Robert J Friedman

Practice Areas

Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Labor, Employment and Benefits, ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plans), Public Companies and Securities and Corporate Services

Career

Robert Friedman is a partner and practices in the area of ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation. His clients include private, nonprofit and governmental employers as well as corporate executives. He is a frequent speaker on employee benefits, ERISA

fiduciary matters arising in connection with the investment of benefit plan assets 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, ESOPs 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. Mr. Friedman's practice also includes advising financial institutions and fiduciaries in connection with investments of plan assets, structuring alternative investments with IRAs, and prohibited transactions.