CARES Act Impacts All Benefit Plans

By Andrew Liazos, Erin Steele, Evan A. Belosa, Jacob Mattinson, Lindsay Ditlow, Lisa Loesel, Ralph E. DeJong, Samuel Everett Dewey and Sarah L. Engle on March 31, 2020

Posted In Employee Benefits, Employment, Executive Compensation, Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans

In the ongoing effort to help individuals impacted by COVID-19, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (CARES Act) on March 27, 2020. The President signed the CARES Act into law the same day. The historic stimulus package provides wide-ranging relief for both employers and employees. This includes rules that impact health and welfare, retirement and executive compensation plans and programs.

For more information about the impact of the CARES Act on employer-provided benefits, access our On the Subject articles on the:

In addition, for information about the frequently asked questions regarding health and welfare, retirement and executive compensation issues in the COVID-19 era, access our FAQs.

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Andrew Liazos
Andrew C. Liazos is the global chair of McDermott’s Benefits & Compensation Practice Group and has practiced at McDermott for over 25 years. Andrew focuses his practice on compensation and benefit matters, including related securities, M&A, IPO, private equity, international and litigation matters. Clients range from Fortune 500 companies to compensation committees to individual executives in employment and severance negotiations. Read Andrew Liazos' full bio.

Erin Steele
Erin Steele focuses her practice on employee benefits and executive compensation. She has experience working on matters related to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), code section 401(k) plans, health and welfare arrangements, and Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) litigation. She has also assisted in employee benefits matters as part of corporate transactional due diligence work. Read Erin Steele's full bio.

Evan A. Belosa
Evan A. Belosa is an experienced negotiator and counselor, focusing his practice on all aspects of executive employment and compensation matters. Evan represents individuals from virtually every industry across the United States, with a specific focus on executive officers and employees at all levels of the financial services industry. He also represents institutions in all aspects of the employer/employee relationship. Evan has significant experience in the areas of executive compensation and employee benefits, and has frequently represented both management teams and employers in designing and drafting compensation structures and plans. Read Evan Belosa's full bio.

Jacob Mattinson
Jacob M. Mattinson focuses his practice on employee benefits and matters related to 401(k), 403(b), pension, executive compensation, health care reform, and cafeteria and welfare plans. Jacob assists clients in drafting employee benefit plan documents and amendments. He represents clients in matters before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), US Department of Labor (DOL) and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation with respect to plain qualification issues. Read Jacob Mattinson's full bio.

Lindsay Ditlow
Lindsay Ditlow is experienced in all aspects of employment law, including litigation, counselling, and corporate transactions. As a trial lawyer, Lindsay has successfully represented numerous clients in employment litigations, including cases involving claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Family Medical Leave Act and state leave laws, the Inevitable Disclosure Doctrine, state discrimination and retaliation statutes, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state wage and hour laws. Read Lindsay Ditlow's full bio.

Lisa Loesel
Lisa Loesel focuses her practice on employee benefits matters, including the design, amendment and administration of pension and 401(k) plans, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, and employee stock ownership plans. She counsels privately and publicly held corporations regarding the employee benefits design and transition matters arising from corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. She also advises clients regarding fiduciary and plan investment issues under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Lisa also has experience counseling plan fiduciaries with respect to the claims and appeals procedures under ERISA. Read Lisa Loesel's full bio.

Ralph E. DeJong
Ralph E. DeJong advises clients on the compensation, executive benefits and employee benefits of tax-exempt organizations. He provides counsel on designing and preparing deferred and incentive compensation arrangements, leading governing boards in the review and approval of executive and physician compensation arrangements, negotiating and preparing executive and physician employment agreements, and analyzing the private inurement and intermediate sanctions implications of executive and physician compensation and benefit arrangements. Read Ralph DeJong's full bio.

Samuel Everett Dewey
Samuel (Sam) Everett Dewey focuses his practice on providing advice that is both insightful and comprehensive to highly regulated companies and individuals facing, or seeking to mitigate, major legal, reputational, political, and business risks. Sam draws upon his extensive experience leading major investigations in key Committees in both Houses of Congress; conducting in-depth oversight of key enforcement agencies including the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (BCFP); and prior experience representing clients in congressional and Executive Branch investigations as well as contested appellate and trial proceedings. Read Sam Dewey's full bio.

Sarah L. Engle
Sarah Engle focuses her practice on employee benefits matters. She counsels clients regarding a variety of issues, including the design, drafting and operation of tax-qualified pension and profit sharing plans, health and welfare arrangements, and deferred compensation plans. Sarah has experience advising clients on employee benefits design, implementation and transition matters arising in connection with corporate mergers and acquisitions. Read Sarah Engle's full bio.

CARES Act Impacts All Benefit Plans

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