Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Eric Field as a shareholder in its Employee Benefits practice in the Washington, D.C., office. He joins from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.
Field advises clients on a wide range of employee benefits matters, including multiemployer pension plans, retirement and welfare benefit programs, and executive compensation, as well as compliance with the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, and various employee health insurance regulations. Field also represents employers in arbitrations and in federal court, assists in plan design and document drafting, advises on pension issues that arise in committee or debtor representations, and counsels on liabilities associated with terminations of single-employer pension plans.
“Eric’s depth of experience counseling on employee health and welfare benefit plans will be a boost to our Employee Benefits practice and to our clients navigating a myriad of complex benefits issues,” said Erin Webber, Littler’s managing director and president. “In particular, as employers reexamine their health plans and assess the many compliance implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Eric will join our team of leading benefits attorneys advising on the various employment and benefits-related implications raised by the decision.”
Prior to private practice, Field served as assistant chief counsel at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), where he managed the multiemployer plan (MEP) section of the Office of Chief Counsel. During his time with PBGC, Field represented the government in cases involving ERISA interoperations as it pertains to MEP. Earlier in his career, Field worked as a staff attorney at the Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Union Welfare-Pension Funds, where he managed the organization’s withdrawal liability program and arbitrated such cases.
“Eric’s insider experience is exactly what employers in the District and nationally need to effectively sift through the intricacies of today’s benefits laws and policies,” said Joshua Waxman, Littler’s office managing shareholder in Washington, D.C. “His arrival couldn’t have come at a better time, as clients are increasingly turning to Littler for guidance on market and regulatory changes impacting their benefits plans.”
“Employers need sophisticated resources and counsel to effectively administer their benefits programs, and Littler is precisely the firm that can offer this level of bench strength and in-depth insights,” said Field. “I feel fortunate to be joining such a diverse and collaborative team and look forward to working with my new colleagues to deliver the stellar outcomes the firm’s clients have come to expect.”
Field received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and his B.A. from the University of Maine. He regularly presents on employee benefits issues and is a contributing author to the American Bar Association’s Employee Benefits Law publication.
