Department profile
Ivins, Phillips & Barker

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

USA Guide 2026 : District of Columbia

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Ivins, Phillips & Barker

Rankings

About

Provided by Ivins, Phillips & Barker

In an age of mega law firms and consolidation, IPB remains one of the few independent tax and employee benefits specialty law firms. We continue to thrive because we focus on:

  • Unbiased Representation. 
  • Service. 
  • Partnership. 
  • Flexibility. 

AREAS OF BENEFITS & COMPENSATION PRACTICE:

·        Retirement Plans

·        Payroll Tax & Fringe

·        Executive Compensation

·        Plan Investments

·        Health and Welfare Plans

·        Vendor Contracting & HR Outsourcing

·        Mergers & Acquisitions

·        ERISA Litigation

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation - District of Columbia

Band 3

What the Team is Known For

Ivins, Phillips & Barker is a prominent boutique in the tax and employee benefits and executive compensation market, recognized for its representation of some of the largest and most prestigious employers, including many Fortune 100 companies. The group is highly respected for its provision of robust assistance on issues such as executive compensation, pension plan derisking, cash balance design as well as both nonqualified and qualified plans. The team also offers expertise in fringe benefits, fiduciary issues and vendor negotiations.

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Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • IPB advised most European football clubs in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 on U.S. federal employment and payroll tax treatment for payments to players and delegation members.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • The team is thoughtful, creative and practical in its advice, It is also super responsive and keeps me in the loop.

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

  • The team at Ivins, Phillips & Barker is incredibly knowledgeable in its understanding of ERISA regulations.

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

  • Other law firms just say, 'this is the only way to do it', but IPB provides options, as not everything is black and white, along with the pros and cons of each option.

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

  • The attorneys exhibited deep knowledge of the available products and showed great creativity.

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

  • Ivins, Phillips & Barker's attorneys have a great depth of knowledge of benefits law and vast experience in how to interpret and apply the law to business matters.

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Jodi Epstein
    Jodi Epstein

    Jodi Epstein

    Jodi Epstein offers particular expertise in advising on qualified and nonqualified benefit plans.

    • She provides realistic business-minded advice and intellectually she operates at the highest level while being business-friendly.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • Jodi is very detail-oriented, responsive to our needs, and provides thorough explanations of our options and any precautions we should take.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • We have been very impressed with Jodi's knowledge and advice. She maintains contact during periods of time we are not directly working with her, which we very much appreciate.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA
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  • Kevin O'Brien
    Kevin O'Brien

    Kevin O'Brien

    Kevin O'Brien provides advice on high-level plan design, administration, compliance issues and pension risk transfers.

    • Kevin's experience comes through in the matters that he works on. His knowledge of the historical law and changes is invaluable.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA
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  • Steven Witmer
    Steven Witmer

    Steven Witmer

    Steven Witmer is an experienced adviser for preeminent clients on a range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, including those arising out of corporate transactions.

    • He is very adept at explaining complicated legal matters to non-attorneys and is an excellent negotiator.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • His ability to distill technical issues into actionable guidance saved time and ensured we remained compliant throughout the audit cycle.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • Steve provides the total package of service, knowledge, responsiveness, partnership and collaboration.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • Steve is a valued business partner.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • He has a strong ability to translate complex legal matters into plain language, making information accessible and actionable for all stakeholders.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA
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  • Spencer Walters
    Spencer Walters

    Spencer Walters

    Spencer Walters has expertise in all aspects of US retirement plan design and administration, as well as tax matters. He is well-versed in cross-border issues.

    • Spencer does a wonderful job with his research, laying out the facts and assisting with the development of the best strategy/decisions for our organizational needs.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • He has done outstanding work, demonstrating deep technical expertise. His involvement has been thorough, strategic and impactful.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • Spencer is thoughtful, creative and practical in his advice.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA
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  • Benjamin L Grosz
    Benjamin L Grosz

    Benjamin L Grosz

    Ben Grosz focuses on employee benefits, executive compensation, and U.S. federal tax compliance for global clients.

    • Ben draws on his past experience in the industry to inform his advice.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • Ben was a very effective communicator and team player.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA

    • Ben has been instrumental in asking pertinent questions and looking at all facets of our options to guide us to reasonable decisions.

      Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation respondentUSA
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Ranked Individuals at Ivins, Phillips & Barker (5)

District of Columbia

  • Profile image of Jodi Epstein

    Jodi Epstein

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

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  • Profile image of Kevin O'Brien

    Kevin O'Brien

    Head of Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

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  • Profile image of Steven Witmer

    Steven Witmer

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

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  • Profile image of Spencer Walters

    Spencer Walters

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

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  • Profile image of Benjamin L Grosz

    Benjamin L Grosz

    Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

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Members

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