Robert M. Projansky is a Partner in the Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation & ERISA Litigation Practice Center. His practice covers the full spectrum of employee benefit issues, including advising clients regarding all aspects of pension and welfare plan administration, plan investment issues, mergers and terminations, government audits, participant communications, fiduciary responsibility matters and prohibited transactions issues.
Described in US Legal 500 as “really hands on” and “exceptional,” Rob assists clients on a regular basis in connection with issues related to compliance with all statutes related to employee benefits, including, among other things, the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, the Pension Protection Act, COBRA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. He has frequent contact with high-level officials at federal government agencies with oversight authority over employee benefit matters, including the U.S. Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. He also is co-head of the Reductions in Force/Managing Change Group, where he counsels clients regarding the legal and practical aspects of the planning and implementation of workforce changes related to restructurings, reductions in force and corporate transactions.
Rob has extensive experience advising clients regarding fiduciary compliance issues, including plan asset and prohibited transaction issues. He also has addressed a myriad of issues related to complex plan investments, including negotiation of separately managed and collective investment vehicles for both traditional and alternative investments, including hedge funds, private equity funds and fund of funds vehicles.
In addition, Rob has advised a wide array of corporate and multi-employer benefit fund clients regarding all issues related to the tax qualification of ERISA-covered plans, including the avoidance and correction of plan qualification defects. He frequently assists clients in addressing issues related to the funding of defined benefit pension plans, including minimum funding requirements and the assessment of withdrawal liability.
Rob has written various articles related to employee benefits and institutional investments. He has also lectured before various groups on a variety of employee benefits issues, including seminars entitled “Retirement Plan Basics,” “Correcting Mistakes In Employee Benefit Plans” and “How To Reduce Your Company's Legal Liability Under ERISA.” He speaks annually before thousands of employee benefits fiduciaries and practitioners at the annual conference sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, the largest educational organization in the employee benefits and compensation industry.