Trucker Huss, APC is pleased to announce that Stephanie (“Steph”) Lao and Stephanie Platenkamp have joined the firm.
“We are thrilled to welcome Steph and Stephanie to the firm. Their employee benefits experience and client service focus are a tremendous addition to our team as we continue to expand our firm’s practice to serve our clients” said Bob Schwartz, President of Trucker Huss.
Steph Lao counsels clients in all aspects of their employee benefit plans, with a focus on tax-qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans. She advises on a wide range of benefits issues, including plan design and administration, fiduciary issues, and benefit claims and appeals. Prior to the practice of law, Steph worked in Human Resources for an international biotech company focusing on global compensation and benefits.
Stephanie Platenkamp’s practice focuses on multiemployer plans and retirement plans. She advises employers and multiemployer plans on issues regarding 401(k) plans, profit sharing plans, money purchase pension plans, traditional defined benefit plans, and plans of tax-exempt and governmental entities. Stephanie assists clients with drafting plan documents and amendments, employee communications, as well as plan committee charters, bylaws and resolutions. She assists with the review and negotiation of service provider agreements and has advised committees and trustees on oversight of plan service providers. Stephanie also assists with compliance issues related to investigations and audits by the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). She advises on and has obtained approval of corrective measures under the IRS’s Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System and the DOL’s Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program. Prior to coming to Trucker Huss, Stephanie was a partner at a Bay Area union-side labor law firm, where her focus was on employee benefit plan issues.
The addition of Lao and Platenkamp brings the firm to 28 attorneys practicing solely in employee benefits law. Trucker Huss is one of the largest employee benefits specialty law firms in the country. The firm’s in-depth knowledge and breadth of experience on all issues confronting benefit plans, and their sponsors, fiduciaries and service providers, translate into real-world, practical solutions for our clients.
