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401(k) Plan Changes in SECURE Act May Necessitate System Changes

By Greta Cowart

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the SECURE Act) was signed into law on December 20, 2019, as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (CAA). While the SECURE Act was designed to encourage small employers to adopt or expand access to qualified retirement plans, the tools provided for such expansion will require a number of system changes to capture the information needed to administer the new provisions and to accommodate new provisions for distributions to children of a plan participant and the new repayment option for such distributions.

INSIGHTS

Jackson Walker Immigration Prepares for H-1B Cap Season

Is your company planning to sponsor a foreign national worker through the H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa? With a new pre-registration process in effect March 1, 2020, Sang Shin writes that the time is now for employers to plan for these filings.

Independent Contractors Redux: Fifth Circuit Returns to Oil Patch to Address Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

The boom for domestic energy producers, particularly in the Permian Basin, carries with it the companion considerable challenge of how to comply with Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) strictures pertaining to compensation of transient oilfield service providers.

ATTORNEY NEWS

Jackson Walker Elects 11 Attorneys to Partnership

Eleven Jackson Walker attorneys, including Labor & Employment attorney David Schlottman, were elected to partnership this February. Notably, four of the 11 newly elected partners are women, and seven are ethnically diverse.

Texas Bar Foundation Adds Dawn Holiday as a Fellow

In 2019, labor and employment litigation attorney Dawn Holiday was selected along with six other Jackson Walker attorneys as a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. This honor is only presented to one-third of 1% of State Bar members each year.

ICYMI: WOMEN IN THE KNOW PANEL

On January 28, 2020, Jackson Walker’s Dallas office hosted Women in the Know for a discussion on “Change Agents in HR.” During the panel, Dallas HR leaders Wilemia Shaw (Principal Human Resource Strategist, Wilemia Shaw Consulting, LLC), Ann Christenson (EVP Chief Human Resources Officer, Aimbridge), Pam Turay (Senior Vice President Human Resources, CECO Environmental Corporation), Caroline Werner (Senior Vice President – Global Talent, Korn Ferry), and Jordana Kammerud (Chief Human Resources Officer, Senior Vice President, Core-Mark International) discussed topics ranging from strategies and tactics to employ during a merger to navigating a nationwide relocation.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Jackson Walker Reflects on Progress in 2019 Diversity & Inclusion Report

As we reflect on a year of growth and advancement in recruiting, retaining, and advancing a diverse and inclusive team, we invite you to explore our Diversity & Inclusion webpage. Along with showcasing our newly released 2019 D&I Report, our D&I page features a video spotlighting several attorneys as they discuss the importance of D&I to our culture.