Adam Braun is a Partner in St. Louis, and he advises clients on compensation and employee benefits matters, particularly in the context of mergers and acquisitions. He counsels public and private companies on the design, drafting and operation of equity-based compensation plans and programs, employment, severance, retention and change in control agreements and other deferred compensation arrangements. He also assists his clients in navigating the tax, ERISA, securities law and accounting implications of those plans, programs and arrangements.

Adam represents clients on corporate governance and compliance matters, including disclosures regarding executive and director compensation arrangements in proxy filings. He negotiates employment agreements for executives and companies and provides guidance on tax-qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans.

Recent Articles & Comments

This ruling is concerning for ERISA plan sponsors and fiduciaries. Next steps—which include a ruling on how the Court should calculate damages, and almost certainly an appeal—bear close watching. 

In the Opinion, Judge O'Connor states that the Defendant fiduciaries acted prudently and "according to prevailing industry practices"—but even so, they breached their duty of loyalty to plan participants by not monitoring their investment managers in their exercise of their delegated…