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. With more than 150 years of combined experience, our team focuses exclusively on the tax and ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) issues that define this complex area of law. Every member of the group holds a Master of Laws in Taxation, many are certified public accountants (inactive), and most are recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers and Partners, and the American College of Tax Counsel.
Our attorneys counsel employers, plan sponsors, and fiduciaries on the full spectrum of benefit and compensation arrangements, including private employer, tax-exempt, and governmental plans; executive compensation programs; profit-sharing, 401(k), defined benefit, and cash balance plans; ESOPs; and health and welfare programs. We also advise on 403(b) and 457 plans and other non-ERISA tax-qualified arrangements, tailoring each solution to meet our clients’ operational and strategic goals.
We provide end-to-end guidance on plan design, implementation, administration, and compliance, ensuring tax qualification and adherence to ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, the ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, and other applicable laws. Our experience includes preventive plan reviews, wellness compliance, Department of Labor investigations, IRS audits, and the use of correction programs. We also assist employers with benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions, manage plan exposure and administrative costs, and implement risk management strategies—from claim avoidance and ERISA preemption to defending fiduciaries in litigation, responding to benefit claims, and handling QDROs. Our goal is to deliver practical, cost-effective solutions that help employers remain compliant, competitive, and confident in managing their benefit programs.
