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Paul R. Lang

Of Counsel

Paul’s practice encompasses the breadth of issues involving the employment relationship, focusing heavily on employee benefits and executive compensation. 

Leveraging decades of experience in human resources matters, Paul counsels human resource professionals, in-house counsel, trustees, compensation committees, third-party administrators and life insurance professionals in the design, operation, compliance, and best practices for all types of compensation and employee benefit plans.

He offers a pragmatic approach as he regularly tackles compliance issues associated with a myriad of federal statutes, including ERISA; the Internal Revenue Code, including162(m), 280G — golden parachutes, 409A — deferred compensation, FICA and FUTA; the Securities Exchange Act, including 16(b) compliance, 10b5-1 plans, and S-8 and proxy disclosure; HIPAA, COBRA, GINA, ADEA, and SOX; state tax laws, including payroll, income and “source” taxes; and the enforcement of restrictive covenants, including non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality provisions. He has devoted substantial time to the PPACA health care reform, counseling clients regarding overall compliance, including retaining grandfather status. Recently, he has been counseling employers on the repercussions of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision regarding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the federal and state tax and other implications of the decision.

Paul also represents individual executives negotiating employment and separation agreements; advises tax-exempt organizations in the design and implementation of tax-deferred annuities (403b) and deferred compensation (457) plans; and counsels insurers, brokers and employers on the use of life insurance products.

  • Represented Southeastern Mills, Inc., a leading food products company, in the sale of its custom coatings and seasonings division to Kerry Inc.
  • Represented Columbia Care Inc. in its public listing on the Canadian NEO Stock Exchange, making it the first company with an enterprise value of more than $1 billion to list on the NEO.
  • Advises a multistate medical cannabis operator on raising private capital, secondary sales of equity interests, acquisitions and Canadian SPAC financing, and provides tax, benefits and general corporate advice.
  • Represented Fora Financial in the acquisition of a controlling interest in P. A. R. Consulting, LLC.
  • Represented Sweetwater Capital in the sale of Central States Tower III, LLC.
  • Represented Southwire in the acquisition of a $75 million cable manufacturing facility from ABB Inc. in Huntersville, North Carolina.
  • Represented an international agricultural firm in its formation of a joint venture with a US partner to develop and operate a 16,000-acre farm in northwest Arizona.
  • Represented Southwire in acquiring a $75 million cable manufacturing facility from ABB Inc. in Huntersville, North Carolina
  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the area of employee benefits (ERISA) law (2021-2022, 2024)
  • Recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the area of tax: employee benefits and executive compensation (2018-2020)
  • District of Columbia Bar, Taxation Section, Employee Benefits Committee
  • District of Columbia
  • J.D., with high honors, George Washington University Law School
  • B.A., with distinction, University of Colorado
  • B.S., magna cum laude, University of Colorado
Paul Lang

Of Counsel

Paul Lang

Of Counsel

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