![Bruce Ashton, Drinker Biddle Law Firm Los Angeles, Employment Benefits Attorney](https://www.natlawreview.com/sites/default/files/styles/author_profile/public/images/ashton_bruce_3621_bio.jpg?itok=6Yfwmry7)
Bruce L. Ashton has more than 35 years of experience handling employee benefits matters. His practice concentrates on representing plan service providers (including RIAs, independent record-keepers, third-party administrators, broker-dealers and insurance companies) in fulfilling their obligations under ERISA. His experience includes representing public and private sector plans and their sponsors, negotiating the resolution of plan qualification issues under IRS remedial correction programs, advising and defending fiduciaries on their obligations and liabilities, and structuring qualified plans, non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements.
Combining his employee benefits and transactional experience, Bruce is also active in the installation and funding of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
More Legal and Business Bylines From Bruce L. Ashton
- FINRA’s Focus on Variable Annuity Switches Continues - (Posted On Monday, February 22, 2021)
- SECURE Act 2.0: Key Provisions Affecting Retirement Plans - (Posted On Tuesday, February 09, 2021)
- Recent State Fiduciary Duty Developments: Eight States Have Proposed or Finalized Best Interest Standards for Annuity Producers - (Posted On Tuesday, February 02, 2021)
- Cybersecurity: A Plan Sponsor Obligation - (Posted On Thursday, January 28, 2021)
- The Second Phase of the SEC’s Reg BI Exams - (Posted On Thursday, January 21, 2021)
- The DOL’s Fiduciary Interpretation and Exemption: Impact on Rollover Recommendations - (Posted On Tuesday, January 12, 2021)
- Documenting Rollover Recommendations: The DOL and SEC Requirements - (Posted On Thursday, November 19, 2020)
- Applicability of Regulation Best Interest to Retirement Plans - (Posted On Monday, October 26, 2020)
- SEC Joint Statement on Form CRS and New FAQs & Upcoming Roundtable - (Posted On Tuesday, October 13, 2020)
- Comparing the DOL Proposal to the Broker-Dealer and RIA Standards of Conduct - (Posted On Monday, October 05, 2020)
Faegre Drinker’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group is a National Law Review Go-To Thought Leader for their in-depth analysis of employer-sponsored retirement plans, health and welfare plans and executive compensation concerns. Topics addressed include executive compensation reporting changes, how rehiring employees could prevent partial plan terminations, and the tax implications and the pitfalls associated with excessive executive compensation paid by tax-exempt organizations. Additionally, Faegre Drinker provided valuable guidance to 401k Plan Sponsors regarding how to help employees during the COVID-19 pandemic under the provisions of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), including changes in participant loan repayments, available increases in loan amounts, and changes in hardship distribution rules. Regular contributors from Faegre Drinker’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group include; Bruce L. Ashton, Mona Ghude, Christine M. Kong, Elizabeth Olson, Monica Novak and Fred Reish.