Alan R. Ross

Experience

Alan Ross is a partner in the Employee Benefits practice group. Prior to attending law school, he worked for 10 years as an employee benefits consultant and manager. His practice now focuses on all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation including qualified retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, health and welfare plans, fringe benefit plans and related issues.

Representative Work

• Represented manufacturing company before the U.S. Department of Labor in protracted audit of 401(k) plan, involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, which was concluded successfully.
• Represented Canadian utility company in a Voluntary Correction Program application involving qualification failures in both 401(k) and money purchase plans for a U.S. affiliate.
• Advised natural gas pipeline company regarding qualification failures in multiple acquired defined benefit pension plans that resulted in complex Voluntary Correction Program submissions.
• Represented public utility in correcting plan document failures in qualified plans and in restating 457(b) plan to comply with IRS final regulations.
• Prepared and submitted determination letter application for cash balance pension plan of Fortune 500 company, and negotiated resolution with the IRS.
• Represented lumber company in restating Employee Stock Ownership Plan and submitting for a favorable IRS determination.
• Advised hedge fund management company regarding ERISA fiduciary obligations involved in making decisions concerning fund managers and service-providers.
• Represented international funeral home company in preparing and implementing policies and procedures to comply with the HIPAA privacy rules with respect to their self-funded health plan for U.S. employees.
• Represented energy company in establishing detailed qualified domestic relations order policies, procedures and forms.

Professional Honors & Activities

• Listed in Best Lawyers in America® (currently: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law), 2013
• Member, Washington State Bar Association, 2000-present
• President, Western Pension and Benefits Conference, Seattle Chapter, 2011-present
• Chair (2010), Vice Chair (2009), Spring Seminar, Western Pension & Benefits Conference, Seattle Chapter
• Program Co-chair, Western Benefits Conference, 2007-2008
• Treasurer, Western Pension & Benefits Conference, Seattle Chapter, 2002-2004

Presentations

• "Single Employer Plan Terminations," ASPPA Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., Nov. 2009
• "New Qualified Default Investment Alternative Regulations," Seattle Pension Roundtable, Nov. 2007
• "The New Adventures of Old 401(k)," Stoel Rives Employment Law Seminar," Oct. 2006
• "Operating as a Fiduciary for Retirement and Welfare Plans," WP&BC Spring Seminar, Apr. 2005
• "Same Sex Marriage and Employee Benefit Plans," Stoel Rives Employment Law Seminar, Nov. 2004

Civic Activities

• Volunteer, Outdoors For All, 2008-2010
• Board of Directors, Queen Anne Little League, 2001-2010
• Treasurer, Roosevelt Football Alliance, 2007-2008

Publications

• Comment, "RICO Rights for ERISA Wrongs: Can Plaintiffs Find Relief Despite ERISA Preemption of State-law Claims?," Washington Law Review, 2000
• Contributing author, Disability Claims Management (Anne D. Leckie & Manjit K. Grewal, eds., 2d ed.), 2002

Education

• University of Washington School of Law, J.D., 2000
  Notes and Comments Editor, Washington Law Review, 1998-2000
• The American College, CLU & ChFC, 1990
• University of Washington, B.A., 1983
• ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate

Admissions

• Washington

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