Atty. Steven J. Friedman

Steven J. Friedman advises employers on a variety of aspects of employee benefits law, including:

• The structuring and implementation of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans
• Welfare and fringe benefits programs
• Early retirement programs
• Severance plans

He also has extensive experience counseling employers on Employee Retirement Income Security Act and tax compliance issues related to employee benefits plans, dealing with the governmental agencies that regulate such plans and construing employee benefits laws, such as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Additionally, Steven advises clients on the manner in which employee benefits plans may be terminated, modified or restructured and has proficiency in plan conversion issues.

Steven has broad experience dealing with the legal, financial and administrative issues arising under executive compensation arrangements, including:

• Deferred compensation
• Supplemental executive retirement arrangements
• Stock-related compensation
• Stock appreciation rights
• Phantom stock plans
• Stock option plans

He also analyzes issues related to section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. His expertise extends to employee benefits issues in connection with corporate transactions. A regular commentator to governmental agencies on pending legislation, Steven has also appeared on television and has been quoted in many national legal and business publications on employee benefits topics.

Prior to joining Littler Mendelson, Steven spent nearly 10 years as benefits counsel for a major multinational electronics and entertainment company. He also worked as an adjunct professor at Baruch College where he taught a tax course on employee benefits in 2008.