July of 2020 was a busy month for national boutique ERISA law firm Hall Benefits Law. Expanding its efforts to recruit and build top talent to best serve its clients, Hall Benefits Law added Compliance Counsel Keely Collins to its growing team of attorneys and bid adieu to J.D. Candidate Allison Richter after her completion of the Firm's inaugural HBL Summer Intern Program.
Keely Collins, who joined the Firm as Compliance Counsel mid-month, brings expertise in the area of Employee Benefits and Compensation, partnering with clients of all sizes to prepare them for external regulatory audits, represent them in board meetings, develop and manage bespoke employee benefits and compensation plans, and provide general and pension counsel. In addition to those responsibilities, Keely works directly with Lead ERISA Counsel Robert Forman to help provide counsel to clients who use the Firm's pre-approved retirement plan document.
Principal Attorney Anne Tyler Hall responded to the hire with enthusiasm, "Keely adds a depth of legal compliance experience and professionalism to the HBL team. She embodies HBL's core value of providing exceptional work product and service for our clients, and she goes above and beyond to fulfill that mission. Keely is a welcome addition to the team and brings incredible passion to her role as Compliance Counsel here at Hall Benefits Law. With her drive to help businesses with their legal compliance needs, Keely is sure to provide additional value to every client she works with."
As Keely Collins finished her first few weeks with the Firm, Allison Richter was wrapping up a successful summer internship. Allison joined the program in June and worked closely with the legal team for two full months before heading back to Washington, D.C. for her second year at the George Washington University Law School. She assisted Hall Benefits Law team members with projects spanning a variety of topics, including health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, and executive compensation. She also worked closely with the Firm's attorneys to research regulations, analyze client issues, and draft memoranda, including articles for publication.
Ken Beaver, who took on the role of COO earlier this year and helped to create the program, commented on the goal of the internship, "Our summer Intern program is designed to provide law school students with an experience that will prepare them for a career as an ERISA attorney in a private law firm. A focus on professional development is one of our core values, and why not start that professional development as early as possible, while the attorney-to-be is still in law school?"
Principal Anne Tyler Hall also weighed in on the Firm's first intern, specifically highlighting Allison's direct contributions over the summer: "Allison's commitment and dedication to becoming an excellent ERISA practitioner has been evident in her work ethic and work product, most recently leading an internal education session on plan sponsor pitfalls relative to COBRA notices and changes to e-disclosure rules."
About Hall Benefits Law
Hall Benefits Law is an ERISA and employee benefits law firm comprised of experienced, responsive attorneys who are passionate about proactive counsel for business clients. Team members share a common goal found in the Firm's mission statement:
Hall Benefits Law will stand at the forefront of ERISA compliance by providing the highest quality guidance and responsiveness in the country. Our preeminent team of attorneys, strengthened by our collaborative and supportive culture, will efficiently identify and mitigate all client liabilities.
Strategically designed, legally compliant benefit plans are the cornerstone of long-term business stability and growth, and as such, HBL provides comprehensive legal guidance on benefits in M&A, ESOPs, executive compensation, health and welfare benefits, and retirement plans.
In a less-than two-year period Hall Benefits Law has saved its plan sponsor clients more than $60 million in compliance penalty abatement, and with its proactive approach to ERISA legal compliance, the Firm is helping to create successful outcomes for employee benefits plans around the country.
Learn more about Hall Benefits Law at www.hallbenefitslaw.com
