Ian L. Levin is a partner in the firm’s M&A and Securities Group and Employment and Employee Benefits Group. Ian’s practice covers a broad range of executive compensation and employee benefits matters, including the associated tax, securities, corporate, employment and labor issues. Ian's broad experience and understanding of prevailing "market" terms enables him to assist clients in designing practical and competitive compensation and benefits arrangements that meet the unique needs of the client, with a focus on tax optimization. Ian’s practice routinely involves:
- Advising alternative investment management firms on all executive and key employee employment and compensation matters, including employment and separation agreements, carried interest and “phantom” carried interest arrangements, retention agreements and arrangements, deferred compensation, equity and cash incentive programs, and restrictive covenants
- Advising public and private companies on the design and establishment of virtually all types of executive compensation, equity, deferred compensation and other benefit arrangements
- Representing executives and management teams in negotiating employment and incentive compensation, particularly in connection with corporate transactions
- Structuring private equity and hedge funds and other investments in compliance with ERISA
- Advising private and public companies, in particular private equity sponsors, regarding executive compensation and employee benefits issues arising in mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, joint ventures and other transactions
- Advising companies and their boards regarding governance and disclosure requirements
- Representing lenders and borrowers in various corporate financing transactions
Ian is recognized as a leading employee benefits attorney by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, New York Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers. Chambers USA describes Ian as “highly experienced in advising clients on the benefit and executive compensation issues associated with various business transactions” and noted that clients regard Ian as “very proactive” and “an excellent lawyer with strong technical knowledge.” The Legal 500 US has noted that he “operates at a very high level across many areas, but brings a particularly unique set of skills to ERISA Title I matters in his representation of private investment funds.”
Ian serves as chair of the Advisory Board and as a member and former chair of the Center for Transactional Law and Practice Advisory Board at the Emory University School of Law. He also serves as an adjunct professor at New York Law School and Emory University School of Law.
