Christian D. Hancey

What do you focus on?

I counsel employers on all types of traditional benefit plans, including defined benefit pension plans, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, multiemployer plans, medical benefit plans, cafeteria plans, disability plans and other benefit plans.

I have substantial experience with executive compensation issues. For example, I draft stock-based compensation plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, supplemental executive retirement plans, severance plans, change-in-control agreements and stock-based compensation plans.

I am actively involved in the firm’s transactional practice, working with employers to manage the transition of employees and their benefits during and after a merger or acquisition, as well as ERISA issues arising when investing in and structuring private equity and similar investments.

Working with employers and administrative committees, I regularly advise on the fiduciary oversight of ERISA plans, including retirement plan investments, appropriate plan expenses and claims for benefits and other plan administration issues.

I also have significant experience advising employers on IRS and Department of Labor audits and enforcement action.

What do you see on the horizon?

Regulatory reforms will continue to change the design and operation of retirement plans and group health plans, including recent health care reform legislation. I think employers will continue to seek more sophisticated techniques to enhance the value of employee benefit programs and better incentivize employees.

Recent Speeches and Publications

• Speaker, “Pre-Conference Tutorial: Fiduciary Obligations Under ERISA,” Mid-Sized Retirement and Healthcare Plan Management Conference, September 25-28, 2016, Las Vegas, NV
• Speaker, “What Plan Sponsors Need to Know About the New DOL Fiduciary Rule” (with Kate Saracene), Mid-Sized Retirement and Healthcare Plan Management Conference, September 25-28, 2016, Las Vegas, NV
• Speaker, “Deferred Compensation: Achieving Significant Tax Benefits While Incenting Key Employees,” Harvard Club of Boston, September 21, 2016
• Speaker, “Pre-Conference Tutorial: Fiduciary Obligations Under ERISA,” Mid-Sized Retirement and Healthcare Plan Management Conference, June 14-17, 2016, Chicago, IL
• Speaker, “What Plan Sponsors Need to Know About the New DOL Fiduciary Rule” (with Kate Saracene), Mid-Sized Retirement and Healthcare Plan Management Conference, June 14-17, 2016, Chicago, IL
• Speaker, “Top 10 Most Common Retirement Plan Compliance Problems and How to Correct Them,” Mid-Sized Retirement & Healthcare Plan Management Conference, Change is on the Horizon: What’s Your Game Plan?, May 1-4, 21016, Orlando, FL
• Panelist, “Top 10 Compliance Issues for Your Retirement Plan,” Long Island CFO Committee, NYSSCPA, December 10, 2015
• Speaker, “Deferred Compensation: Achieving Significant Tax Benefits While Incenting Key Employees,” Harvard Club of Boston, September 24, 2015
• Speaker, “New Deferred Compensation Developments Present Opportunities for Business Owners,” New Haven Lawn Club, May 19, 2015
• Speaker, “Compliance review: Isn’t it time for a tune-up?” New York Employee Benefits Conference (NYEBC) Breakfast Meeting, February 13, 2014
• Speaker, “DOMA is Dead: Impact of its Obituary on Other Laws,” The New York State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Meeting, January 31, 2014
• Speaker, “ERISA Budget Accounts: Revenue sharing in the retirement plans,” National Webinar, May 22, 2012
• Speaker, “2012 Employee Benefits Legal Update,” New York Employee Benefits Conference, March 15, 2012
• Speaker, “Demystifying the IRS and DOL Audit Processes,” National Webinar, September 16, 2012
• Speaker, “Employee Benefits,” Nixon Peabody CLE Breakfast Briefing, Albany, NY, June 24, 2010
• Speaker, “409A Compliance and Correction: How to Adequately Administer Plans Given the Complexity of the Rules and Avoid Operational and Documentation Failure,” American Conference Institute's National Advanced Compliance Forum on Minimizing Legal Risks in the Design, Implementation & Administration of Employee Benefit Plans, New York, NY, May 2010
• Speaker, “What Employers Need to Know About the Health Care Reform Act,” Nixon Peabody CLE Symposium, Rochester, NY, May 2010
• Speaker, “What Plan Sponsors Really Want: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the RFP Selection Process,” fi360 National Conference, Orlando, FL, May 2010
• Speaker, “Health Care Reform Compliance: What every employer needs to know now,” Nixon Peabody CLE webinar, Rochester, NY, April 2010
• Speaker, “The Benefits Professional's Guide to Labor and Employment Law,” Worldwide Employee Benefits Network Conference, March 2010