Hancock Whitney Center701 Poydras Street Suite 5000 New Orleans, Louisiana 70139 OverviewRandye Snyder provides consultation, planning and advice on the tax and ERISA aspects of employee benefit plans (pension, profit sharing, 401(k), deferred compensation, health and welfare), executive compensation, equity-based arrangements and incentive compensation programs. She frequently collaborates with other members of the firm on the ERISA and employee benefit aspects of company mergers and acquisitions and other sophisticated business transactions, as well as employee benefit plan mergers, combinations and terminations in general and when arising in connection with company reorganizations. Randye’s clients include both private sector businesses and tax-exempt organizations, which range in size from sole proprietors to companies with thousands of employees. As the head of the Liskow & Lewis employee benefits practice, Randye and her team are involved in all facets of this practice area, including the following:
Designing, drafting and consulting with respect to all types of qualified plans including defined benefit, profit sharing and 401(k) plans
Specifically for our tax-exempt organization clients, working with them on the implementation of their 403(b), 457(b) and 457(f) plans, and in understanding the sometimes complex design and inter-relationship between and among these plans
Assisting companies with the design of executive compensation programs, with focus on “top-hat” deferred compensation plans, phantom equity plans, and supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs); and advising on related 409A compliance issues
Consulting with respect to employee health and welfare benefit plans (including ERISA, Internal Revenue Code, COBRA, HIPAA and the Affordable Care Act compliance) and drafting of related cafeteria plan, flexible benefit plan and umbrella welfare benefit plan documents
Counseling employers in connection with the maintenance and on-going operation of their employee benefit plans, including Internal Revenue Code and ERISA general compliance and new law compliance, and relating to issues involving eligibility and participation, benefits, distributions, benefit claims and QDRO reviews
Advising companies and their plan committees with respect to plan related fiduciary issues, prohibited transactions and ERISA reporting and disclosure
Assisting employer plan sponsors with retirement plan error corrections and submissions under the IRS and Department of Labor voluntary correction programs and representing them in connection with IRS and Department of Labor employee benefit plan reviews and audits
Working with employers, and related review and advice, with regard to their adoption and implementation of financial institution standardized and non-standardized prototype plans
Advising companies with the employee benefit aspects and issues in connection with mergers, acquisitions, sales and other business transactions
Randye also works with the firm’s litigation attorneys in connection with the technical ERISA and employee benefit law aspects of employment and employee benefit plan related litigation. InvolvementProfessional
Louisiana Bar Association - Tax Section - Member
Michigan Bar Association - Emeritus
American Bar Association
Gulf Coast Area TE/GE Council, Internal Revenue Service - Employee Plans sub-group; Past Officer, Member for two terms, current Alumni Member
Association of Employee Benefit Planners of New Orleans - Member since 1987; Vice President, 1995 and 1996; Secretary, 1994; Board Member, 1994 - 1996.
Monroe & Lemann - Former Partner, 1987 - 1998
Landman, Latimer, Clink & Robb, Grand Rapids and Muskegon, Michigan - 1984 - 1986
Touche Ross & Co. (currently Deloitte), Detroit Michigan - Tax consultant and supervisor in Tax Department, 1979 - 1984; Member of the Touche Ross National Employee Benefit Specialty Group
Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan – Adjunct Instructor – Deferred Compensation - 1985
Community
Recognition
New Orleans Magazine’s List of “Top Lawyers,” 2015 - 2019
The Best Lawyers in America, 2006–2021
New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law Award, 2009
Chambers USA - Employee Benefits & Compensation, 2010–2020

PresentationsRandye frequently speaks at educational, seminar or industry programs dealing with a broad range of employee benefits matters. A few representative programs include:
“The Bucket List,” Top Trending Topics in Retirement Plans - LSBA Annual Meeting and LSBA/LJC Joint Summer School, June 6, 2017
“ERISA: What’s Popping” June 10, 2015 – Speaker Presentation at Louisiana Rising, Combined LSBA Annual Meeting and LSBA/LJC Summer School, June 7 – 12, 2015
Panel Participant, "Health Care Reform and Employer Medical Plans," Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association River and Marine Industry Seminar, April 2011
"Employee Benefit Plans: How to Handle with Terminated/Laid-Off Employees and with Employees in an Asset or Stock Sale," Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association River and Marine Industry Seminar, April 2010
"The Katrina Aftermath," Benefits Conference of the South, Atlanta, March 2006
Publications
"Additional Guidance for Coronavirus-Related Distributions and Loans Under the CARES Act," Liskow & Lewis' The Energy Law Blog, July 2, 2020
"Guidance and Relief for Retirement Plans Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic," Liskow & Lewis' The Energy Law Blog, May 26,2020
"COVID-19 Federal Legislative Response," Liskow & Lewis' The Energy Law Blog, March 31, 2020
IRS Announces Plan Loans, Hardship Distributions Relief For Victims Of Hurricane Harvey
Plan Participant Disclosure Rules – Compliance Alert
Pension Protection Act: Looming Deadline and Key Changes for Defined Contribution Plans
After HoursRandye is an avid Big 10 football fan … and in line with her general football enthusiasm, she and her husband have faithfully cheered-on the Saints, watching virtually every game with the same group of die-hard Saints fan friends since moving to New Orleans in 1987. For relaxation, Randye enjoys fictional reading (insisting on “real” print books only, no e-book readers) with a focus on mysteries, especially those set in England in the Victorian era. And when away from the office, visiting with family scattered throughout the U.S., as well as traveling on overseas adventures with her husband Terry, are high on her list. |
|