Robert Friedman practices in the area of ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation. Since 1996, he has been the head of the firm's national Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and ERISA Practice Group. Mr. Friedman is also co-chair of the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) Practice Group. His clients include private, non-profit and governmental employers.
He is a frequent speaker on employee benefits, ERISA fiduciary matters and
pension and tax planning. Mr. Friedman’s practice frequently involves working on
matters with Holland & Knight lawyers in other specialty areas, including
securities, investment funds, mergers and acquisitions, labor, employment and
bankruptcy.
Mr. Friedman has extensive experience with all aspects of
benefits work, including the design, qualification and drafting of pension,
401(k), profit sharing and other qualified plans, corporate mergers and
acquisitions and plan transfers, mergers and terminations, fiduciary matters,
executive compensation, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements and
ERISA related litigation. Mr. Friedman’s practice includes representation of
clients in matters with the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and
other governmental agencies.
Mr. Friedman also has been actively
involved with welfare benefit plans, flexible benefit plans and the rules
relating to COBRA continuation coverage under such plans. He has experience with
the design, implementation, operation and communication of welfare benefit
plans, and has been involved with such benefit plans in connection with mergers
and acquisitions, reductions in force and other employee terminations and
layoffs.
In the area of stock option plans, ESOP’s and other forms of
employee ownership, Mr. Friedman’s practice includes developing strategies to
achieve employee ownership, creating individually designed plans, and complying
with the applicable tax and other statutory and regulatory requirements. His
clients in these matters include privately and publicly owned
companies.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight as a partner in
November 1988, he practiced law in New York and Miami.