Eric Paley is the team leader of the firm’s Employee Benefits team. He advises clients on how to comply with the laws governing their employee benefits programs.
Three hallmarks distinguish my practice.
I work primarily (though not exclusively) with a wide range of nonprofit organizations—hospitals/health systems, colleges/universities, iconic arts/cultural institutions, trade associations, social service agencies and governmental organizations. Nonprofits are much different animals than for-profit companies. My appreciation for those differences coupled with my vast experience in these sectors give me a unique perspective on the issues my clients are facing and allow me to be a more effective advisor.
Of late, I spend a significant amount of time working with clients on fiduciary compliance—helping them establish or reconstitute their retirement plan committees; advising them on whether to engage a third-party investment consultant or conduct an RFP for a new recordkeeper; and educating boards, officers and committee members on the rapidly changing legal landscape in which they operate.
One of the things I enjoy most about working in this field is that the law is never static and the issues I face on a daily basis vary greatly. By the same token, the growing mountain of compliance burdens can quickly overwhelm employers. I try to keep my clients on task by focusing on practicalities and, whenever possible, bringing my sense of humor to bear on what can often be inane and unnecessarily complex rules.
Blockchain technology, smart contracts and other revolutionary innovations will significantly impact, if not disrupt, the benefits industry in ways we can only imagine at this point. I’m excited to work with those who want to develop these innovations, as well as those who want to adopt and embrace them.
HR News | December 01, 2020
This article on the shrinking number of funds offered to 401(k) plan participants quotes a recent Fall Employee Benefits Briefing blog post written by Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation leader and Corporate partner Eric Paley, Corporate partners Christian Hancey and Brian Kopp, and Corporate associates Lena Gionnette and Jenny Holmes, all in Rochester; and Washington, D.C. Corporate counsel Damian Myers.
Rochester Business Journal | September 25, 2020
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation team leader and Rochester Corporate partner Eric Paley is quoted in this article on how some companies are freezing contributions to their employees’ 401(k) contributions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
San Francisco Business Times | January 31, 2018
This article mentions Nixon Peabody’s new Blockchain Technology and Smart Contacts team, which includes Rochester labor and employment practice group leader Eric Paley, San Francisco counsel Dan Valles and nearly 60 additional attorneys across offices and practice groups.
Syracuse University College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
Cornell University, B.A.
New York
U.S. Tax Court
Eric was selected, through a peer-review survey, for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 in the field of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. He was named the Best Lawyers® 2021 Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Rochester, NY and was the Best Lawyers® 2014 Litigation—ERISA “Lawyer of the Year” in Rochester. Eric has been listed in Best Lawyers since 2012.
Eric was selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers list in 2008, 2009 and 2011-2015. His primary area of practice is employment benefits law.