Andrew C Liazos

Practice Areas

Partner Andrew C. Liazos is the global chair of McDermott’s Benefits & Compensation Practice Group and has practiced at McDermott for over twenty-five years.

Andrew is a nationally recognized leader representing boards and senior executives on significant, multi-disciplinary compensation and benefits related matters, with an emphasis on plan design, practice before regulators, litigation and governance. Chambers USA reports that Andrew is a “first-rate lawyer” and an “excellent, top-notch leader in his field.” Best Lawyers reports from clients that “Andrew’s responsiveness to problems is unequaled,” he “provides the utmost customer service,” “working with him is a great experience,” and that he has “a practical approach to issues.”

Andrew has held several leadership positions within the American Bar Association for over two decades, including serving as the chair of the Section of Taxation’s Employee Benefits Committee. He is the current co-chair for the American Law Institute’s Annual Symposium on Executive Compensation and a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, which recognizes lawyers who have made significant contributions to advance the employee benefits field for at least twenty years.

Andrew is a frequent speaker and the author of numerous articles on executive compensation and employee benefit issues for publications as Bloomberg Tax, Tax Notes, the Benefits Law Journal, CFO Magazine and Fortune. Andrew has also frequently submitted comments on behalf of trade associations and clients, including proposed tax regulations and securities law rules.

View more at: https://www.mwe.com/en/team/l/liazos-andrew-c

Professional Memberships

Andrew is a leader within the American Bar Association, where he is the current Vice Chair of the Employee Benefits Committee of the Section of Taxation and the Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Employee Benefits National Institute on Executive Compensation. Andrew is a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, which recognizes attorneys who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the employee benefits field for at least twenty years.

American Law Institute, Faculty Member; American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, Fellow, 2011 – 2016; Pension Action Center, board member; Benefits Law Journal, Editorial Board Member.

Personal

Suffolk University Law School, JD, cum laude, Tax Moot Court, 1990;

University of Massachusetts Amherst, BS, cum laude, Phi Kappa Phi, 1987.

Work Highlights

Successfully defended a health system and plan fiduciaries against alleged breaches of ERISA fiduciary duties regarding investment options and plan expense in a class action complaint through a bench trial and an appeal to the 10th Circuit

Representing Schneider Electric in a class action 401(k) lawsuit alleging that investment options were improper and that plan fees were unreasonable – U.S. District Court for Massachusetts has dismissed with prejudice duty of loyalty and prohibited transaction claims

Representing Genentech, Inc. and other alleged fiduciaries in a class action 401(k) lawsuit alleging that investment options were improper and that plan fees were unreasonable – U.S. District Court for N. Cal. dismissed with prejudice all claims for breach of fiduciary duty due to the plan’s investment options

Secured dismissal of breach of fiduciary duties claims in U.S. District Court alleged by minority shareholders of Demoulas Supermarkets related to losses associated with $50 million Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investments