New York, NY (November 10, 2014) –Venable LLP has added experienced employee benefits and ERISA attorney Juliana Reno as a partner in the firm’s New York office.
Ms. Reno joins Venable from Kutak Rock in Omaha, Nebraska, where she was a partner.
Representing clients in all areas of benefits issues, Ms. Reno regularly counsels companies on health and welfare plans, including the Affordable Care Act, ERISA, COBRA and HIPAA. Ms. Reno also advises clients concerning the mental health parity rules and the regulation of cafeteria plans. She has drafted model administrative services agreements, and trained in-house legal and sales staff on benefits issues.
Ms. Reno also advises clients on benefits-related litigation, including disputed cutbacks to retiree health benefits, alleged prohibited transactions and breaches of fiduciary duty, and claims for benefits under ERISA and non-ERISA plans.
In addition to her private practice, Ms. Reno taught an elective employee benefits course for many years as an adjunct professor at Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, and taught a course in welfare benefits at John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
“As employee benefit and retirement plans present ever-more challenging issues for companies, our clients need substantive and up-to-the-minute advice for crafting comprehensive plans and maintaining compliance with the complex laws that govern them. Juliana has exceptional experience in counseling on benefits and ERISA matters,” said Jeffrey Gonya, who heads Venable’s Tax and Wealth Planning practice.
The New York office, where Ms. Reno will be based, has also grown considerably in the past several years. “As our base of corporate, business and institutional clients has expanded, we felt it was important to have added benefits and ERISA skills serving New York clients. Juliana adds an important component to our transactional and litigation profile in this market,” added Edmund O’Toole, managing partner of Venable’s New York office.
“Venable has a strong national benefits practice, counseling companies on a full range of issues related to workplace benefits, retirement and pension planning,” Ms. Reno said. “The firm also has one of the best known practices in the country serving the needs of nonprofits and professional associations, who face many challenges in pension plan matters. The benefits group also contributes to the firm’s transactional and litigation practices where I have experience. I’m very happy to add my experience and skill set to the firm’s roster.”
Ms. Reno earned her J.D. from Creighton University School of Law and her B.A. from Yale University.
###
Note: An American Lawyer Global 100 law firm, Venable serves corporate, institutional, governmental, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the U.S. and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in California, Maryland, New York, Virginia and Delaware, Venable LLP lawyers and legislative advisors serve the needs of our domestic and global clients in all areas of corporate and business law, and complex litigation.