Cohen & Buckmann, P.C.

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Cohen & Buckmann, P.C. The firm represents clients throughout North America and the world.

is a law firm that focuses on Executive Compensation, Pension & Benefits, Corporate Law, Investment Adviser Law, and Labor & Employment Law.

10/26/2026

Ten years later, we’ve got opinions, so here is our next installment of 10 lessons from 10 years in practice.

Employee benefits decisions are rarely one-and-done. They shape employee expectations, fiduciary responsibilities and organizational culture over time.

We’ve learned that the strongest benefit programs are built with longevity in mind. That means good stewardship: anticipating how plans will evolve, how participants will rely on them years down the road, and how today’s decisions will look when reviewed later, by regulators, committees or participants themselves.

Lesson #8: The best benefit programs are built for the long run.

Short-term solutions can be tempting, especially in moments of pressure or rapid change. But durable benefit programs are grounded in thoughtful governance, careful documentation, and a clear sense of responsibility to the people they’re meant to serve.

10/20/2026

What does good fiduciary governance look like for employer-sponsored health and welfare plans?

Partners Gretchen Harders and Victoria Zerjav will tackle that question at the In-House Benefits Counsel Network& #39;s National Forum in Washington, D.C.

During their Oct. 28 session, "ERISA Fiduciary Duties Governance for Group Health Plan, Welfare Plans," Gretchen and Victoria will discuss the challenges employers face in meeting their fiduciary responsibilities and managing litigation risks.

We're looking forward to connecting with fellow employee benefits professionals and exchanging ideas! View the agenda and register: https://ibcnltd.org/page-1821264

10/16/2026

Entrepreneurship runs in Sandra Cohen’s family. And so does making the Inc. Magazine 5000 list!

Sandra and her sister, Deb Singer, celebrated a shared milestone last night at the Inc. 5000 Conference in Dallas, where both of their independently founded businesses earned a place on this year's list of America's fastest-growing private companies.

Sandra co-founded Cohen & Buckmann with Carol Buckmann in 2016, while Deb founded Experts In Medicine, LLC, a medical-legal consulting firm in the expert witness field. Their entrepreneurial roots go back to a childhood lemonade stand. But before they could set up shop, their father insisted they account for the cost of the lemonade, cups and even the use of the family’s front yard. This resulted in a growing foundation in business principles that led to two successful companies.

We're incredibly grateful to our talented colleagues and to the clients, colleagues and friends whose trust and support have made this milestone possible.

Congratulations to Sandra, Deb and the teams at both companies! Read more about their entrepreneurial journey here:

https://cohenbuckmann.com/insights/2026/10/16/from-the-family-lemonade-stand-to-the-inc-5000-list-sandra-cohen-and-sister-deb-singer-recognized-at-national-entrepreneurs-gala

10/14/2026

Sandra Cohen, Gretchen Harders and Sherrone Torres had a busy few days in Chicago attending the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) 2026 Annual Meeting.

During the conference, Sandra joined a panel of legal professionals for a discussion of the employee benefits and executive compensation questions that arise in M&A deals.

We were also happy to join two other firms in sponsoring a $10,000 Joel Stern Pipeline Scholarship for a law student. Helping support a law student at the beginning of their career made a great week at NAMWOLF even more meaningful.

10/14/2026

At oral arguments, Supreme Court justices considered whether plaintiffs challenging 401(k) investment performance must identify a meaningful benchmark for their claims to survive dismissal — a question that has divided appellate courts.

Cohen & Buckmann co-founder Carol Buckmann shared her perspective with Pensions & Investments, explaining why the discussion should encourage plan sponsors.

Read the article: https://www.pionline.com/institutional-investors/defined-contribution/pi-supreme-court-erisa-benchmarks-intel-lawsuits-labor-department/

10/13/2026

Private equity funds have come into the spotlight as potential investments for 401(k) plans, but defined benefit plans have been investing in them for some time.

On Oct. 20, Carol Buckmann and Victoria Zerjav will be speaking at a BARBRI CLE webinar on Private Equity Compliance With ERISA: Fiduciary Duties in Managing ERISA Plan Assets: https://www.barbri.com/course/professional-development/cle/private-equity-compliance-with-erisa-fiduciary-duties-in-man_2026-10-20

The presentation will focus on structuring funds to avoid holding ERISA plan assets and potential liabilities for pension underfunding and multiemployer withdrawal liability. They will also address how the Department of Labor’s proposed safe harbor for defined contribution plan investments applies to private equity.

10/08/2026

We try to keep our horn-tooting to a minimum, but four names on one national list calls for celebration.

Sandra Cohen, Carol Buckmann, Gretchen Harders and Victoria Zerjav have all been named to the 2027 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers guide, which recognizes lawyers advising companies on a range of workplace, executive compensation and employee benefits matters.

Sandra, Carol and Gretchen return to the guide this year, with Victoria joining them for the first time. Congratulations to all four!

Find the full guide here:
https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2026-10-02-the-2027-lawdragon-500-leading-corporate-employment-lawyers

10/07/2026

Our next 10th-anniversary charity spotlight takes us to Texas for a cause chosen by Austin Light.

Streams and Valleys’ mission is to protect and improve the Trinity River and its trail system, helping make one of Fort Worth’s biggest natural assets more accessible and enjoyable for local residents.

For decades, the organization has worked with public and private partners to ensure the river and surrounding spaces remain accessible, welcoming and well cared for.

Explore Streams & Valleys’ work: https://www.streamsandvalleys.org/

10/06/2026

M&A deals can raise a long list of executive compensation and employee benefits issues, and knowing where to look early can help keep them from becoming problems later in the deal.

On Oct. 13, Sandra Cohen will join an all-star panel of benefits and compensation lawyers for a CLE session during the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) 2026 Annual Meeting in Chicago. “Twist & Shout: A Busy Benefits/Executive Compensation Counsel’s Day Off in the Windy City” will use stops at some of Chicago’s best-known landmarks to work through the multiple benefits and executive compensation issues that can arise in M&A transactions.

Sandra’s co-panelists include Christopher Walker of Toyota North America, Lacy Durham of Constellation Energy, Asrar Ahmed of AbbVie, Michael Danforth of USAA, and Sherrie Boutwell of Boutwell Fay.

The session takes place from 3:35 to 4:35 p.m. CT.

View the agenda and register here: https://web.cvent.com/event/2368e319-d038-4bd6-8c94-97a010f23926/websitePage:45839088-082f-45bd-9215-101ac043fec4

10/05/2026

Sometimes it seems as if pension plan rules are changing faster than practitioners can keep up. U.S. retirement plan sponsors and fiduciaries are navigating a growing list of questions, from alternative investments and cybersecurity risks to pension risk transfers and new ERISA litigation. A new Chambers and Partners guide brings the basic rules and the latest global developments together in one place, and the inaugural U.S. pensions articles were written by attorneys from Cohen & Buckmann.

Carol Buckmann, Gretchen Harders, Victoria Zerjav and Austin Light help make sense of them in Cohen & Buckmann’s U.S. contribution to the Chambers and Partners Pensions 2026 Global Practice Guide.

The chapter provides an overview of the laws and rules governing U.S. retirement plans, along with recent developments in areas including fiduciary duties, plan administration, investments, tax, litigation and enforcement.

Law & Practice: https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/pensions-2026/usa

Trends & Developments: https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/pensions-2026/usa/trends-and-developments

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