Foley Expands Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Capabilities in Chicago with Addition of Three Attorneys
Foley & Lardner LLP announced today the addition of partners Melissa McGrory and Teresa Napoli and associate Madeline Clasen to its Chicago office. Joining from Sidley Austin LLP, the team further strengthens Foley’s national Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice and enhances the firm’s capabilities in its Health Care & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Innovative Technology Sectors.
Collectively, the team brings more than 40 years of experience advising a broad range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, on complex benefits and compensation matters across the communications services, aerospace and defense, health care, manufacturing, and aviation and transportation industries, including those operating in highly regulated and technology-driven environments.
“Melissa, Teresa, and Madeline are important additions to Foley’s growing corporate platform in Chicago and nationally,” said Daljit Doogal, chairman and CEO. “They bring deep relationships developed over decades of experience across a range of industries, along with capabilities that are increasingly essential to clients navigating complex business, transactional, and workforce-related issues. Their arrival reflects our continued commitment to attracting top talent and building integrated teams across the practices, markets, and sectors where our clients need us most.”
McGrory, Napoli, and Clasen advise employers, plan sponsors, and service providers on the legal, tax, and regulatory aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation programs, including qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, health and welfare arrangements, equity compensation, and employment, retention, and separation matters. They counsel clients on managing legal and financial risk, navigating interactions with government officials, and addressing complex plan designs and error corrections. The group regularly supports fiduciaries in plan governance and has substantial experience addressing benefits and compensation issues that arise in corporate transactions, including post-closing integration.
“Foley provides a strong foundation to best serve our clients. This move offers an exceptional opportunity to join a full-service firm with a proven track record and a clear commitment to strategic growth, including in the employee benefits arena,” said McGrory. “The firm’s highly regarded Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation team and its cross-practice approach will amplify our capabilities and permit us to further grow our practice. We are excited to join the firm and contribute to its continued expansion in Chicago.”
Napoli added, “We were drawn to Foley for many reasons, including the depth of the employee benefits compliance practice, the firm’s extraordinary resources and culture, and its strength in key sectors. We look forward to collaborating with Foley’s talented attorneys to drive results for our clients and to support the momentum of a practice that is increasingly earning recognition on a national stage.”
These strategic hires continue Foley’s expansion of its national Corporate Department and build on strong firmwide momentum, with 13 lateral partner additions since February and seven corporate partners joining over the past two months. Their arrival follows a series of recent corporate hires, including employee benefits partner Shannon Goff Kukulka in Nashville, transactions partners Ashley Sinclair in Chicago and Heather Miles in New York, and transactions and finance partners Deanna Reitman and Glenn Reitman in Houston.
About Foley & Lardner LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP is a preeminent law firm that stands at the nexus of the Energy & Infrastructure, Health Care & Life Sciences, Innovative Technology, and Manufacturing Sectors. We look beyond the law to focus on the constantly evolving demands facing our clients and act as trusted business advisors to deliver creative, practical, and effective solutions. Our 1,100 lawyers across 27 offices worldwide partner on the full range of engagements from corporate counsel to intellectual property work and litigation support, providing our clients with a one-team solution to all their needs. For nearly two centuries, Foley has maintained its commitment to the highest level of innovative legal services and to the stewardship of our people, firm, clients, and the communities we serve.
