The Wagner Law Group | Est. 1996

Nationally-Recognized ERISA Services

Unparalleled Experience With PBGC Matters

The Wagner Law Group has a unique PBGC-Focused Practice Group, with the entire team from Keightley & Ashner, which was the nation’s premier PBGC-focused law firm, having joined The Wagner Law Group in January 2022.  Click here for the testimonials about the lawyers and other professionals who are part of our PBGC-Focused Practice Group.

The knowledge and insight our expanded PBGC team has with respect to PBGC rules, policies, and procedures is simply unparalleled in the industry. In the aggregate, our PBGC team has 165 years of experience working for PBGC, in roles such as Chief Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, Senior Assistant General Counsel for ERISA/Bankruptcy Matters, Assistant General Counsel for Legislation and Regulations, Deputy Manager of PBGC’s Actuarial Services Division, Supervisory Auditor for PBGC’s Plan Termination Insurance Program, and PBGC’s primary program official on benefit policy. Beyond their time working for PBGC, the team members, in the aggregate, have over 100 years of experience in providing legal or other professional services to employers and others facing PBGC issues.

We work with a variety of pension professionals and other clients such as:

  • Employers
  • Consulting and actuarial firms
  • Defined benefit pension plan sponsors
  • Financial institutions
  • Investment banking firms
  • Plan participants

We handle a variety of matters addressed under Title IV of ERISA, including:

  • Standard terminations when the plan has sufficient funds to pay all benefits owed to participants and beneficiaries
  • Distress terminations when the plan has insufficient funds to pay all benefits owed to participants and beneficiaries
  • Involuntary terminations when the PBGC takes over a pension plan to protect participants and beneficiaries
  • Post-plan termination audits
  • PBGC coverage of private-sector defined benefit pension plans
  • PBGC flat-rate and variable-rate premiums
  • Reportable events affecting either the plan sponsor or the plan
  • PBGC annual (4010) filings
  • Participant notices and disclosures
  • Partial and complete withdrawal liability with respect to multiemployer plans
  • Abatement of withdrawal liability
  • Merger and acquisition due diligence regarding PBGC and plan funding status
  • Representing clients before the PBGC

The complexity involved in retirement plans, federal bureaucracy, the PBGC and ERISA cannot be understated. When you need counsel to help you understand the law, enforce your rights and resolve a complex issue, you can rely on our knowledgeable lawyers.

Wagner Law Group is the go-to law firm for difficult issues involving the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Harold Ashner’s and Jon Henkel’s expertise in this area is unmatched. Their guidance has been invaluable in our dealings with the PBGC. They are very responsive and have gone above and beyond for us. They are always willing to educate and help other professionals deal with these issues. Paul Beaudoin, Vice-President of Finance/CFO, Day Kimball Healthcare

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Click here for additional testimonials about our team or here for client testimonials about Keightley & Ashner.

PBGC Blog Highlights From Our Team

Our attorneys frequently blog about PBGC matters and related topics. Here are some of our most popular blogs on the subject:

What Is The PBGC?

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, also called the PBGC, is a federal agency that insures the pensions of more than 33 million private-sector employees in the United States. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 established the PBGC to keep insurance premiums at a minimum and to encourage the prompt payment of retirement benefits.

What Does The PBGC Do?

As a very large entity, the PBGC serves many functions. Primarily, though, it exists to insure retirement benefit plans. There are around 25,000 varieties of defined-benefit plans insured by the PBGC. If a benefits plan terminates without adequate funds to pay the benefits owed to you, the PBGC will cover the benefits up to the federal limit.

Get A Lawyer’s Assistance With PBGC Issues

For exceedingly knowledgeable service related to ERISA and the PBGC, reach out to The Wagner Law Group today. To schedule your initial consultation, please call 617-357-5200 or send us an email.

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