Cohen & Buckmann, P.C.

Cohen & Buckmann, P.C. Cohen & Buckmann, P.C. The firm represents clients throughout North America and the world.

is a law firm that focuses on Executive Compensation, Pension & Benefits, Corporate Law, Investment Adviser Law, and Labor & Employment Law.

Many employers are reducing employee benefits as costs rise, economic uncertainty continues and the labor market shifts....
06/03/2026

Many employers are reducing employee benefits as costs rise, economic uncertainty continues and the labor market shifts.

Co-founding partner Carol Buckmann spoke with Law360 reporter Kellie Mejdrich about cutbacks, including reductions in 401(k) offerings, reducing voluntary benefits to avoid litigation and healthcare spending. She also cautioned employers not to rush to reduce 401(k) contributions.

Read the article here (subscription required): https://www.law360.com/articles/2482949/cuts-to-benefits-come-with-risks-for-employers-attys-say

Alternative investments for 401(k) plans are moving from theoretical discussion to active consideration, now that the De...
06/01/2026

Alternative investments for 401(k) plans are moving from theoretical discussion to active consideration, now that the Department of Labor has proposed a safe harbor framework for 401(k) fiduciaries evaluating plan investments, including alternative investments.

On June 10 from 3:30 - 5 p.m. ET, Carol Buckmann will join Josh Lichtenstein and Jon Reinstein of Ropes & Gray for a live New York chapter presentation and webinar with the Worldwide Employee Benefits Network examining the proposal and its implications for fiduciary decision-making.

Register here: https://www.webnetwork.org/events/webinar-alt-investments/register

Birthdays have a way of prompting reflection. To mark our 10th anniversary, we’re sharing 10 lessons from 10 years in pr...
05/26/2026

Birthdays have a way of prompting reflection. To mark our 10th anniversary, we’re sharing 10 lessons from 10 years in practice.

Lesson #3: Expect change — and make sure your plan can flex with it.

Regulatory stability can’t be assumed. Over the past decade, we’ve seen just how much the landscape can shift. Changes in presidential administrations brought waves of proposed, adopted, challenged and reintroduced rules, turning fiduciary standards into a moving target.

Navigating that uncertainty required more than technical compliance. Boards and plan sponsors have needed durable frameworks that allowed them to adapt without starting from scratch each time priorities shifted.

The takeaway applies also to building a law firm that will last: create structures that withstand change, not just the rule of the moment.

To terminate or not to terminate? That is the question when a buyer acquires a company with a 401(k) plan. The answer de...
05/21/2026

To terminate or not to terminate? That is the question when a buyer acquires a company with a 401(k) plan. The answer depends on the deal, the parties and the plans.

Buyers generally have three options: terminate the target’s plan before closing, continue it on a standalone basis after closing, or eventually merge it into the buyer’s own 401(k) plan. But as Victoria Zerjav explains, timing and transaction structure matter. If no affirmative decision is made, the default path is continuation, and unwinding that decision later can be complicated.

Read Victoria’s explanation of how to approach a target company’s 401(k) plan in an M&A transaction: https://cohenbuckmann.com/insights/what-buyers-should-do-with-a-targets-401k-plan-key-decisions-for-buyers

Plaintiffs challenging investment and fee decisions in defined contribution plans may soon face a higher bar, as the U.S...
05/13/2026

Plaintiffs challenging investment and fee decisions in defined contribution plans may soon face a higher bar, as the U.S. Supreme Court and Department of Labor are weighing how “meaningful benchmarks” should be applied in ERISA litigation.

Carol Buckmann explained in a recent Pensions & Investments article that the court could place greater emphasis on apples-to-apples comparisons when evaluating claims involving plan investments and performance. Clearer standards could curb lawsuits arising from selective performance comparisons rather than failure to follow a prudent fiduciary process.

“If there’s no meaningful benchmark, plaintiffs can cherry-pick data,” Carol said. “Lawsuits shouldn’t be fishing expeditions.”

The DOL is also proposing guidance that would encourage plan fiduciaries to compare investments against more similar benchmarks when evaluating performance and making investment decisions.

Read the article here (subscription required): https://www.pionline.com/institutional-investors/defined-contribution/pi-dol-erisa-supreme-court-alternatives-private-equity-intel-parker-hannifin/

Congratulations to Sherrone Torres, who graduated with The Atlanta Women's Foundation’s (AWF) Inspire Atlanta class of 2...
05/12/2026

Congratulations to Sherrone Torres, who graduated with The Atlanta Women's Foundation’s (AWF) Inspire Atlanta class of 2026! Sherrone and her class of 31 other corporate professional women celebrated a record-setting campaign that raised a collective $800,000 for local organizations furthering the AWF’s mission to be forces of change in the lives of women and girls in metro Atlanta.

Inspire Atlanta brings together leaders who are committed to being catalysts for change in addressing economic instability through fundraising, shared learning and meaningful connection.

This cause is especially meaningful to Sherrone, whose own experience growing up in Baltimore shaped her understanding of how access, opportunity and community support can change the trajectory of a person’s life. We’re proud to celebrate her commitment and are grateful to the AWF for advancing this important work.

Multinational companies are expanding equity incentives beyond the traditional scope of full-time executives.At the Inte...
05/11/2026

Multinational companies are expanding equity incentives beyond the traditional scope of full-time executives.

At the International Pension & Employee Benefits Lawyers Association (IPEBLA) conference in Dublin on May 19, Victoria Zerjav will join Katherine Neal of Harneys and Peter Wehner of A&O Shearman for a discussion on how companies are approaching share-based incentives for everyone from non-executive directors to influencers and digital creators.

The panel, “Executive compensation: The evolution of equity participation: from employees to influencers,” will explore the questions that come with expanding ownership models beyond traditional employee groups.

If you’ll be attending IPEBLA, be sure to catch the session on May 19 from 9:20 to 10:05 a.m. CET.

Add the panel to your schedule: https://web.cvent.com/event/a1f3e88b-cdf9-4b75-9192-6a68cf8247d6/websitePage:5465603b-bd73-499f-aa9a-e155152f0f8a?session=81d57e4d-f743-45d5-87fd-233f8ec56f1d

Cyber threats targeting retirement plans are increasing, and the responsibility to manage that risk falls on plan sponso...
04/27/2026

Cyber threats targeting retirement plans are increasing, and the responsibility to manage that risk falls on plan sponsors and fiduciaries.

At the Plan Sponsor Council of America’s National Conference on May 4, Gretchen Harders will explain how to better protect participant data, alongside panelists Stephen McCaffrey and David Ogg.

Victoria Zerjav will also be attending. If you’ll be in St. Louis for the conference, be sure to say hello!

Add the panel to your schedule: https://www.psca.org/events/PSCA-National/

Negotiating executive agreements in private companies means balancing competing legal, tax and business priorities, ofte...
04/22/2026

Negotiating executive agreements in private companies means balancing competing legal, tax and business priorities, often with very different views of what “fair” looks like.

Sandra Cohen and Jean McLoughlin of Paul Weiss will negotiate an executive agreement before an audience, sharing practical insights into the recruitment challenges companies and executives face, as part of the Practising Law Institute (PLI) panel, “Negotiating Executive Agreements in the Private Company Space: A Ringside Seat,” on April 30 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

The panel is part of PLI’s day-long program, "Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company 2026: Pay, Performance, and Perspectives."

Register to attend online or in person in New York: https://www.pli.edu/programs/cool-compensation-considerations-for-the-private-company/440466

In our 10 years at Cohen & Buckmann, we have learned that great lawyers are better advisors when they bring their full l...
04/21/2026

In our 10 years at Cohen & Buckmann, we have learned that great lawyers are better advisors when they bring their full lives to their work.

Lesson #2: Flexibility makes better advisors.

Not long ago, especially for women in the profession, mentioning life outside the office was often discouraged. Professionalism meant keeping those parts of yourself separate from work.

That culture has changed for the better.

At Cohen & Buckmann, autonomy and flexible schedules allow our lawyers to pursue passions, family commitments and interests beyond the practice of law. Those experiences don’t detract from the work. When lawyers show up as their full selves, they strengthen their relationships with colleagues and clients.

The takeaway: the most effective lawyers aren’t just legal advisors. They’re people.

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