Suzanne Marie Arpin

Practices

• Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
• Corporate Transactions & Securities
• Labor & Employment

Professional Experience

Atlanta and New York

In addition to the Atlanta office, Suzanne also practices in our New York offices:

335 Madison Avenue
12th Floor
New York, New York 10017-4611
212.344.5680

Suzanne is counsel in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation and Labor & Employment practice group. She focuses on all aspects of employee benefits, executive compensation, ERISA litigation and employment law.

• ERISA, Executive Compensation, Securities Law. Suzanne's experience includes designing, implementing and advising clients on qualified and non-qualified benefit plans, incentive compensation programs, bonus programs, broad-based and executive equity compensation programs, retention programs and executive compensation, including counseling on compliance with state and federal securities law requirements.
• Government Audits. She also manages compliance audits by the U.S. Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs related to benefit and employment matters.
• Dispute Resolution. In addition, she represents plan sponsors, fiduciaries, service providers and independent federal government agencies in dispute resolution proceedings related to employment and benefits issues including actions involving compensation, company stock, 401(k) fees, ESOPs and defined benefit plans.
• Transactional Work. Suzanne drafts and negotiates documents related to employee benefits and employment issues involved in corporate transactions, including merger and sale agreements and related employment, severance, retention and consulting agreements.
• Employment Law. She advises clients on federal, state and local employment laws and related statutes, including those related to leave entitlement, discrimination, accommodation and wage and hour laws.
• Affirmative Action. She also assists employers with affirmative action program development and compliance.

Suzanne also has extensive experience with general corporate law and advises clients on matters involving corporate governance, securities law, formation and governing documents (such as LLC operating agreements and partnership agreement) and general corporate contract matters including disputes.

Suzanne previously served as senior attorney for a major airline, where she advised company executives on a wide range of issues related to corporate, employment and employee benefit and compensation matters, including SEC compliance, executive compensation, qualified retirement plans and welfare benefit plans. She designed, drafted and implemented executive and broad-based severance programs, long- and short-term incentive compensation plans and agreements, and equity-based compensation programs. She had significant responsibility with respect to the company's SEC filings including the proxy and handled compliance audits by the U.S. Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service involving employment and benefit matters. In addition, she managed the employment and compensation aspects of proposed transactions involving mergers and the sale of subsidiaries.

Following law school, Suzanne served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Robert I. Berdon and the Honorable Joette Katz in the Supreme Court of the State of Connecticut.

Bar Admissions
Suzanne is admitted to practice in Georgia, New York and Connecticut.

Education

• Jacksonville University, B.A., cum laude
• University of Connecticut, School of Law, J.D., with honors, Member, Connecticut Journal of International Law; Member, Connecticut Moot Court Board
• University of North Florida, B.B.A.

• Spanish