Robert Flanagan

Mr. Robert P. Flanagan is Chair of the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. He is also Chair of the Seyfarth Shaw Pension Committee. Mr. Flanagan serves as lead legal counsel to many corporations and tax-exempt organizations. He counsels these clients with regard to a wide variety of statutory and regulatory compliance matters, fiduciary governance and third-party contract negotiations.

He specializes in qualified and nonqualified retirement plan governance and investment matters. He also advises his clients on a variety of executive compensation matters. Mr. Flanagan routinely counsels boards of directors, trustees, investment committees, plan administrators, and plan fiduciaries regarding their duties and responsibilities under federal law.

In this role, he assists investment fiduciaries with the legal implications of all aspects of managed investments and financial instruments. His guidance encompasses conflicts of interest, prohibited transactions, proper trust fees and expenses, and dispute resolution. He has also conducted numerous compliance audits and training sessions for investment and administrative committees.

Mr. Flanagan also advises professional investment managers regarding their status as qualified professional asset managers and their duties under federal law for selecting, allocating, recommending, negotiating, monitoring, and the disposition of client investments.

Additionally, Mr. Flanagan counsels his clients on a wide variety of employee benefit plan matters, including the design, drafting, and administration of 401(k) plans, cash balance plans, and traditional pension plans, as well as health and welfare plans.

Mr. Flanagan has extensive experience guiding employers through all stages of the procurement process for large third-party consulting and service contracts, and he has obtained cutting-edge contract terms on behalf of his clients.

Mr. Flanagan has represented clients in disputes and negotiations with the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and related federal litigation. He also assists companies with the employee benefits issues that arise in mergers and acquisitions.

Education:

• J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology (1990)
• B.A., University of Illinois (1987)

Affiliations:

• American Bar Association (Section of Taxation, Pensions Subcommittee)
• American Benefits Council
• Chicago Bar Association
• IRS Great Lakes Area Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) Council