Michael Best & Friedrich LLP picked up executive compensation expert Megan Juel from Arnold & Porter, bolstering its ranks in Chicago with an attorney who specializes in handling the benefits and pay aspects of corporate transactions, the firm announced.

Megan Juel joined Michael Best as senior counsel Tuesday, the firm announced Thursday. Juel spent the last four years with Arnold & Porter, and before that she worked for Goodwin Procter LLP for about five years.

Juel told Law360 on Thursday that at Michael Best, she’ll continue helping companies design and negotiate employment agreements and draw up executive compensation plans.

“I’m very excited to be joining the group here at Michael Best,” Juel said. “Everyone has been not only very welcoming and kind, but it’s a very intelligent and motivating group of people. It’s been a great move, and I’m ecstatic to be here.”

Juel said her practice focuses on dealing with the benefits and compensation angles of deals. She said her experience runs the gamut from working with real estate investment trusts and multibillion-dollar transactions to small, privately held companies such as physicians who are selling their practices to private equity buyers.

Juel said one of the proudest moments of her career came when she helped assist Wheels Up, a charter airline, in becoming a publicly traded company during her tenure at Arnold & Porter. After she had served as first chair on all Wheels Up’s compensation and benefits matters, seeing her years of working with the company come to fruition was gratifying, she said.

“It was so inspiring to sit and watch them ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange when they finally became public and know that I had assisted them in getting there,” Juel said.

Juel said she hopes to help Michael Best expand the breadth of services it provides.

Brian Paul, chair of Michael Best’s labor and employment group, praised Juel’s “impressive background.”

“The combination of her background and experience on our platform will bring instant value to our benefits and executive compensation clients,” Paul said. “We are thrilled to continue to strengthen the firm’s benefits and executive compensation practice, and Megan will be a huge asset to the group and our clients.”

Juel earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale University and her law degree from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She started her legal career as a summer associate at Goodwin, first in its business law practice in its Boston headquarters before moving to its employee benefits and executive compensation group.