B.B.A., Ohio University; J.D., Capital University Law School; LL.M., New York University School of Law
Eric Keller is a partner in the Global Compensation, Benefits and ERISA Practice at Paul Hastings LLP and resident in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. For over 20 years, he has represented domestic and international clients in all aspects of executive compensation and employee benefits law. In this regard, he advises clients regarding tax, labor (including ERISA), financial accounting, securities, and litigation issues. He designs and prepares plan documents and participant communications, negotiates service-provider contracts, and assists clients in developing and operating efficient and prudent plan administration practices. He is ranked by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer for executive compensation and employee benefits, by Legal 500 for executive compensation, employee benefits and retirement plans (transactional) and by Best Lawyers in America for employee benefits and ERISA.
Mr. Keller often advises clients on employment and employee benefits matters in connection with cross-border and domestic business transactions by conducting due diligence, negotiating and preparing contract provisions, addressing transitional issues, and developing strategies to minimize financial expense and taxation.
In the executive compensation area, he advises boards of directors and compensation committees on how to design and implement executive compensation arrangements that comply with Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes-Oxley, stock exchange listing requirements, securities disclosure requirements, and other corporate governance standards. He also represents employers and management teams in the design, negotiation and implementation of employment agreements, equity-based incentives and other the executive compensation arrangements.
In the tax-qualified retirement plans area, Mr. Keller frequently advises plan fiduciaries how to reduce their risk of fiduciary liability for plan investments and represents sponsors of employee benefit plans in voluntary compliance programs maintained by the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor. In the employee welfare benefit plan area, Mr. Keller advises clients on Health Care Reform, HIPAA privacy compliance for group health plans, as well as Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and other consumer-driven health plan designs. In addition, he represents plan fiduciaries in administrative claim disputes with participants and contractual disputes with service providers.