, Connie was the head of the employee benefits group at the law firm of Hanson Bridgett.  Connie has diverse experience in the benefits area including extensive experience in the design and implementation of pension and profit sharing plans (and related compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA), executive compensation, sales and acquisitions of businesses, public pension plans, and health and welfare plans.  Connie is a frequent speaker and author on employee benefit matters and executive compensation matters.  Connie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her law degree from the College of William and Mary.

In July of 2007, the first comprehensive 403(b) regulation changes in over forty years were passed.  This has the potential to considerably increase the administrative challenges 403(b) plan sponsors face today.  Attend this webinar to learn;

·  The intent of the regulations

·  What additional compliance will apply to 501(c)(3) organizations

·  What the effective dates are for these changes

·  How to better prepare yourself (or your clients) to comply with the new regulations

Bio:  R. Scott Harrison Jr., QKA, AIF, Regional Sales Dir.

AUL Retirement Services, a OneAmerica Financial Partner

Scott is a Retirement Plan Consultant specializing in employer sponsored 403(b), 457(b), and 401(k) plans. 

Covering the Southern California region, Scott joined AUL in 1999.  Scott is a 16-year veteran of the defined contribution industry, beginning his career in 1992 with a Third Party Administrator in San Diego, California.  He holds the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation from the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIFâ) designation from the Center for Fiduciary Studies.  His licenses include the Series 7, Series 63, and Life & Disability.  Scott is a graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in Business Administration, emphasis in Real Estate.

In addition to being a member of ASPPA, he is a member of the Western Pension & Benefits Conference (WPBC).  Both the organizations offer programs of continuing education for qualified plan consultants.

Mr. Swift will walk through the important differences between the final regulations issued under Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and the 409A proposed regulations.  In addition, he will discuss the impact these final regulations will have on various employer-sponsored compensation arrangements as well as navigate you through the major exceptions, corrections and application of Section 409A.   Mr. Swift recently presented on this topic at the 2007 Western Benefits Conference in San Francisco.

Bio:  Marvin S. Swift, Jr., Esq.
Snell & Wilmer, LLP

Marvin is a partner at Snell & Wilmer, LLP in the Phoenix Office of the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group.  Marvin joined the firm in 1992 and prior to joining the firm he practiced in the Washington DC office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.  Marvin’s practice focuses exclusively on counseling employers (including tax-exempt employers) in all aspects of employee benefits matters.  His specialty within the Group is in the area of executive compensation and includes:  counseling employers in tax, securities, and accounting issues related to various equity-based compensation arrangements; designing and advising employers and executives regarding executive employment, bonus, severance, change in control, and consulting agreements; and designing and advising employers regarding issues related to nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, including the impact of Section 409A, ERISA and securities law considerations.

Mr. Swift is a graduate of the TC Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond where he served as the associate editor of the Law Review and graduated with honors.  He is a frequent lecturer and has authored many articles on employee benefits issues.