Bio

Howard Kleinman, co-chair of the employee benefits and executive compensation group, advises private and public companies, private equity funds, senior executives and portfolio managers in connection with executive compensation and employee benefits in complex corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, financing arrangements and public offerings. His work includes negotiating, reviewing and drafting transactional documents, supervising due diligence, and advising on compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, applicable labor laws, federal securities laws and applicable exchange regulations. Mr. Klein advises on all aspects of designing, negotiating and drafting equity-based compensation plans (including stock option, restricted stock and phantom equity arrangements), cash bonus plans, employment, consulting, termination, severance and change in control contracts, and restrictive covenant agreements, including non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality arrangements. He has considerable experience in representing companies and corporate officers in connection with executive hirings and firings and the implementation of management transition programs. Mr. Klein also advises clients on the structure, implementation and administration of qualified and non-qualified employee pension programs, welfare plans and similar compensation arrangements. In addition, he counsels senior executives and boards of directors on transactional strategies, and consults management teams and boards of directors regarding executive compensation and change in control arrangements in connection with corporate transactions and reorganizations. Mr. Klein also actively assists clients with corporate governance and compliance matters, securities filings, employee communications and public announcements. Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Klein was a partner at another global law firm.