Lawyer, ED

Overview

We’re seeking a Benefits lawyer to join the Employment Law team in the Legal and Compliance division as an Executive Director. This is an Executive Director level position within the Employment Law team, serving as lead counsel advising on all US retirement, health and welfare benefit plan matters, providing strategic, legal, and technical advice to Human Capital Management and multiple plan committees.

• Review, analyze and draft decision letters with respect to 401(k), pension, and health and welfare plan claims and appeals
• Advise on the design, administration, and compliance of qualified pension, profit-sharing, 401(k), and welfare benefit plans
• Prepare amendments to employee benefit plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans and severance pay plans to ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements and to implement plan design changes
• Review statutory, regulatory and other governmental pronouncements to assess the impact on employee benefit plans
• Assist with submission of various federal and state governmental reports related to US employee benefit plans
• Prepare and review employee benefit plan communications
• Prepare and revise summary plan descriptions and other employee communications
• Advise on the resolution of compliance issues and other technical matters that arise in the day-to-day administration of employee benefit plans and programs
• Assess impact of corporate transactions (mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, etc.) on employee benefit plans
• Prepare IRS determination letter requests and other employee benefits-related governmental filings
• Correct retirement plan qualification errors and failures through IRS correction programs
• Advise on the resolution of issues and concerns that arise in the administration of the Firm's employee benefit plans
• Act as Secretary to and draft minutes of US and Canada retirement plan investment and US health and welfare committees
• Respond to related regulator inquiries and research related issues
• Oversee related litigation matters, including preparing responses and gathering materials to provide to counsel
• Prepare, review and negotiate various employee benefits-related vendor contracts and investment management agreements
• Perform other duties as assigned

• A qualified lawyer in the US with 8 to 10 years of relevant legal experience (either at a major law firm and/or in-house)
• Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills with ability to contribute successfully to cross-functional teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to distill and communicate complex ideas in a clear, commercially astute manner that supports internal clients in making difficult decisions
• Highly motivated and independent self-starter with excellent work ethic
• Excellent analytical skills with ability to exercise sound judgement even in ambiguous situations
• Excellent organizational skills with experience of managing multiple time-sensitive projects simultaneously
• Strong lateral thinking and problem solving
• Ability to provide practical advice to other teams within the Legal & Compliance Division and business units
• Ability to work from Morgan Stanley's New York office 3 to 4 days per week

We are committed to maintaining the first-class service and high standard of excellence that have defined Morgan Stanley for over 89 years. Our values – putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back – aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries.

At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the…