Partner
201 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70170-5100
504.582.8236 tel
504.582.8012 fax


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Tim Brechtel began his career with the national accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. His current practice focuses on assisting employers with establishing, administering, merging, and terminating qualified retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), as well as nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements under Code Section 409A, health plans, cafeteria plans, severance plans, separation agreements, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, transportation, and other fringe benefit plans. His retirement plan experience includes both defined contribution and defined benefit plans. He is a Board-Certified Tax Specialist as certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization.

Mr. Brechtel reviews plan documents for compliance with applicable laws and drafts plan documents, summary plan descriptions, participant communications, and plan policies and procedures. He assists employers and service providers with establishing appropriate safeguards and procedures for protecting health information in accordance with the privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). He assists employers and employees with the income tax aspects of retirement, welfare, and deferred compensation plan benefits.

Mr. Brechtel assists clients with employee benefits issues in connection with merger and acquisition transactions. He advises benefits committees and human resource personnel on fiduciary duty and prohibited transaction issues, including advice regarding the propriety of proposed transactions and preparing applications to government agencies to avoid penalties and address compliance lapses. He assists employers ranging from sole proprietorships to large multinational corporations.

Mr. Brechtel is the secretary of the SouthWest Benefits Association and a member of the Association of Employee Benefit Planners of New Orleans. He is also active in several local civic organizations, including the Camp Fire USA Greater New Orleans Council and the Benjamin Franklin High School Alumni Association.

Noteworthy

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2011 (Copyright 2010 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC) in the area of Employee Benefits Law
  
• Listed in the 2008 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Employee Benefits/ERISA (also listed in 2007)

News

• CenturyLink/Qwest Deal, Jones Walker Featured in Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer
• Jones Walker Presents Baton Rouge Labor & Employment Seminar
• Jones Walker Represents CenturyLink in $22.4-Billion Acquisition
• Jones Walker Presents Annual Labor & Employment Seminar
• Brechtel Elected to SouthWest Benefits Association's Executive Committee
• Jones Walker, CenturyTel Deal Featured in The American Lawyer

Presentations

• "The Times They Are A-Changing: Change is What the Obama Administration Promised, and Change is What We've Got" (Baton Rouge), June 3, 2010
• "The Times They Are A-Changing: Change is What the Obama Administration Promised, and Change is What We've Got" (New Orleans), March 11, 2010
• "Administrative and Legal Issues in Implementing Wellness Programs", March 6, 2009
• "Legal Issues in Wellness Plans", February 18, 2009
• "In-Depth EPCRS Review", January 10, 2009
• "Loans, Distributions, and Other Times Money Moves", February 22, 2008

Publications

• "Same Benefits for John and Harry as John and Mary?"
  Louisiana Employment Law Letter, March 2005

Memberships

• American Bar Association (Member, Section of Taxation)
• Association of Employee Benefit Planners of New Orleans
• Benjamin Franklin High School Alumni Association (Board Member, Past President)
• Board-Certified Tax Specialist as Certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization (Member, Tax Law Examination Committee, 2005–2006)
• Camp Fire USA Greater New Orleans Council (Board Member, 2003–2010; Treasurer, 2003–2006; Past President)
• Louisiana State Bar Association (Member, Section of Taxation)
• National Center for Employee Ownership
  
• SouthWest Benefits Association (Member, Board of Directors, 2007–2010; Secretary, 2009–2010)