International law firm McDermott Will & Emery today announced that Mary K. Samsa has joined the Firm’s top-ranked Health Industry Advisory practice group, as a partner based in the Firm’s Chicago office.
Ms. Samsa, a nationally recognized lawyer who has particular experience in the areas of executive compensation and employee benefits for tax-exempt organizations, will bolster McDermott’s robust capabilities in serving hospitals, health systems, major charities and other tax-exempt organizations. Additionally, Ms. Samsa will reinforce the Firm’s work across the full range of employee benefits for taxable organizations, including matters relating to international benefits.
“We are delighted to welcome Mary to the Firm,” said Stephen W. Bernstein, partner and head of the Firm’s Health Industry Advisory practice group. “Mary’s extensive tax-exempt compensation and benefits background further deepens our existing resources in the area and will provide additional value to our clients. To remain at the top of the market, we must continue to attract talented, senior-level lawyers of Mary’s caliber who can help us deliver client-centered services that are creative, focused, and responsive.”
McDermott continues to experience growing client demand in this dynamic and often complex sector of the employee benefits market. The addition of Ms. Samsa will complement the Firm’s existing interdisciplinary team that serves the Firm’s leading clients in the fields of executive pay and benefits, physician compensation, executive and physician employment and separation agreements, exempt organization tax law, and employee benefits.
In 2011, US News–Best Lawyers named McDermott “Law Firm of the Year” in the area of Employee Benefits. Similarly, McDermott was the only law firm to receive Tier 1 rankings in Health in 2011 from all of the major ranking services: Chambers USA, Legal 500 USA, and Best Lawyers/U.S. News & World Report.
In her 15+ years of practice, Ms. Samsa has represented a wide range of organizations including, but not limited to, Fortune 100 public companies, privately held companies, multinational organizations, not-for-profit hospital systems as well as educational institutions. Her primary practice focuses on executive employment, compensation and benefits (for both taxable and tax-exempt entities) where she regularly advises on nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, executive employment arrangements, equity compensation arrangements, SEC reporting, compliance and change in control issues.
Ms. Samsa also maintains a core practice with respect to qualified retirement plans for both taxable and tax-exempt entities (including defined benefit, 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans). She frequently advises Boards of Directors, Compensation Committees and Retirement/Investment Committees on employee benefit governance matters and fiduciary counseling with associated risk assessment with respect to legal and regulatory compliance. In 2010, The Legal 500 US wrote that Ms. Samsa provides “practical and thorough advice on retirement and executive compensation” matters. She is also ranked in Chambers USA 2010.
Ms. Samsa is admitted to practice in the State of Illinois and before the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. A graduate of DePaul University College of Law, Ms. Samsa is also a Certified Public Accountant.
