Leigh C. Riley

Partner

Leigh Riley focuses her practice on employee benefits and executive compensation. In the area of employee benefits, Leigh concentrates on qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) and defined benefit pension plans. In the area of executive compensation, she counsels both private and public companies on establishing and administering all types of executive compensation programs, including stock options, restricted stock, phantom stock arrangements, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, and executive employment agreements. Leigh also routinely works on the benefits aspects of mergers and acquisitions, both on the buy- and sell-side.

Leigh is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. She is also a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice and the Insurance & Reinsurance and Automotive Industry Teams, and she serves as legal counsel to the Firm with respect to its benefit plans. She also is a member of the firm’s Best Self Committee, which provides programs and information to help each individual working at Foley achieve their personal and professional success.

Leigh is the former vice chair of the firm’s Business Law Department and former chair of the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice.

Leigh joined Foley in 1997 after practicing with a Global AmLaw 10 firm.

Awards and Recognition

  • Recognized in Chambers USA for Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits & Compensation (2017-2023)
  • Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2007 – 2023)
  • Named the 2013, 2017, and 2023 “Milwaukee Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers
  • Recognized as one of Wisconsin Law Journal’s “Women in the Law” for her achievement of excellence in employee benefits and executive compensation law, and for her positive influence on other women pursuing legal careers, encouraging women to seek advanced opportunities within the profession (2012)
23 February 2024 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents rPlus Energies in $460M Partnership with Sandbrook Capital

Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal advisor to rPlus Energies, a leading private renewable energy developer, in the formation of its platform-level partnership with Sandbrook Capital, a private investment firm dedicated to transforming the world's energy infrastructure.
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.
17 January 2024 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents Barnes Group in Sale of Associated Spring™ and Hänggi™ Businesses

Foley & Lardner LLP served as legal advisor to Barnes Group Inc., a global provider of highly engineered products, differentiated industrial technologies, and innovative solutions, in its entering into a definitive agreement to sell its Associated Spring™ and Hänggi™ businesses to One Equity Partners.
29 November 2023 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents Mozaic in $20M Series A Funding Round

Foley & Lardner LLP represented Mozaic, a global payment platform for multi-party payouts, in its $20 million Series A funding round led by Volition Capital.
06 November 2023 Article

Webinar Key Takeaways: Feeling Insecure About SECURE 2.0? A Discussion for Retirement Plan Sponsors

SECURE 2.0 significantly changed the legal and administrative compliance landscape for retirement plans. Foley recently hosted a webinar where Leigh Riley, Kathleen Bardunias, and Kelsey O’Gorman discussed key provisions of SECURE 2.0 that will impact your 401(k) and pension plans.
1 November 2023 Events

Feeling Insecure About SECURE 2.0? A Discussion for Retirement Plan Sponsors

SECURE 2.0 significantly changed the legal and administrative compliance landscape for retirement plans. Foley & Lardner’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation team invites you to attend this informative webinar discussing key provisions of SECURE 2.0 that will impact your 401(k) and pension plans as well as providing insights and suggestions for administering your company-sponsored retirement plans in light of these new rules and related best practices.