Practice Area

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Planning

Guiding employers through every stage of benefits design, compliance, and administration with unmatched tax and ERISA expertise.

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Friday, Eldredge & Clark has the largest and most experienced Employee Benefits Practice Group in Arkansas, advising public, private, tax-exempt, and governmental employers on all aspects of employee benefits and compensation plans. Our attorneys focus exclusively on the tax and ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) issues that define this complex area of law, providing counsel on plan design, implementation, administration, and compliance. We assist clients with audits, fiduciary training, executive compensation, and benefits strategy during mergers and acquisitions. With over 150 years of combined experience and advanced credentials in taxation and accounting, our team delivers practical, cost-effective solutions that help employers remain compliant, competitive, and confident in managing their employee benefits programs.

Key Contacts

Joseph B. Hurst Jr.

Partner

Little Rock

Call

Areas of Focus

Private Employer Plans

Private sector employers need to ensure that the employee benefits plans they implement are structured correctly, properly documented, and in full compliance with all Department of Labor and IRS law and regulations.

Tax-exempt Organization Plans

Healthcare providers and other tax-exempt organizations that maintain IRC Section 403(b) retirement plans or programs or nonqualified deferred compensation plans subject to IRC Section 457 – as well as other defined contribution plan opportunities that have been extended to tax-exempt entities – can confidently turn to Friday, Eldredge & Clark for design and compliance guidance.

Governmental Plans

The unique complexities in the design and compliance surrounding governmental plans require our special guidance on state and federal law requirements that apply to non-ERISA tax-qualified plans, IRC Section 403(b) and 457 plans.

Executive Compensation

We advise companies on all aspects of equity and deferred compensation planning for executives. Our in-depth understanding of tax, including IRC Section 409A compliance, accounting, disclosure, and securities considerations, allows us to provide the necessary guidance to implement and administer effective equity compensation arrangements, bonus programs, and deferred compensation plans.

Summary

Comprehensive Plan Guidance: Advising employers of all sizes on the design, implementation, and administration of benefit and compensation plans that meet business goals and regulatory requirements.
Tax & ERISA Expertise: Providing specialized counsel on complex tax, ERISA, and compliance matters to help employers avoid costly penalties and ensure plan integrity.
Audit & Compliance Support: Representing clients in IRS and Department of Labor audits, investigations, and correction programs with deep regulatory insight.
Executive Compensation Solutions: Structuring and managing equity arrangements, deferred compensation plans, and performance-based incentives for executives and key employees.
Fiduciary Training & Risk Management: Offering proactive fiduciary education, compliance reviews, and strategic defense against claims and liabilities.

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Meet the Team

Related Practice Areas

Experience

The Employee Benefits Practice Group has a combined total of more than 150 years of experience working with employers on their employee benefits needs.

The group focuses exclusively on the tax and ERISA (Employee Retirement and Income Security Act) concerns of your unique benefits plan and compensation needs. Every member of the group has a Master of Laws in Taxation and many are certified public accountants (inactive). Most members of the Employee Benefits Practice Group are recognized for their work in The Best Lawyers in America, and several have received special recognition from such authoritative organizations as Chambers and Partners and the American College of Tax Counsel.

Our Employee Benefits team advises employers, plan sponsors, and fiduciaries on the full spectrum of benefit and compensation arrangements—including private employer, tax-exempt, and governmental plans; executive compensation (equity, bonuses, and nonqualified deferred comp); profit-sharing, 401(k), defined-benefit and cash-balance plans; ESOPs; and health and welfare programs (group health, cafeteria, and complex self-funded plans), as well as 403(b) and 457 plans and non-ERISA tax-qualified arrangements.

We structure, document, and administer plans; ensure tax qualification; deliver fiduciary training; and guide compliance under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, the ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, and related federal and state laws. Our experience includes preventive plan reviews, wellness compliance, DOL investigations, IRS audits, and use of correction programs. For employers, we negotiate benefits in mergers and acquisitions, manage exposure and administration costs, and implement risk-management strategies—from claim avoidance and ERISA preemption issues to defending fiduciaries (individual or class actions), responding to benefit claims, and handling QDROs—to keep plans compliant, cost-effective, and litigation-ready.