Karen Ng focuses in ERISA and employee benefits matters with an emphasis on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). She has extensive experience with the design, implementation and administration of ESOPs, pension plans, profit sharing plans and 401(k) plans and advises clients with respect to the structuring of ESOP transactions involving both closely held and publicly traded companies.
I offer technical experience regarding a wide variety of ESOP issues. Because ESOPs can be very complex and confusing, one of my strengths is that I can explain ESOPs in plain day-to-day language.
With over 90% of my clients as ESOP companies or ESOP fiduciaries, I can offer insight into what is really going on in the ESOP world. My clients find it invaluable to hear about the experiences of other ESOP companies and what they did right or, even more importantly, what they did wrong.
In addition to working with plan sponsors, I often help ESOP fiduciaries (both internal and external) to navigate the tricky waters of an ESOP transaction.
In addition to my technical experience, I am considered a thought leader in the ESOP community and am heavily involved in the leadership of employee ownership organizations.
Although much of my practice revolves around ESOPs, I also work with plan sponsors who have issues related to their other qualified retirement plans (such as 401(k) plans, profit sharing plans and defined benefit pension plans). I help clients maintain their plans, resolve possible disqualifying defects and explore new plan design features and structures. I partner with my clients to ensure that their employee benefit plans are running smoothly and efficiently.
As governmental agencies and plaintiff attorneys increase their scrutiny of ESOPs and other qualified retirement plans, I believe that plan sponsors and fiduciaries need to have a better understanding of their plans and learn how to properly document their actions.
Law360 | January 03, 2021
In this article on notable ERISA cases in the year ahead, San Francisco office managing partner and Corporate partner Karen Ng is quoted for her outlook on Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass’n, et al v. CA Secure Choice Retire. Svg., et al and the tension between ERISA’s broad preemption powers and the desire by states to provide retirement benefits to employees of small companies. The case’s outcome could determine other states’ programs.
Law360 | July 29, 2020
San Francisco office managing partner and Corporate partner Karen Ng was quoted in this article for her outlook on the federal government’s interest in Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association v. California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program, and the rise in ERISA privacy and cybersecurity lawsuits in Harmon et al. v. Shell Oil Co. et al.
University of San Francisco School of Law, J.D.
University of California, Berkeley, (Double) B.A.
California
