Attorney – Partner
Lisa Dursey
Direct: (602) 661-7785
Office: (602) 282-0313
E-mail: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisadursey/
Lisa Dursey advises employers on the design, administration, and implementation of all types of employee benefits plans. She is passionate about providing comprehensive, easily digestible, and pragmatic advice for her clients. Clients seek her guidance to help them realize the maximum value from their employee benefit programs.
Lisa assists clients with a wide range of benefits matters, including qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, executive compensation programs, health and welfare programs, and other fringe benefit programs. She regularly advises employers on design changes to their benefit plans to address regulatory updates and to optimize the company’s benefit offerings. Lisa is experienced in helping plan sponsors correct operational failures, including through corrective filings with the IRS and Department of Labor when necessary.
Lisa excels in preparing clear and concise plan documentation that facilitates smooth plan administration. Clients also seek her assistance to prepare communications to employees that succinctly explain the employer’s benefit offerings.
She is well positioned to assist companies across all industries, and has recently worked with clients in the healthcare, shipping, transportation, oil and gas, and manufacturing industries, as well as non-profits. She has strong experience with the issues arising in both union and non-union contexts.
Lisa, Kristi and Erwin bring a team approach to each client and each matter, allowing us to apply the necessary knowledge and experience to solve clients’ ERISA and employee benefits-related legal issues as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Building on her extensive experience at leading law firms, Lisa joined ERISA Benefits Law after practicing at Stoel Rives in Seattle and Alston & Bird in New York, where she developed deep expertise in employee benefits law and ERISA compliance. Lisa lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband and two children.
Education and Recognition
- J.D., cum laude, Boston University, 2012
- Dean’s Scholar
- Hennessey Distinguished Scholar
- B.A., with honors, Cornell University, 2008
Admissions and Community Activities
- Member, State Bar of New York
- Member, Board of Directors, Western Pension and Benefits Council– Seattle Chapter (2016-2019)
- Member, Western Pension and Benefits Council (2020-present)
- Member, Steven W. Phillips Tucson Tax Study Group (2020-present)
Representative Clients and Experience
Compliance and Correction
- Guide plan sponsors through self-correction of administrative errors and negotiate compliance statements with the Internal Revenue Service
- Advise state university regarding retirement plan compliance with Internal Revenue Code section 403(b)
- Assist Fortune 500 company with ongoing administration of qualified pension plan ($2 billion fund) covering multiple populations of acquired employees
- Maintain favorable determination letter status and oversee correction of complex administrative errors discovered during post-merger integration
Plan Documentation & Communication
- Prepare comprehensive plan documentation, including plan documents, amendments, and policies
- Create clear employee communications, including summary plan descriptions, summaries of material modifications, and explanatory letters regarding operational error corrections
- Assist in the resolution of benefit claims and appeals, including interpreting plan provisions and preparing analyses for plan administrator review
Fiduciary Services & Governance
- Conduct fiduciary training for corporate executives serving on benefit plan committees
- Develop and revise fiduciary oversight structures for benefit plans
- Review investment policies and negotiate agreements with investment advisors and managers
- Negotiate service agreements with benefit administration firms
- Review and revise executive benefit arrangements to comply with Internal Revenue Code section 409A
Articles and Presentations
- HUB University 2019 Employee Benefits Legal Updates, HUB International & Stoel Rives; Portland, Oregon; Spokane, Bellingham, Washington; Bellevue, Washington; Feb. – March 2019
- Back to School Briefing – Employment and ERISA Issues Impacting Every Employer’s Semester, Stoel Rives Breakfast Briefing Series, Boise, Idaho, Sept. 2017
- Disability Claims and Appeals Pop-Up, Western Pension & Benefit Council– Seattle Chapter, May 30, 2018