Washington, DC. Nixon Peabody LLP has expanded the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation team with the addition of partner Mark Stember, who counsels clients on ERISA-governed health and welfare benefits, flexible compensation, integrated leave management, fringe benefits, HIPAA privacy, executive compensation, and qualified retirement plans.
Based in the firm’s Washington, DC office, Mark counsels both private and public clients on a variety of issues, including cafeteria plans, fringe benefit plans, such as adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, executive split dollar life insurance plans, and section 401(k) and pension plans. With health and welfare benefits compliance representing the fastest-growing segment within the employee benefits sector, Mark’s arrival at the firm comes at a fitting time.
“Mark has built deep relationships advising major employers across sectors, and he is a great fit as we meet client demand for health and welfare benefits compliance work,” said Nixon Peabody partner Todd Tidgewell, leader of the firm’s Corporate practice, which includes the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation team. “Combining Mark's attributes with those of Damian Myers, leader of the firm's Health and Welfare Benefits initiatives, adds further bench strength and gravitas to an area of our practice that we expect will experience significant growth in the coming years."
Mark has counseled Fortune 500 and private companies alike, having worked with some of the country’s largest employers. Recently, he has advised clients on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in third-party administrator services, value-based care arrangements, telemedicine, and direct-provider contracting arrangements. In addition to employer health plans, he works with clients on short- and long-term disability and applicable funding arrangements.
“Mark will be an excellent fit for both our office and our firmwide culture as a whole,” said Sumeet Sharma, managing partner of Nixon Peabody’s Washington, DC office. “His strong relationships and extensive experience in ERISA, health and welfare plans, and regulatory compliance will be an immediate benefit to our clients as we continue to add targeted depth and breadth of services in Washington, DC.”
Mark is a prior chair of the Health and Welfare Plan Design and Funding Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation Employee Benefits Committee and co-chair of the ABA’s Joint Committee on Employee Benefits (JCEB) at the Health and Welfare Benefit Plans National Institute. He is also a fellow in the prestigious American College of Employee Benefits Counsel (ACEBC)—an invitation-only organization for seasoned employee benefits attorneys.
Mark earned his JD from Hamline University School of Law and his BS from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Chambers USA recognized him as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation,” as well as Best Lawyers in America® for employee benefits law and ERISA litigation. Mark has also been named a Washington, DC, “Super Lawyer” for employee benefits law by Super Lawyers.
