ERISA Compliance Attorney

Lockton • Philadelphia, PA

15h

About The Position

Lockton Companies is looking to add a People Solutions compliance attorney to support both our national ERISA Compliance Consulting practice and our Northeast Series of Lockton Companies. The attorney in this role provides employee health and welfare benefit compliance support to Lockton account service teams and their clients in several Lockton offices and throughout the Northeast states. The best candidates for this position should have a strong working knowledge of ERISA, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), HIPAA, COBRA and tax issues related to group welfare benefits, a strong legal research background, effective legal writing skills, a proven track record of public speaking and interpersonal relationship skill development, law firm or consulting experience specializing in health and welfare benefits, the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, and the ability to simplify complex legal concepts and ensure non-lawyers can understand and apply them. This attorney must be able to foster and maintain good, cooperative, and effective working relationships with the Lockton offices and their account service teams in the field. Above all, the successful candidate must enjoy proactively seeking out ways to keep our associates apprised of the ever-changing compliance landscape and provide the teams assurance that they are advising clients correctly. Our ERISA compliance attorneys work closely with our account teams and clients to help them comply with the numerous obligations imposed upon group benefit programs under federal and select state laws as they relate to welfare benefit plans. Our attorneys stay abreast of compliance-related developments and communicate these developments to clients and associates via a variety of publications and web-based or live presentations.

Requirements

• Law degree and concomitant research and writing skills.
• Minimum 4 years of law firm experience specializing in employee health and welfare benefits or 8 years of experience in the employee health and welfare benefits/ERISA field generally, with a demonstrably strong focus on compliance advice, particularly with respect to ERISA and ACA.
• Service-oriented attitude. This position requires support of clients of the firm, and of internal associates who work under demanding timelines, and often with limited knowledge of ERISA compliance matters. A pleasant, service-oriented attitude, and ability to communicate complex concepts in a practical, common-sense manner, is critical.
• Must display strong written and oral communication skills including the ability to articulate complex benefits concepts.
• Strong project management, time management, and organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft products (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint) or similar software applications.

Nice To Haves

• A strong working knowledge of ERISA, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), HIPAA, COBRA and tax issues related to group welfare benefits
• A strong legal research background
• Effective legal writing skills
• A proven track record of public speaking and interpersonal relationship skill development
• Law firm or consulting experience specializing in health and welfare benefits
• The ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• The ability to simplify complex legal concepts and ensure non-lawyers can understand and apply them

Responsibilities

• Provide prompt, practical compliance and technical support, both for our associates and for clients, on all employee benefit-related aspects of ERISA, the ACA, the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and other relevant laws as they affect employee welfare benefit plans. The candidate must also be able to communicate these findings and recommendations clearly and succinctly, in layman’s terms.
• Research and prepare (or update) articles for periodic Compliance Alerts, expanded publications such as Employer Guides, and internal training and briefing documents such as white papers and various practice aids.
• Manage or share in managing complex compliance assignments, operational compliance reviews, plan compliance projects, government filings, and routine compliance management services.
• Prepare and present webcasts and live, in-person presentations on ERISA-related topics in a clear, concise, and practical manner.
• Build strong relationships with internal Associates, external partners and with clients of the firm.
• Participate in developing creative, strategic, proactive, and technically correct guidance to clients both in special situations and as part of day-to-day responsibilities.
• Actively participate in client and prospect meetings on demand, to gather information about potential clients, establish client needs, clarify expectations, develop strategies, and obtain feedback.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field to maintain technical, professional expertise.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree