Blog Posts

        Category: Deferred Compensation/Executive Compensation
        June 22, 2026

        An ongoing dispute about a Department of Labor advisory opinion published last September raises a basic but unanswered question under the ERISA: What...

        by William D. Jewett on December 8, 2025

        Non-governmental employers that sponsor Section 457(b) deferred compensation plans should be mindful that December 31, 2025, is the deadline for plan...

        by Kenneth F. Ginder on October 1, 2025

        Many 401(k) plan sponsors are currently discussing implementation of the new Roth catch-up contribution rules, which were published on September 16,...

        by William D. Jewett on July 14, 2025

        Employers and their compensation advisors often assume that an arrangement to pay employees in the future for work done over time will be subject to...

        by Eric D. Altholz on May 20, 2024

        When the IRS published proposed regulations harmonizing key provisions of Code Sections 409A and 457(f) in 2016, executive compensation lawyers and...

        by William D. Jewett on May 1, 2024

        This post examines excess deferrals under non-governmental 457(b) plans, including the approved method for correcting them and the penalty for...

        by Eric D. Altholz on April 12, 2022

        A client recently reviewed a census of participants in its deferred compensation plan and found that the covered group amounted to nearly 15% of its...

        February 22, 2022

        With the April 15 deadline for distributing excess elective deferrals fast approaching, this post summarizes the rules for correcting excess elective...

        by Kenneth F. Ginder on December 14, 2021

        Twenty years ago this month the Enron Corporation imploded in spectacular fashion and declared bankruptcy. In the weeks leading up to its bankruptcy...

        by Eric D. Altholz on November 2, 2021

        UPDATED (added May 21, 2024): The FTC Final Rule on Noncompete Clauses applies to tax-exempt organizations who become subject to FTC jurisdiction as...

        by Kimberly S. Couch on June 29, 2021

        Many employers maintain formal or informal severance policies or practices that they use sporadically. Other employers may implement a severance...

        by William D. Jewett on January 18, 2021

        Tax-exempt organizations often provide deferred compensation to their officers, key employees, and most highly compensated employees. Like current...

        by Kenneth F. Ginder on March 31, 2020

        On Friday, March 27, 2020, the $2 trillion assistance package known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”)...

        April 15, 2019

        Deferred compensation payments are due to one of your former executives, but the former executive is nowhere to be found. You know that the IRS has...

        by Eric D. Altholz on March 26, 2019

        IRS Notice 2019-09 provides guidance intended to help "applicable tax-exempt employers" determine whether compensation paid to their most highly...

        by Eric D. Altholz on August 7, 2018

        Much has been written about the Department of Labor's final rule regarding disability benefit claims procedures (the "Final Rule"), which took effect...

        by Eric D. Altholz on January 10, 2018

        The executive compensation provisions of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act have been widely reported, and public companies and tax-exempt employers are now...

        by Eric D. Altholz on January 2, 2018

        Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 20, 2017, and President Trump signed the bill into law on December 22nd. As everyone knows by...

        by Eric D. Altholz on November 7, 2017

        It's early days yet for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act released last week by the House Ways and Means Committee, but one thing is clear: Congressional tax...

        by Eric D. Altholz on July 13, 2016

        It has been a long time coming (nine years to be exact), but the Treasury Department has at last published proposed regulations that harmonize...

        by Eric D. Altholz on February 12, 2015

        Employers grapple with the employee benefits consequences of employment terminations in a variety of contexts. In the retirement plan context when a...

        by Eric D. Altholz on June 12, 2012

        Code Section 409A(a)(2)(A) prescribes six times or events when deferred compensation may be paid: separation from service, the disability of the...

        by Eric D. Altholz on March 29, 2012

        Special thanks to Peter J. Dill, a Senior Consultant at Towers Watson (Boston), for his consultation and input on this post. Treasury Regulations...

        by Eric D. Altholz on February 12, 2012

        The Final Regulations under Code Section 409A took effect nearly five years ago. By now those of us who regularly deal with deferred compensation...

        by Eric D. Altholz on August 26, 2011

        Employers large and small often ask us how they can reward key employees for their contributions to the success of the company and provide a...

        by Eric D. Altholz on June 9, 2011

        We are pleased to offer a guest post by Warren Kerper, Managing Principal in the Boston office of Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, Inc.Warren advises...

        by Eric D. Altholz on April 20, 2011

        Executive pay in the exempt organization setting has been subject to scrutiny and regulation since long before corporate bad actors and the financial...

        by Eric D. Altholz on October 25, 2010

        Many tax-qualified Section 401(k) plans provide that a participant who takes a hardship distribution pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section...

        by Eric D. Altholz on October 11, 2010

        Relief for nonqualified deferred compensation plan operational failures made pursuant to Internal Revenue Service guidance under Section 409A...

        Firm Highlights

        Blog

        What is a Bonus for Purposes of ERISA?

        An ongoing dispute about a Department of Labor advisory opinion published last September raises a basic but unanswered question under the ERISA: What...
        Media Mentions

        Verrill Recognized by WMTW for Partnership Supporting Hunger Relief in Maine

        Verrill was recently featured in coverage by WMTW News 8 for its role in a collaborative effort to combat food insecurity across southern...
        Press Releases

        33 Verrill Attorneys, Across Four Offices, Recognized in the 2026 Chambers USA Guide

        BOSTON, Massachusetts, PORTLAND, Maine, WESTPORT, Connecticut, and WASHINGTON, D.C. – Verrill has been recognized as a Leading Firm in 14...
        Blog

        Will the Knicks Beat the Spurs? (Are Prediction Market Event Contracts Gambling?)

        For those of you who like to keep score, currently 18 states are engaged in litigation over prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket,...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        DOJ Announces Faster Review and Enhanced Enforcement for Benefits-Fraud FCA Matters

        On May 27, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division issued a new memorandum, “Accelerating Review and Enhancing Enforcement in...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        DOJ Announces Minnesota Health Care Fraud Takedown; Signals Intensified Medicaid Enforcement Nationwide

        On May 21, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced a first-of-its kind Minnesota Health Care Fraud Takedown charging 15 defendants, including...
        Media Mentions

        Lauren Galvin Quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly on Arbitration and Anti-SLAPP Protections

        Verrill Partner Lauren Galvin was recently featured in a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly article highlighting a notable Superior Court decision...
        Blog

        Section 530A Accounts: What Employers Should Consider Before Offering Contributions to “Trump” Accounts

        Section 530A accounts, commonly referred to as Trump accounts, have attracted attention since the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in...
        Blog

        Navigating PBM Reform: Regulatory Changes, Market Shifts, and Practical Guidance for ERISA Fiduciaries

        Pharmacy Benefit Manager (“PBM”) arrangements have long relied on rebates with limited transparency into true drug costs. Recent regulatory and...
        Blog

        DOL’s Proposed Regulation on Selecting Alternative Investments: Broad Implications for 401(k) and 403(b) Plan Fiduciaries

        On March 30, 2026, the Department of Labor issued a proposed regulation purporting to implement an executive order to expand access to “alternative...
        Press Releases

        Verrill Welcomes Private Clients & Fiduciary Services Attorney Gracie Castle

        BOSTON, Massachusetts – Verrill is pleased to welcome Gracie Castle to the firm’s Private Clients & Fiduciary Services Group as an Associate,...
        Published Works

        Francesco De Vito Authors Article in the Journal of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys

        Verrill Partner Frank De Vito authored an article featured in the Spring 2026 issue of The Abstract, the journal of the American College of Mortgage...