Akerman today announced the continued expansion of its national Tax Practice Group with the arrival of Gary Blachman as a partner in the firm’s Chicago office. Gary brings more than 25 years of experience advising on employee benefits, executive compensation, and tax compliance for public and private companies nationwide.
Gary's arrival reflects Akerman’s ongoing investment in the strategic growth of its Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation team and enhances the firm’s capabilities in guiding clients through the increasingly complex regulatory environment surrounding retirement plans, health and welfare programs, and executive pay.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gary to our growing and dynamic employee benefits and executive compensation practice,” said David Blum, Co-Chair of Akerman’s Tax Practice Group. “Gary brings decades of experience in counseling clients through all phases of plan design, administration, and regulatory scrutiny, as well as transactional advisory."
Gary is a skilled employee benefits and executive compensation lawyer, counseling companies to mitigate financial and legal risks by developing best practices in corporate governance and compliance policy. His practice includes the design and implementation of executive incentive compensation programs and compliance with Code Section 280G, 409A, 162(m) rules and other cash and equity incentive plans. He also represents employers in the design, implementation, and administration of tax-qualified retirement plans (defined benefit pension plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, and 457(b) plans); M&A-related benefits strategy; fiduciary governance; HIPAA and ACA compliance; data security; and ongoing welfare plan compliance. His experience with IRS and U.S. Department of Labor audits includes negotiating settlements and voluntary correction programs.
Before entering private practice, Gary served as a consultant and in-house counsel for an independent human resources and employee benefits solutions firm. In this role, he provided guidance on federal tax, pension, and health and welfare law issues, designed and maintained various retirement and compensation plans, and negotiated compliance matters with the IRS and U.S. Department of Labor. Earlier in his career, Gary worked as a pension investigator with the U.S. Department of Labor, where he investigated prohibited transactions and fiduciary violations and conducted civil investigations and financial audits of corporations and banks sponsoring 401(k) plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and other qualified pension and welfare plans.
Gary is a contributing editor to Employee Benefits Plan Review and Plan Consultant magazine and has held numerous leadership roles with the American Retirement Association and the IRS Great Lakes TE/GE Council.
With the arrival of Gary, headcount in Chicago has reached 52 lawyers with litigation and transactional strengths in a range of practices and client sectors, including financial services, land use and real estate, M&A and private equity, labor and employment, healthcare, intellectual property, bankruptcy and reorganization, tax, and white collar crime and government investigation matters.
About Akerman
Founded in 1920, Akerman is recognized as one of the country’s premier law firms, with more than 700 lawyers in 25 offices throughout the United States.