Van Fleet, Evans Present CLE on Employee Benefits Hot Topics

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner St. Louis Partner Lisa Van Fleet and Associate Stephen Evans presented a live webcast CLE April 14 for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis on Employee Benefits Hot Topics: COVID-19, the SECURE Act, and the CARES Act.

The two gave an overview of the SECURE Act’s impact on employer-sponsored retirement plans and led a discussion of how the COVID-19 pandemic and congressional response impacts employer-provided health and welfare and retirement benefits, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

Van Fleet is a member of the firm's Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Client Service Group. She counsels clients, including tax-exempt organizations, with respect to qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, welfare and fringe benefit plans, and deferred and equity-based compensation. She has designed and implemented strategies for integration of employee benefit plans in mergers, acquisitions and similar corporate transactions. Van Fleet has defended clients in connection with Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor audits of employee benefit plans and represented clients seeking rulings and exemptions from their national offices.

Evans is a member of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Client Service Group, focusing on employee benefits and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) matters. He advises clients on the design, drafting and operation of welfare benefit plans, qualified retirement plans, nonqualified plans, and fringe benefit plans. He has broad experience with ensuring compliance with local and state laws and federal laws including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).