Barbara Schlaff focuses her practice on qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation retirement plans, executive compensation, welfare plans and other benefit programs. Among other things, Ms. Schlaff designs and drafts employee benefit plans; advises clients on administrative, tax and ERISA issues, including fiduciary rules pertaining to the plans; interfaces on behalf of clients with various governmental agencies like the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation; works with Venable’s corporate group in acquisitions and mergers; and partners with our litigators in ERISA lawsuits.

Ms. Schlaff enhances clients’ efficiencies by performing their benefits work, and offers a Venable team bringing general corporate, tax, benefits and securities capabilities to a client.

Significant Matters

Selected recent activities include: implementation of a deferred compensation plan for corporate executives; work on mergers of numerous banks (and their employee benefit plans); creation of a governmental excess benefit plan; successful negotiation with the IRS in qualifying a cash balance plan; preparation of compensation disclosures for proxy statements and 10-K filings; and advice on ERISA prohibited transaction issues in a major common trust fund conversion.

Activities

Active in her profession and her community, Ms. Schlaff is a member of various bar associations and has formerly served as chairperson of the Employee Benefits Committee, the Tax Awareness Committee and the Pro Bono Committee of the Tax Section of the Maryland State Bar Association. She is a noted speaker in the employee benefits area, having lectured at numerous seminars, including the IRS Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Regional Conferences, the AICPA National Conference on Employee Benefit Plans and the Advanced Tax Institute co-sponsored by Maryland lawyers and certified public accountants. Ms. Schlaff serves as a member of the Advisory Committee, University of Baltimore School of Law, and as an officer of the Center for Jewish Education. She is a trustee for the Har Sinai Congregation.