Danita N.Merlau
Partner
Employee Benefits
dmerlau@seyfarth.com
Danita helps clients navigate the intricacies of ERISA to develop comprehensive compliance strategies and achieve desired operational outcomes.
More About Danita
Sophisticated clients turn to Danita for guidance on a diverse range of issues arising out of the design and administration of their health and welfare plans. With broad experience advising companies on all aspects of such plans, Danita helps clients understand the complex statutory and regulatory regime governing employee benefits, interpreting and applying technical regulations and agency guidance to assist clients in making sound business decisions against an ever-shifting legal landscape.
Specifically, Danita counsels clients on plan formation and design, provides compliance and implementation advice, negotiates key contracts with vendors and third party administrators and troubleshoots benefits issues as they arise for her clients. Danita frequently engages with the Department of Labor and IRS on behalf of employers and plan fiduciaries and assists with significant corporate and plan spinoff and merger transactions.
Danita is co-chair of the Employee Benefits department’s Health and Welfare POD (i.e., specialty group), for which she closely tracks statutory, regulatory and judicial developments in this space.
Specifically, Danita counsels clients on plan formation and design, provides compliance and implementation advice, negotiates key contracts with vendors and third party administrators and troubleshoots benefits issues as they arise for her clients. Danita frequently engages with the Department of Labor and IRS on behalf of employers and plan fiduciaries and assists with significant corporate and plan spinoff and merger transactions.
Danita is co-chair of the Employee Benefits department’s Health and Welfare POD (i.e., specialty group), for which she closely tracks statutory, regulatory and judicial developments in this space.
- JD, Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Cum laude
Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, executive editor - BA, Purdue University
With honors
Certifications
- Certified Health Care Institute (HCI) professional, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2022)
- Illinois
- Indiana
Related Services
Related Key Industries
Blogs
Related News & Insights
-
Media Mentions
Jul 14, 2022
Danita Merlau and Benjamin Conley quoted in HR Dive, “Could HRAs solve employers’ abortion-access benefits headaches?”
-
Webinar Recording
Jul 13, 2022
Post-Dobbs Implications for Employers and Employer Plan Sponsors
-
Attorney Publication
May 20, 2022
Danita Merlau and Ben Conley co-authored an article in Law360, “Employer Travel Benefits Options For Abortion Care Post-Roe”
-
Legal Update
May 5, 2022
Businesses Seek to Provide Abortion Travel Benefits in Light of Potential Supreme Court Decision
- American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law and Taxation sections; Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
-
The Chicago Bar Association, Employee Benefits
- Co-Author, "If You Can Find an At-Home COVID-19 Test, Your Plan Must Now Pay For It," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 11, 2022)
- Co-Author, "How COBRA Got Her Groove Back: Old Law Gets New Focus From DOL, Class Action Plaintiffs’ Attorneys," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 15, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Businesses Seek to Provide Abortion Travel Benefits in Light of Potential Supreme Court Decision," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 5, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Relief Provided for 2018 Family HSA Contribution Limit," One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 3, 2018)
- Co-Author, "EEOC Issues Final Rules On Wellness Programs," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 18, 2016)
- Co-Author, "Issue 97: Another Holiday Gift - ACA Reporting Deadlines Extended!," Health Care Reform Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 29, 2015)
- Co-Presenter, "Post-Dobbs Implications for Employers and Employer Plan Sponsors," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (July 13, 2022)
Danita helps clients navigate the intricacies of ERISA to develop comprehensive compliance strategies and achieve desired operational outcomes.
More About Danita
Sophisticated clients turn to Danita for guidance on a diverse range of issues arising out of the design and administration of their health and welfare plans. With broad experience advising companies on all aspects of such plans, Danita helps clients understand the complex statutory and regulatory regime governing employee benefits, interpreting and applying technical regulations and agency guidance to assist clients in making sound business decisions against an ever-shifting legal landscape.
Specifically, Danita counsels clients on plan formation and design, provides compliance and implementation advice, negotiates key contracts with vendors and third party administrators and troubleshoots benefits issues as they arise for her clients. Danita frequently engages with the Department of Labor and IRS on behalf of employers and plan fiduciaries and assists with significant corporate and plan spinoff and merger transactions.
Danita is co-chair of the Employee Benefits department’s Health and Welfare POD (i.e., specialty group), for which she closely tracks statutory, regulatory and judicial developments in this space.
Specifically, Danita counsels clients on plan formation and design, provides compliance and implementation advice, negotiates key contracts with vendors and third party administrators and troubleshoots benefits issues as they arise for her clients. Danita frequently engages with the Department of Labor and IRS on behalf of employers and plan fiduciaries and assists with significant corporate and plan spinoff and merger transactions.
Danita is co-chair of the Employee Benefits department’s Health and Welfare POD (i.e., specialty group), for which she closely tracks statutory, regulatory and judicial developments in this space.
- JD, Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Cum laude
Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, executive editor - BA, Purdue University
With honors
Certifications
- Certified Health Care Institute (HCI) professional, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2022)
- Illinois
- Indiana
Related Services
Related Key Industries
Blogs
Related News & Insights
-
Media Mentions
Jul 14, 2022
Danita Merlau and Benjamin Conley quoted in HR Dive, “Could HRAs solve employers’ abortion-access benefits headaches?”
-
Webinar Recording
Jul 13, 2022
Post-Dobbs Implications for Employers and Employer Plan Sponsors
-
Attorney Publication
May 20, 2022
Danita Merlau and Ben Conley co-authored an article in Law360, “Employer Travel Benefits Options For Abortion Care Post-Roe”
-
Legal Update
May 5, 2022
Businesses Seek to Provide Abortion Travel Benefits in Light of Potential Supreme Court Decision
- American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law and Taxation sections; Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
-
The Chicago Bar Association, Employee Benefits
- Co-Author, "If You Can Find an At-Home COVID-19 Test, Your Plan Must Now Pay For It," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 11, 2022)
- Co-Author, "How COBRA Got Her Groove Back: Old Law Gets New Focus From DOL, Class Action Plaintiffs’ Attorneys," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 15, 2020)
- Co-Author, "Businesses Seek to Provide Abortion Travel Benefits in Light of Potential Supreme Court Decision," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 5, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Relief Provided for 2018 Family HSA Contribution Limit," One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 3, 2018)
- Co-Author, "EEOC Issues Final Rules On Wellness Programs," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 18, 2016)
- Co-Author, "Issue 97: Another Holiday Gift - ACA Reporting Deadlines Extended!," Health Care Reform Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 29, 2015)
- Co-Presenter, "Post-Dobbs Implications for Employers and Employer Plan Sponsors," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (July 13, 2022)