Arthur T. Phillips

Special Counsel

Arthur T. Phillips

Special Counsel

Arthur Phillips is a special counsel, and he focuses his practice on representing clients with the design and administration of qualified retirement plans, executive compensation arrangements, executive employment agreements, and fringe benefit programs. In addition, Arthur works extensively on corporate mergers and acquisitions by performing diligence on employee benefit and executive compensation matters and post-closing benefit integration strategies.

Arthur’s practice includes considerable experience in fiduciary plan governance procedures and participant disputes through plan claims and appeal procedures. He regularly assists clients through retirement plan operational issues under the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DOL) plan correction programs.

Prior to Arthur’s entering private practice, he served as senior associate general counsel for a private university, as well as vice president of administration and general counsel for one of the country’s largest quick-service franchise companies. Arthur began his career as a tax and benefits consultant at “Big 4” accounting firms.

Affiliations

  • Served on the State Bar of Wisconsin Diversity Outreach Committee
  • Served on the Milwaukee Bar Association Board of Directors.

Presentations and Publications

  • Often writes and presents on the subjects of employee benefits and executive compensation, human resources, employment regulations, and tax matters.
21 February 2024 Legal News: Employee Benefits Insights

Diving Into SECURE 2.0: IRS Issues Guidance to Expand Access to 401(k) Savings for Long-Term Part-Time Employees

In this article, we discuss the proposed regulations that were recently published, covering SECURE 2.0’s expanded access to 401(k) plan savings for certain long-term part-time employees.
07 February 2024 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents Baker Tilly in Connection With Its Strategic Investment Led by Hellman & Friedman

Foley & Lardner LLP represented Baker Tilly, a leading advisory CPA firm, in connection with its strategic investment from private equity firms Hellman & Friedman and Valeas Capital Partners.
19 July 2023 Newsletters

Diving Into SECURE 2.0: Expanding Access to 401(k) Plan Savings for Long-Term Part-Time Employees

In this article, we discuss how SECURE 2.0 expands access to 401(k) plan savings for certain long-term part-time employees.
06 April 2023 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents Novacap in Partnership with Static Media

Foley & Lardner LLP represented Novacap, a leading North American private equity firm, in its partnership with Static Media, an Indianapolis-based company that owns and operates a portfolio of unique and passion-driven digital media brands providing content in food, lifestyle, and media and entertainment.
14 March 2023 Newsletters

Diving Into SECURE 2.0: New Changes Ease Plan Sponsor Administrative Burdens

In this article, we examine certain SECURE 2.0 changes designed to simplify plan administration for sponsors of defined contribution plans (including Code Section 401(k), 403(b) plans, and 457(b) plans) and encourage employees to save for their retirements.
18 May 2022 Newsletters

401(k) Compliance Check #5: Keeping 401(k) Participants Out of the Lost and Found Box

In this month’s 401(k) Compliance Check, we focus on the issue of how to handle a situation where the 401(k) plan is unable to reach a plan participant, i.e., “missing participants.”