Nonprofit organizations need to attract and retain quality staff in order to accomplish their missions and developing effective, valuable employee benefit plans can be one tool to use in achieving that goal. However, given the current economic climate, and new legislative developments, there are important considerations for nonprofit leaders and board members to take into account in putting together employee benefit plans for their staff. Join us for a discussion regarding plan design and compliance issues for employee benefit plans sponsored by nonprofit organizations.

The class will address:

• General legal requirements that apply to employee benefits plans, emphasizing the unique design and compliance issues faced by nonprofit organizations in delivering benefits to their employees
• Medical and other welfare benefits 
• Tax-sheltered annuity plans 403(b) plans, 401(k) plans, pension plans, 457(b) plans, and 457(f) plans
• Recent developments in the tax laws affecting employee benefit programs of nonprofit organizations, including recommended steps for a compliance self-audit

About the instructor: Sarah Sise is a partner in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation group at Bryan Cave LLP.  She regularly counsels clients on matters relating to retirement plans, welfare and fringe benefit plans and executive compensation. With respect to retirement plans, she assists clients with plan design and compliance with the technical provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code, and regularly represents clients in connection with Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor audits and filings.  She assists clients with COBRA administration, HIPAA privacy, security and portability compliance, cafeteria plan design and administration, and welfare plan documentation, including drafting "wrap" documents, health plan documents and summary plan descriptions.

Ms. Sise regularly counsels clients with respect to executive compensation issues by negotiating and drafting of employment, severance and change of control agreements for executives and various types of nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements. Ms. Sise also counsels clients with respect to equity compensation plans providing for stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and other forms of equity compensation.

Ms. Sise is licensed to practice law in both Missouri and Illinois.  Since 2008, she has been listed in the Best Lawyers In America publication in the area of employee benefits.

Ms. Sise is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Public School Retirement System of the City of St. Louis, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Program.