Sandi M. Russell

Sandi Russell’s goal is to come up with practical and efficient solutions to help resolve even the most complex employee benefit issues. Her practice focuses on employee benefits law, including all aspects of ERISA.

Sandi has experience in designing, drafting, and providing advice concerning all types of employee benefit programs, including retirement, health and welfare, and deferred compensation plans. She has considerable expertise in all aspects of ERISA fiduciary compliance affecting employee benefit plans, including advising clients regarding ERISA Section 404(c) compliance, the prudent selection of service providers, satisfaction of the various disclosure obligations, prohibited transactions, and fiduciary governance issues.

Sandi regularly advises clients regarding maintaining the tax-favored status of employee benefit plans, including preparing IRS and DOL voluntary correction program submissions. She also assists employers in connection with DOL and IRS audits.

Sandi frequently advises clients regarding employee benefit issues that arise in connection with corporate transactions, such as business acquisitions and dispositions, as well as performs controlled group and affiliated service group analyses. In addition, she focuses on the issues that arise in connection with the Affordable Care Act. Sandi works with clients to evaluate the effect of health care reform on their particular situations, including employer mandate compliance and satisfaction of the various ACA reporting obligations.

Sandi also advises clients on a day-to-day basis regarding general employee benefit plan administration matters. This aspect of her practice includes, but is not limited to, advising clients about the impact of various legal and regulatory changes on their plans, discussing changes to clients’ plans or practices that will help to simplify administration and reflect current best practices, and engaging in vendor searches and drafting and negotiating vendor contracts.

Education

• University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (J.D., with High Honors)
  Order of the Coif
  Member, Journal of Law and Public Policy
• University of South Florida (B.A., magna cum laude)

Admitted to Practice

• Florida