Karen D. Youngstrom

Practices

• Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
• ERISA Litigation

Professional Experience

Karen is a partner in the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. She focuses her practice on benefit concerns of large business organizations and management of related liability, both in terms of planning and problem resolution; executive compensation arrangements and 409A counseling; pension investment matters including fiduciary compliance; employee benefits aspects of mergers and acquisitions; benefit arrangements for tax-exempt organizations, including tax-sheltered annuities and deferred compensation; tax-qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) program design and implementation; employee welfare benefit programs; tax, labor and securities law compliance issues relating to benefit plans; and the design and implementation of employee stock ownership plans.

Education

• Harvard Law School, J.D., 1975, cum laude
• Yale University, B.A., 1972, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

• “Providing Retirement Benefits to Employees in Puerto Rico – Tax Issues and Considerations”, Tax Executives Institute, Inc., 2012
• “HR Professional’s Guide to ERISA Fiduciary Duties”, Thompson Hine 2011 Labor & Employment Seminar, 2011
• "Healthcare Reform: Burdens and Opportunities Welfare Plans Compliance Calendar", 2010
• "Transition, Challenges and Opportunities", Ohio's Employee-Owned Network Board of Directors Forum, 2010
• "Managing Your Legal, HR and ESOP Challenges in a Downturn", Ohio Employee Ownership Center, 2009
• "Workforce Restructurings", Thompson Hine LLP Labor & Employment Roundtable, 2009
• "Common Mistakes Made with Distributions", Ohio/Kentucky Chapter of the ESOP Association Annual Fall Conference, 2005
• "Employee Benefits Update -- 2005 Highlights;" Labor and Employment Law Update, Thompson Hine, 2005
• "Retiree Medical Benefits Workshop;" Health Action Council, 2004
• "Executive Compensation/Nonqualified Deferred Compensation", 2004 Tax Update; The Tax Executive Institute, 2004
• "HIPAA Privacy Compliance for Employer Health Plans", Seminar sponsored by The James B. Oswald Company, 2004
• "Opportunities and Challenges in Benefits Administration 2001", Northeast Ohio Chapter of International Society of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists, 2001
• Participant Investment Education panel, Midwest Pension and Benefit Conference, 2000
• "Update on IRS Correction Methods", WEB, Cleveland Chapter, Annual Seminar, 2000
• "Wrapping Up the Millennium for Retirement", WEB, Cleveland Chapter, 1999
• "Your Decision to Take a Lump Sum From a Legal Perspective", Moneywatch Seminar sponsored by The Plain Dealer, 1998
• "Employment Practice Myths -- What You Don't Know Can Hurt You", WEB, Cleveland Chapter, Moderator, 1998
• "When Things Go Wrong - VCR? CAP? TVCP? APRSC?", WEB, Cleveland Chapter, 1997
• "DOL Regulations and Auditing of ESOP", ESOP Administration Forum, Ohio's Employee-Owned Network, 1997
• "Retirement Planning for Tax-Exempt Organizations", joint presentation with Deloitte & Touche LLP and John Hancock Funds, 1997
• "Exempt Organizations: Current 403(b) and Employee Benefits Issues", Cleveland Tax Institute, The Cleveland Bar Association, 1996
• "ERISA and Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions", Luncheon speaker, Deloitte & Touche 1996 Focused Learning Session, 1996
• "Examination Guidelines for 403(b) Plans -- Do you Comply?", WEB Roundtable, 1995

• Selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers by Ohio Super Lawyer magazine; 2011-2012
• Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, 2007-2010
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2006-2012
• Martindale-Hubbell · AV Rated
• Named a "Leading Lawyer" by Inside Business magazine, 2010