Mitchel D.Whitehead
Partner
Employee Benefits
mwhitehead@seyfarth.com
Mitchel practices in the employee benefits area, with an emphasis on the representation of large pension and health and welfare funds in both the public and private sectors.
More About Mitchel
Mitchel has extensive experience with all issues relating to these plans and their sponsoring organizations, including plan set up and design, legal compliance, ACA compliance (for both plans and employers), plan investments, fiduciary responsibility, prohibited transactions, withdrawal liability, PPA issues and compliance, mergers and spinoffs, contractual relationships with service providers, benefit claims, collections and litigation in state and federal courts. Mitchel has also represented plans in connection with DOL and IRS audits and has been involved in numerous litigations involving alleged breach of fiduciary duty.
Mitchel has acted as counsel to a number of multiemployer pension and welfare plans, as well as collectively bargained governmental plans, including some of the largest Taft-Hartley and governmental plans in the country. Mitchel also has experience representing financially troubled plans, endangered and critical status plans under PPA, insolvent plans, and plans that are experiencing difficulties with legal compliance or with their real estate or other investments.
Mitchel has represented employers of all types and sizes in connection with the establishment and structuring of their employee benefits programs, and in the context of mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. Mitchel also has extensive background in representing investment management and consulting firms and in handling fund formation work, fiduciary responsibility and reporting issues, DOL investigations and litigation and other aspects of their investment activities.
Mitchel has acted as counsel to a number of multiemployer pension and welfare plans, as well as collectively bargained governmental plans, including some of the largest Taft-Hartley and governmental plans in the country. Mitchel also has experience representing financially troubled plans, endangered and critical status plans under PPA, insolvent plans, and plans that are experiencing difficulties with legal compliance or with their real estate or other investments.
Mitchel has represented employers of all types and sizes in connection with the establishment and structuring of their employee benefits programs, and in the context of mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. Mitchel also has extensive background in representing investment management and consulting firms and in handling fund formation work, fiduciary responsibility and reporting issues, DOL investigations and litigation and other aspects of their investment activities.
- JD, Loyola Law School - Los Angeles
Cum laude - BA, University of California, Riverside
Cum laude
- California
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- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2013-2025)
- Recognized as a Recommended Attorney for Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans design, The Legal 500 (Legalese Ltd.) (2024)
- Co-Author, "Information Overload: ACA Reporting Compliance for Multiemployer Plans," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (December 2014)
- Co-Author, "Fund Transparency: What are the Limits on a Participant’s Right to Know," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (July 2013)
- Co-Author, "Complying with the ACA -- 90-Day Limit on Waiting Periods," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (March 2013)
- Co-Author, "Health Exchanges and Multiemployer Plans--Can They Exist in Harmony?," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (February 2012)
- "Pension Contributions for Strike Replacements," Journal of Pension Benefits, Vol. 16, No.2 (Winter 2009)
- "Investing Pension Assets in Alternative Investments," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (July 2007)
- "Investing Pension Assets in Alternative Investments," Benefits & Compensation Digest, (August 2007)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Pension & Welfare Plans: A Comparative Survey," Journal of Pension Benefits (2003)
- "The QDRO Trap," Journal of Pension Benefits (1999)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Pension Plans and Multiemployer Health & Welfare Plans," Commerce Clearing House Pension Plan Guide (December 18, 1995)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Health & Welfare Plans," Commerce Clearing House (February 14, 1992)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Pension Plans," Commerce Clearing House Pension Plan Guide (February 14, 1992)
Mitchel practices in the employee benefits area, with an emphasis on the representation of large pension and health and welfare funds in both the public and private sectors.
More About Mitchel
Mitchel has extensive experience with all issues relating to these plans and their sponsoring organizations, including plan set up and design, legal compliance, ACA compliance (for both plans and employers), plan investments, fiduciary responsibility, prohibited transactions, withdrawal liability, PPA issues and compliance, mergers and spinoffs, contractual relationships with service providers, benefit claims, collections and litigation in state and federal courts. Mitchel has also represented plans in connection with DOL and IRS audits and has been involved in numerous litigations involving alleged breach of fiduciary duty.
Mitchel has acted as counsel to a number of multiemployer pension and welfare plans, as well as collectively bargained governmental plans, including some of the largest Taft-Hartley and governmental plans in the country. Mitchel also has experience representing financially troubled plans, endangered and critical status plans under PPA, insolvent plans, and plans that are experiencing difficulties with legal compliance or with their real estate or other investments.
Mitchel has represented employers of all types and sizes in connection with the establishment and structuring of their employee benefits programs, and in the context of mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. Mitchel also has extensive background in representing investment management and consulting firms and in handling fund formation work, fiduciary responsibility and reporting issues, DOL investigations and litigation and other aspects of their investment activities.
Mitchel has acted as counsel to a number of multiemployer pension and welfare plans, as well as collectively bargained governmental plans, including some of the largest Taft-Hartley and governmental plans in the country. Mitchel also has experience representing financially troubled plans, endangered and critical status plans under PPA, insolvent plans, and plans that are experiencing difficulties with legal compliance or with their real estate or other investments.
Mitchel has represented employers of all types and sizes in connection with the establishment and structuring of their employee benefits programs, and in the context of mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. Mitchel also has extensive background in representing investment management and consulting firms and in handling fund formation work, fiduciary responsibility and reporting issues, DOL investigations and litigation and other aspects of their investment activities.
- JD, Loyola Law School - Los Angeles
Cum laude - BA, University of California, Riverside
Cum laude
- California
Related Services
Blogs
Related News & Insights
-
Firm News
08/15/2024
220 Seyfarth Attorneys Chosen as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2025
-
Recognition
08/17/2023
210 Seyfarth Attorneys Chosen as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2024
-
Recognition
Aug 18, 2022
Seyfarth Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America 2023
-
Recognition
Aug 19, 2021
Seyfarth Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America 2022
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2013-2025)
- Recognized as a Recommended Attorney for Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans design, The Legal 500 (Legalese Ltd.) (2024)
- Co-Author, "Information Overload: ACA Reporting Compliance for Multiemployer Plans," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (December 2014)
- Co-Author, "Fund Transparency: What are the Limits on a Participant’s Right to Know," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (July 2013)
- Co-Author, "Complying with the ACA -- 90-Day Limit on Waiting Periods," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (March 2013)
- Co-Author, "Health Exchanges and Multiemployer Plans--Can They Exist in Harmony?," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (February 2012)
- "Pension Contributions for Strike Replacements," Journal of Pension Benefits, Vol. 16, No.2 (Winter 2009)
- "Investing Pension Assets in Alternative Investments," International Foundation Benefits Magazine (July 2007)
- "Investing Pension Assets in Alternative Investments," Benefits & Compensation Digest, (August 2007)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Pension & Welfare Plans: A Comparative Survey," Journal of Pension Benefits (2003)
- "The QDRO Trap," Journal of Pension Benefits (1999)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Pension Plans and Multiemployer Health & Welfare Plans," Commerce Clearing House Pension Plan Guide (December 18, 1995)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Health & Welfare Plans," Commerce Clearing House (February 14, 1992)
- "Plan Expenses for Multiemployer Pension Plans," Commerce Clearing House Pension Plan Guide (February 14, 1992)