Kelly Pointer

Ms. Kelly Pointer is counsel in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. She serves as a trusted partner by providing technical and practical advice on the design and administration of employee benefit plans. She most typically works with 401(k) and 403(b) defined contribution plans and health and welfare plans.

Ms. Pointer counsels on ERISA and tax code compliance and business considerations in plan design and administration and has experience with all life stages of a benefit plan, from new plan start-ups to termination and wind-down.

Ms. Pointer enjoys partnering with clients and their service providers on developing and implementing new plan features for participants and guiding clients through service provider changes and corporate transactions. She is often responsible for plan documentation and communications, and regularly negotiates recordkeeping and other service contracts.

Ms. Pointer is a regular attendee at retirement committee meetings and helps committees understand and develop processes to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities. She also has expertise in resolution of plan errors, often in close collaboration with the plan’s recordkeepers, consultants and actuaries, and in the preparation of submissions under IRS and DOL voluntary correction programs.

Ms. Pointer’s health and welfare plan experience includes matters related to consumer-driven health arrangements, cafeteria plan requirements, compliance with COBRA, HIPAA privacy and portability, and Health Care Reform. She also works with clients on implementing HIPAA-compliant policies and negotiating Business Associate Agreements. Ms. Pointer is a member of the Gulf Coast Pension Liaison Committee and volunteers with Houston Pets Alive.

Education:

• J.D., Seattle University School of Law, cum laude (2005)
• B.A., Whitman College (1999)