Practice Areas:
Employee Benefits
ERISA
Retirement Plans
Health and Welfare Plans
Executive Compensation
Participant Benefit Claims
Employee Stock Ownership plans
Taft-Hartley Fringe Benefit Funds
Estate Planning
Estate Settlement and Probate
Employment Law
warren@fw-pc.com
Warren handles employee benefits law, estate planning, and employment law matters. He is particularly recognized for his work in employee benefits law and represents numerous retirement plans and retirement plan sponsors in Michigan and other states. Warren is immediate past Chair of the Taxation Section of the State Bar of Michigan, past Chair of the Great Lakes Area TE/GE Council (an IRS Employee Plans liaison group), and is a frequent author and speaker on employee benefits issues. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his expertise in employee benefits law for 15 years and was recently named 2012 Ann Arbor Area Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Lawyer of the Year.
When not spending time with his wife, Beth, or his three adult children and granddaughter, Warren pursues a number of other interests, chief of which is his musical training. He is a long-time saxophone student in the jazz combo program at the Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts, Ann Arbor’s non-profit community music school, where he also serves as a volunteer board member.
Biographical Information:
Born Detroit, Michigan
Admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in 1983; Michigan and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1983
U.S. Tax Court, 1986
Education:
University of Michigan (B.A., with high distinction, 1978; J.D., 1982)
Publications/Presentations:
Co-Author: “Qualified Plan Distributions After TRA ’86,” I.C.L.E. October 1987.
“Advantages for Closely-Held Businesses: Target Benefit and 401 (k) Plan Combinations,” Michigan Tax Lawyer. 1989.
Co-Author: “Fringe Benefits,” M.A.C.P.A. September 1991.
“Distributions From Retirement Plans,” State Bar of Michigan Joint Meeting of Estate Planning and Employee Benefits Committees of Section on Taxation. October 1991.
“ERISA § 404(c) Plans: Separating Illusion From Reality,” State Bar of Michigan Tax Section Employee Benefits Committee. May 1994.
“Estate Planning Issues for Qualified Retirement Plan Benefits,” Joint Meeting of the State Bar of Michigan, Tax Section Employee Benefits and Estate Planning Committees. April 1998.
“Safe Harbor 401 (k) Plans,” State Bar of Michigan Tax Section, Employee Benefits Committee. March 1999.
“Required Retirement Distributions Made Simple,” Michigan Bar Journal, Vol. 80: No. 6. June 2001.
“‘Comparability’ Cash Balance: New Life for Small Business Defined Benefit Plans,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Vol XXXI, Issue 3. Fall 2005.
“ESOPs In Trouble,” Great Lakes Area TE/GE Council. June 2009.
Activities & Associations:
Labor and Employment Law Section, American Bar Association.
Taxation Section, American Bar Association.
Probate and Estate Planning Section, State Bar of Michigan.
Labor and Employment Law Section, State Bar of Michigan.
National Center for Employee Ownership.
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Board of Directors, Washtenaw County Estate Planning Council. 1986-1987.
Chairman: Tax Law Section, Washtenaw County Bar Association. 1991-1993.
Labor and Employment Law Section, Washtenaw County Bar Association. 1991-1993.
Probate and Estate Planning Section, Washtenaw County Bar Association. 1991-1993.
Chairman: Taxation Section, Employee Benefits Committee. 2004-2005.
Council Member, Taxation Section. 2005–2013.
Chairman, Taxation Section Council. 2011-2012.
Chair, Great Lakes Area TE/GE Council. 2011-2012.
Board of Directors, Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts, Inc. 2006-2013.
Chair: Board of Directors, Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts, Inc. 2009-2013.
Great Lakes Area TE/GE Council. 2006-present.
Chelsea Community Foundation Committee. 2006-present.
Michigan Chapter Executive Committee, ESOP Association. 2012-present.
Ratings/Peer Recognition:
- Martindale-Hubbel AV Rated.
- AVVO.com “Superb” Rating.
- Selected by peers: Employee Benefits Law, The Best Lawyers of America. 1999-present.
- Michigan Super Lawyers, Employee Benefits Law. 2003-present.
