Bret is a Shareholder in the firm’s Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits Group. He practices primarily in the areas of employee benefits, deferred compensation and trusts. Prior to entering the private practice of law, he provided plan design and consulting, third-party administration and investment, as well as retirement plan education services for clients.
Bret represents large, medium and small employers with respect to many employee benefit matters, including both single employer and multiple employer qualified retirement plans, deferred compensation and welfare benefit plan matters. A significant portion of his practice involves plan compliance, ERISA fiduciary best practices and plan corrections under IRS and Department of Labor compliance resolution programs. He also represents clients with respect to IRS plan examinations and Department of Labor plan investigations.
Bret is an active member of the Employee Benefits Committee of the Tax Section of Taxation of the American Bar Association, the Tampa Bay Pension Council, the Florida West Coast Employee Benefits Council, and the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO). He is also a past President of the Florida West Coast Employee Benefits Council.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Bret Hamlin
- Summary of CARES Act - (Posted On Sunday, March 29, 2020)
- IRS Issues Guidance for HDHPs and Expenses Related to COVID-19 - (Posted On Friday, March 13, 2020)
- Post-Secure Act, Is Your Special Tax Notice Up to Date? - (Posted On Tuesday, March 10, 2020)
- New Health Reimbursement Arrangements Coming Soon! - (Posted On Monday, December 02, 2019)
- FICA Taxes on Nonqualifed Deferred Compensation Plans - (Posted On Thursday, September 19, 2019)
- IRS Expands Self Correction Program - (Posted On Thursday, August 29, 2019)
- IRS Expands Determination Letter Program for Individually Designed Plans - (Posted On Thursday, August 29, 2019)
- EEOC Ordered to Collect Pay Data from Employers by September 30 - (Posted On Thursday, August 29, 2019)
- IRS Voluntary Correction Program Goes Digital for 2019 - (Posted On Friday, April 19, 2019)
- The Ins and Outs of Retirement Plan Committees - (Posted On Friday, April 19, 2019)
Hill Ward Henderson’s COVID-19 Response Team is recognized as a National Law Review Go-To Thought Leader for their valuable contributions related to the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), and their examination of the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by that legislation. Their thoughtful and thorough analysis of the Paycheck Protection Program including eligibility, loan amounts available, terms and conditions, loan forgiveness, the Safe Harbor Necessity Provision of the PPP, and the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act was very well-read and timed to provide clarity and detailed guidance when it was needed most. In addition to information on the PPP, Hill Ward Henderson’s COVID-19 team addressed other pertinent issues of the CARES Act including direct payments to Americans, extended unemployment insurance, possible delay in paying payroll taxes, the emergency use of retirement funds and other details important to both businesses and individuals. Notable contributing attorneys included Kevin H. Sutton, S. Gordon Hill, Zachary W Watt, Matthew F. Hall, Bret Hamlin, and Kirsten L. Vignec.