Dominic DeMatties Joins Thompson Hine’s Washington Office
Thompson Hine LLP is pleased to announce that Dominic DeMatties has joined the firms Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (EBEC) practice, based in Washington D.C. His addition further strengthens the firms well-respected EBEC and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) practices.
Thompson Hine LLP is pleased to announce that Dominic DeMatties has joined the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (EBEC) practice, based in Washington D.C. His addition further strengthens the firm’s well-respected EBEC and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) practices. In addition to extensive private practice experience, he previously worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Benefits Tax Counsel. He is a sought-after and frequent speaker on a wide range of ERISA and tax issues related to employee benefit plans and is frequently quoted in articles and trade publications.
“Dominic was at the center of significant rulemaking and policy discussions related to retirement plans, employee stock ownership plans and executive compensation at the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Benefits Tax Counsel,” said Washington D.C. Partner in Charge David Wilson. “He has a unique expertise in ESOPs and multiemployer plans, which complements the firm’s industry leading EBEC practice. Our clients will benefit from his deep knowledge of policy, legislation and regulation for practical advice on crucial benefits and compensation issues.”
DeMatties focuses on providing legal consultation regarding the design, implementation and administration of a wide range of employee benefit programs, with an emphasis on tax-qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements. He has significant practical and policy experience related to defined contribution and defined benefit plans, specifically those that provide for shared risk such as cash balance plans and variable annuity plans. Dominic also has extensive experience assisting clients with the design and implementation of defined benefit risk transfer transactions, such as bulk lump sum offers and annuity purchase transactions, as well as with navigating cutting-edge questions such as plan fiduciary obligations under ERISA with respect to protection of retirement plan data.
As an attorney-advisor in the U.S. Treasury’s Office of the Benefits Tax Counsel, Dominic helped develop and implement retirement plan policy and guidance. His work concentrated on ESOPs, hybrid pension plans, governmental plans, 409A, 457(f), nondiscrimination, multiemployer plans and defined benefit plans generally. His work included close collaboration with attorneys from the Office of Chief Counsel at the IRS, IRS actuaries, as well as professionals at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) and the Department of Labor. Dominic played a leading role in developing regulations and guidance that led to the implementation of the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014 and providing legal advice to the team that analyzes applications received under the law.
DeMatties frequently represents clients before government agencies that regulate employee benefit plans, including private letter ruling requests, comment letters and other stakeholder meetings regarding regulatory and policy issues. He also has extensive experience representing clients in connection with investigations, audits and similar inquiries related to their benefit plans brought by the Department of Labor, IRS and PBGC.
DeMatties also spent six years in Chicago, where he was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis before joining Treasury and has strong ties to the Chicago EBEC and ESOP communities.
“Joining Thompson Hine allows me the opportunity be a part of a strong cohesive, well-respected employee benefits practice group with a leading ESOP practice,” said DeMatties of his decision to move to the firm. “Another major attraction was the firm’s culture and its focus on innovation in changing the delivery of the legal services model, particularly the focus on efficiency, transparency and predictability. My clients will benefit greatly from this platform.”
This announcement falls on the heels of the recent high-profile additions to the Washington office who also have significant government experience. Thompson Hine recently announced the additions of White Collar partner Joan Meyer, a former federal prosecutor, and transportation safety team Timothy H. Goodman, former NHTSA Assistant Chief Counsel for Litigation and Enforcement, and William L. Godfrey, former NHTSA Division Chief.
DeMatties further strengthens the firm’s leading practice which is regularly recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University, his M.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology and his B.A. from State University of New York at Geneseo.
About Thompson Hine LLP. Thompson Hine LLP, a full-service business law firm with approximately 400 lawyers in 8 offices, was ranked number 1 in the category “Most innovative North American law firms: New working models” by The Financial Times and was 1 of 7 firms shortlisted for The American Lawyer’s inaugural Legal Services Innovation Award. Thompson Hine has distinguished itself in all areas of Service Delivery Innovation in the BTI Brand Elite, where it has been recognized as one of the top 4 firms for “Value for the Dollar” and “Commitment to Help” and among the top 5 firms “making changes to improve the client experience.” The firm’s commitment to innovation is embodied in Thompson Hine SmartPaTH® – a smarter way to work – predictable, efficient and aligned with client goals. For more information, please visit ThompsonHine.com and ThompsonHine.com/SmartPaTH.
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