Mr. Moderson has more than 30 years experience exclusively in the employee benefits area and is the chair of Dentons' US Pension, Benefits and Executive Compensation practice. Dentons US Pension, Benefits, and Executive Compensation practice was recently ranked as a national Tier 1 ERISA practice by US News and World Reports.
He works with employers (privately and publicly held, governmental, and church) in designing, implementing, and maintaining various employee benefit programs. Mr. Moderson frequently advises clients on participant dispute resolution, including outside a plan's claims process. His employee benefits experience includes qualified retirement plans, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, executive compensation, equity plans, and welfare plans. He has also assisted multinational companies with select international benefits matters.
Mr. Moderson specializes in providing advice to ERISA-governed plan investment and administrative committees. He regularly advises committees on their fiduciary duties under ERISA. Years of attending committee meetings as counsel to the plan's fiduciaries have added to his understanding of plan investment and administrative opportunities. In light of the recent class action fee litigation, Mr. Moderson has guided clients through the restructuring and renegotiation of fee arrangements with outside vendors to ensure satisfaction of committees' fiduciary obligations by having the most advantageous arrangement for plan participants and beneficiaries. He also frequently advises committees with respect to their fiduciary obligations for selection and monitoring of investments, including company stock investments and customized target date and other "white label" funds.
Mr. Moderson is listed in Best Lawyers in America for his work in the area of Employee Benefits. He is a member of the Missouri Bar and the American Bar Association.