Brian W.Barrett
Senior Counsel
Employee Benefits
bbarrett@seyfarth.com
Brian helps employers find practical solutions to business needs relating to employee benefits, and assists them in complying with the unique laws governing employee benefit rights during and following military leave.
More About Brian
Clients look to Brian to help them find comprehensive solutions to all aspects of maintaining qualified retirement plans, beyond the mere legal qualifications. This includes vendor management and negotiations, proactive design choices, and keeping abreast of potential ERISA litigation developments. Brian also assists employers and plan sponsors in navigating the complex framework of legal requirements applicable to employees who perform military service.
Brian has experience in a broad range of employee benefits issues—counseling clients on qualified retirement and welfare plan matters regarding plan administration, fiduciary responsibility, claims procedures, and disclosure requirements. He has also handled executive compensation and executive severance matters.
Before starting his legal practice on employee benefits, Brian spent several years in Seyfarth's employment law practice group, focusing on class-wide discrimination claims and ERISA litigation. This experience has led him to evaluate ERISA and military leave matters with a holistic approach, combining compliance and counseling viewpoints along with litigation-avoidance strategies.
Brian has also advised major clients on both employment and employee benefits aspects of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) for more than a decade, and represented clients at both the DOL level and in complex, class action USERRA litigation.
When asked what he loves most about working at Seyfarth, Brian said, "It's enjoyable to work with a group of attorneys who are so capable, and base their approach to practicing law on making their clients happy."
Brian has experience in a broad range of employee benefits issues—counseling clients on qualified retirement and welfare plan matters regarding plan administration, fiduciary responsibility, claims procedures, and disclosure requirements. He has also handled executive compensation and executive severance matters.
Before starting his legal practice on employee benefits, Brian spent several years in Seyfarth's employment law practice group, focusing on class-wide discrimination claims and ERISA litigation. This experience has led him to evaluate ERISA and military leave matters with a holistic approach, combining compliance and counseling viewpoints along with litigation-avoidance strategies.
Brian has also advised major clients on both employment and employee benefits aspects of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) for more than a decade, and represented clients at both the DOL level and in complex, class action USERRA litigation.
When asked what he loves most about working at Seyfarth, Brian said, "It's enjoyable to work with a group of attorneys who are so capable, and base their approach to practicing law on making their clients happy."
- JD, University of Virginia School of Law
- BA, Miami University
Summa cum laude
- Illinois
- US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- US District Court, Central District of Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Indiana
Blogs
Related News & Insights
-
Legal Update
Feb 2, 2023
San Francisco Employees Now Entitled To Differential Pay For Military Leave
-
Legal Update
Aug 28, 2019
DOL Clarifies Employers’ Retirement Plan Obligations Under USERRA
-
Legal Update
Aug 28, 2019
DOL Clarifies Employers’ Retirement Plan Obligations Under USERRA
-
Legal Update
Jan 10, 2018
DOL’s New Disability Plan Claims Regulations to Become Effective
- Human Resources Management of Chicago (HRMAC)
- Co-Author, "San Francisco Employees Now Entitled To Differential Pay For Military Leave," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 2, 2023)
- Author, "DOL Clarifies Employers’ Retirement Plan Obligations Under USERRA," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (August 28, 2019)
- Co-Author, "DOL’s New Disability Plan Claims Regulations to Become Effective," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 10, 2018)
- Co-Author, "DOL Issues Proposed Revisions to Disability Plan Claims Regulations," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 20, 2015)
Brian helps employers find practical solutions to business needs relating to employee benefits, and assists them in complying with the unique laws governing employee benefit rights during and following military leave.
More About Brian
Clients look to Brian to help them find comprehensive solutions to all aspects of maintaining qualified retirement plans, beyond the mere legal qualifications. This includes vendor management and negotiations, proactive design choices, and keeping abreast of potential ERISA litigation developments. Brian also assists employers and plan sponsors in navigating the complex framework of legal requirements applicable to employees who perform military service.
Brian has experience in a broad range of employee benefits issues—counseling clients on qualified retirement and welfare plan matters regarding plan administration, fiduciary responsibility, claims procedures, and disclosure requirements. He has also handled executive compensation and executive severance matters.
Before starting his legal practice on employee benefits, Brian spent several years in Seyfarth's employment law practice group, focusing on class-wide discrimination claims and ERISA litigation. This experience has led him to evaluate ERISA and military leave matters with a holistic approach, combining compliance and counseling viewpoints along with litigation-avoidance strategies.
Brian has also advised major clients on both employment and employee benefits aspects of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) for more than a decade, and represented clients at both the DOL level and in complex, class action USERRA litigation.
When asked what he loves most about working at Seyfarth, Brian said, "It's enjoyable to work with a group of attorneys who are so capable, and base their approach to practicing law on making their clients happy."
Brian has experience in a broad range of employee benefits issues—counseling clients on qualified retirement and welfare plan matters regarding plan administration, fiduciary responsibility, claims procedures, and disclosure requirements. He has also handled executive compensation and executive severance matters.
Before starting his legal practice on employee benefits, Brian spent several years in Seyfarth's employment law practice group, focusing on class-wide discrimination claims and ERISA litigation. This experience has led him to evaluate ERISA and military leave matters with a holistic approach, combining compliance and counseling viewpoints along with litigation-avoidance strategies.
Brian has also advised major clients on both employment and employee benefits aspects of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) for more than a decade, and represented clients at both the DOL level and in complex, class action USERRA litigation.
When asked what he loves most about working at Seyfarth, Brian said, "It's enjoyable to work with a group of attorneys who are so capable, and base their approach to practicing law on making their clients happy."
- JD, University of Virginia School of Law
- BA, Miami University
Summa cum laude
- Illinois
- US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- US District Court, Central District of Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Indiana
Blogs
Related News & Insights
-
Legal Update
Feb 2, 2023
San Francisco Employees Now Entitled To Differential Pay For Military Leave
-
Legal Update
Aug 28, 2019
DOL Clarifies Employers’ Retirement Plan Obligations Under USERRA
-
Legal Update
Aug 28, 2019
DOL Clarifies Employers’ Retirement Plan Obligations Under USERRA
-
Legal Update
Jan 10, 2018
DOL’s New Disability Plan Claims Regulations to Become Effective
- Human Resources Management of Chicago (HRMAC)
- Co-Author, "San Francisco Employees Now Entitled To Differential Pay For Military Leave," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 2, 2023)
- Author, "DOL Clarifies Employers’ Retirement Plan Obligations Under USERRA," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (August 28, 2019)
- Co-Author, "DOL’s New Disability Plan Claims Regulations to Become Effective," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 10, 2018)
- Co-Author, "DOL Issues Proposed Revisions to Disability Plan Claims Regulations," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 20, 2015)