Jason Kotlyarov, an attorney in the firm’s Kansas City office, will be a featured presenter at the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s (KCMBA) CLE by the Hour series on June 30. Jason will be presenting a comprehensive session titled “Employee Benefits Law for Attorneys,” offering practical insights and legal analysis for attorneys navigating this complex and ever-evolving area of law.

In his presentation, Jason will guide attendees through the key components of ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) and its wide-reaching implications in areas such as:

• ERISA Background: An overview of the law that sets minimum standards for private sector employee benefit plans, and its broad impact across employment, tax, fiduciary, and contract law.
• Retirement Plans: The tax and legal requirements for qualified plans under IRC Section 401, common IRS plan errors, and the importance of maintaining tax-qualified status.
• Health Plans: An explanation of employer obligations under the Affordable Care Act, including ERISA’s plan documentation and reporting requirements.
• Employee Benefits in the context of Mergers and Acquisitions: Legal considerations regarding employee benefits during corporate transactions, including equity award plans, severance, and union-related benefit issues.
• ERISA Preemption: A breakdown of complete and conflict preemption, and how these doctrines impact litigation involving state-law claims related to benefit plans.
• Prohibited Transactions and Exemptions: A review of ERISA Section 406(a) and the rules governing transactions between plans and parties in interest.
• Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs): Key requirements and limitations attorneys must consider when dividing retirement benefits in family law proceedings.
• Subrogation Rights Under ERISA Plans: An important look at how self-funded health plans preserve reimbursement rights even where state law may suggest otherwise.

For more information or to register, click here.

Jason focuses his practice on providing full-service representation to employee benefit plans, plan sponsors and fiduciaries, which includes issues pertaining to governance, compliance, amendment/policy review and drafting and litigation. He is one of the few attorneys in the nation who specializes in representing registered apprenticeship plans, including standards and policy review, program compliance with applicable Department of Labor and state apprenticeship laws, advising on complex prohibited transactions issues unique to apprenticeship plans, scholarship loans, employment law issues and more.