Heidi A. Lyon
- Partner
My admin
- Robin Kidder
industries
practices
- Designing and drafting defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, including 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), 457, ESOPs, cash balance pension plans, and governmental plans.
- Counseling employers and other plan fiduciaries on their duties, including engaging and retaining service providers through an RFP and plan governance issues.
- Providing legal advice and training to fiduciary committees, boards and management teams.
- Implementing cash balance pension plans to facilitate tax-deferred retirement savings in excess of what a standard 401(k) plan allows.
- Coordinating the merger and transition of retirement plans sponsored by a publicly-traded company from multiple recordkeepers and investment service providers to one ne
- Designing and drafting defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, including 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), 457, ESOPs, cash balance pension plans, and governmental plans.
- Counseling employers and other plan fiduciaries on their duties, including engaging and retaining service providers through an RFP and plan governance issues.
- Providing legal advice and training to fiduciary committees, boards and management teams.
- Implementing cash balance pension plans to facilitate tax-deferred retirement savings in excess of what a standard 401(k) plan allows.
- Coordinating the merger and transition of retirement plans sponsored by a publicly-traded company from multiple recordkeepers and investment service providers to one new provider.
- Advising governmental plan sponsors on compliance with the unique framework of state and federal laws applicable to their plans.
- Counseling tax-exempt employers and service providers on the issues raised by the final 403(b) regulations.
- Designing early retirement programs to transition workforces.
- Assisting employers with planning for acquisitions of new subsidiaries with substantially different existing benefit plan arrangements.
- Structuring a plan with different levels of contributions for union and non-union employees at multiple locations within the same organization.
- Reviewing, designing, and drafting non-qualified deferred compensation plans to reward executives and key employees and comply with Code Section 409A.
- Performing preventative plan audits and client training to identify areas of non-compliance and inefficiency.
- “Retirement Plan Update” and “Returning to Normal? Preparing Your Benefit Plans for a Post-Pandemic World,” Warner 2022 HR Seminar In-Person Event, May 4, 2022, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “COVID-19 Updates and Discussion,” 2022 Joint TE/GE Council Employee Plans Annual Meeting, February 24-25, 2022
- “Legal Developments in Human Resources,” Association for Human Resources Management Panel, November 10, 2021, Grand Rapids, Michigan
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- “Retirement Plan Update” and “Returning to Normal? Preparing Your Benefit Plans for a Post-Pandemic World,” Warner 2022 HR Seminar In-Person Event, May 4, 2022, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “COVID-19 Updates and Discussion,” 2022 Joint TE/GE Council Employee Plans Annual Meeting, February 24-25, 2022
- “Legal Developments in Human Resources,” Association for Human Resources Management Panel, November 10, 2021, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “Employee Benefits Webinar Series: Part 2 – Retirement Plan Legal Update,” Warner Webinar, July 14, 2021
- “COVID-19 Issues for Employee Benefit Plans,” Michigan Association of CPSs Virtual Fall Tax Symposium, November 12, 2020
- “Employee Benefits Webinar Series: Part 1 – Retirement Plans: Preparing Your Plan for the New Normal, Year-End, and Beyond,” Warner Webinar, October 27, 2020
- “The New Normal and What’s Next for Retirement Plans,” Warner Webinar, June 11, 2020
- EBSA Practioners Panel, Virtual IRS TE/GE Council Meeting, National Press Club, Washington, D.C., February 27, 2020
- “Employee Benefits Panel,” Warner 2019 HR Executive Panels, September 13, 2019, Traverse City, Michigan
- “Crafting Deferred Compensation Solutions,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 7, 2019, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “Executive Compensation & Other Benefits Guidance,” IRS TE/GE Council Meeting, February 22, 2019, National Press Club, Washington, D.C.
- “Employee Benefits Panel,” Warner 2018 HR Executive Panels, September 20, 2018, Traverse City, Michigan
- “Planning for Change for Benefit Plans,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 3, 2018, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “Section 457(f) Issues,” IRS TE/GE Council Annual Meeting, February 23, 2018, Baltimore, Maryland
- “Myth or Truth: Employee BenefitsPanel,” Warner Labor & Benefits Executive Panels, October 26, 2017, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- “Fiduciary Forum – Legal Review,” West Michigan Fiduciary Forum, October 12, 2017, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“Benefits Myth Busters,”Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 23, 2017, Grand Rapids, Michigan - “Top 5 Practitioner Issues for DOL,” IRS TE/GE Council Annual Meeting, February 24, 2017, Baltimore, Maryland
“Attracting and Retaining Millennials,” Warner Labor & Benefits Executive Panel, October 21, 2016, Traverse City, Michigan - “How to be a smart purchaser of retirement plans,” Radiology Business Managers of Michigan, November 4, 2015
- Labor & Benefits Executive Panel, Warner Seminar, September 30, 2015, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- “Understanding and Overcoming Retirement Plan Fiduciary Challenges,” West Michigan Fiduciary Forum, May 6, 2015
- “Navigating the Retirement Plan Marketplace,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, April 20, 2015, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Employee Benefits/Executive Compensation Panel, Labor and Benefits Executive Panel-Government Enforcement Initiatives, October 23, 2014, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- “Communicating Employee Benefits,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, April 22, 2014, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “Monitoring and Controlling Benefit Costs,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, April 29, 2013, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “New Fiduciary Liabilities for Retirement Plans,” Healthcare Financial Management Association (West MI Chapter) Spring Conference, March 20, 2013, Caledonia, Michigan
- “The Aging Workforce: Navigating the Perfect Storm,” MI-CUPA Annual HR Conference, October 5, 2012, Saginaw, Michigan
- “The Aging Workforce: Navigating the Perfect Storm,” Employment Outlook & Strategy Seminar, October 2, 2012, Birmingham, Michigan
- “An Aging Workforce: Navigating the Perfect Storm,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 2, 2012, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “Retirement Plan RFPs,” Warner Webinar, December 20, 2011
- “Tackling Administration Challenges,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 25, 2011, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “Back to the Basics of 401(k),” Warner Human Resources Seminar, March 23, 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “FAQs About The Division of Retirement Plan Assets,” presented to the GRBA Family Law Section in Grand Rapids, Michigan, February 23, 2011
- “New Compliance Challenges for Employers and Other Plan Fiduciaries” and “Hot Fringe Benefits Issues,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, September 11, 2008, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- “The Legal Aspects of Wellness and Health Plan Compliance,” Health Care Seminar, August 21, 2007, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Warner 2022 HR Seminar In-Person Event
- November HR Legal Panel
- Webinar: Warner Employee Benefits Two-Part Series Retirement Plan Legal Update
- 51 Warner Attorneys Rated 2021 Top Lawyers by Grand Rapids Magazine
- 105 Warner Attorneys Rated Best Lawyers in America©
- Warner Selected as Leading Michigan Law Firm by Chambers USA 2021
- “Avoiding 10 Common Plan Compensation Mistakes,” Employee Benefit Plan Review, Volume 66, Number 9, March 2012
- “For Better or For Worse: The New Determination Letter System For Qualified Retirement Plans,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Volume XXII, Issue 2, Summer 2007
- “Employers Will Soon Be Able To Offer Roth 401(k),” MiBiz West, 11/14/2005
- Coauthor, “Division of Retirement Benefits,” Michigan Family Law (7th ed.), Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
- Upheaval in the World of Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
- “Avoiding 10 Common Plan Compensation Mistakes,” Employee Benefit Plan Review, Volume 66, Number 9, March 2012
- “For Better or For Worse: The New Determination Letter System For Qualified Retirement Plans,” Michigan Tax Lawyer, Volume XXII, Issue 2, Summer 2007
- “Employers Will Soon Be Able To Offer Roth 401(k),” MiBiz West, 11/14/2005
- Coauthor, “Division of Retirement Benefits,” Michigan Family Law (7th ed.), Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
- Upheaval in the World of Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
