Bio

Robert Saffelle practice focuses on ERISA and employee compensation and benefits, including retirement plans and welfare benefit plans, fiduciary law and IRAs. He helps clients design, establish and maintain employee benefit programs, including qualified retirement, profit sharing, 401(k) and defined benefit pension plans, as well as health and welfare plans, and section 125 cafeteria plans. He also handles retirement plan terminations and navigates clients through the maze of IRS and PBGC approval procedures. Rob has extensive experience in the area of executive compensation, including nonqualified deferred compensation plans, supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs), equity-based compensation and stock option plans, and incentive plans. He works frequently with the complex Tax Code Section 409A rules applicable to “nonqualified deferred compensation,” which is broadly defined for purposes of these rules. Rob handles the employee benefits aspects of mergers and acquisitions. He also handles voluntary correction programs with the Internal Revenue Service and prohibited transaction exemption and fiduciary correction applications with the Department of Labor. He advises clients on plan administrative and operational issues, and he handles employer severance programs and COBRA questions. He counsels clients regarding IRAs as well as IRA and qualified plan distribution and beneficiary designation issues. Prior to joining Hirschler, Rob was with Vandeventer Black. Prior to Vandeventer, he practiced with McGuireWoods and LeClairRyan.