Craig Kovarik Email & Phone Number

I am an experienced attorney in Husch Blackwell's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation team (and former Certified Public Accountant) and have spent my entire legal career helping clients navigate complex ERISA, tax and related laws pertaining to employer-sponsored benefit plans and compensatory arrangements. Additionally, I have significant expertise with health and welfare benefit plan compliance matters, including ERISA, HIPAA and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Listed skills include Employment Law, Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Writing, and 9 others.

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  Partner

  Husch Blackwell Llp

  1994 - Present - Kansas City, Missouri Area

  I counsel firm clients (both public and non-public) on the following matters:- Equity-based compensation (including required SEC disclosures)- Executive employment agreements- Annual and long-term incentive plans, including customized award agreements- Non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements- Compliance with Internal Revenue Code Sections 162(m), 280G and 409A- Qualified 401(k), pension and other retirement plans Representative experience includes:- Assisted large international benefits broker with HIPAA privacy and related confidentiality issues regarding the client's web-based marketing strategy.- Represents three major tax-exempt hospital systems, collectively with more than 15,000 employees, on all employee benefit and executive compensation matters.- Advised more than 20 employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) clients in transactions exceeding $100 million.- Routinely represents clients on employee benefit and executive compensation matters relating to mergers and acquisition strategies and integration. Most recently, represented a packaged foods company in connection with its $2.7 billion divesture.- Negotiated a tax-penalty abatement of more than $300,000 arising from an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payroll tax audit.- Filed and received a compliance statement on more than 20 submissions under the IRS’ Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS).