Boston, MA, August 18, 2022 – The Wagner Law Group, widely recognized as the country’s top ERISA and employee benefits law firm, is delighted to announce that Marcia Wagner, the firm’s founder and Managing Partner, has been appointed to the Massachusetts Advisory Council of The New England Legal Foundation. “I am very honored to accept this appointment from an organization devoted to promoting free enterprise, and I look forward to participating in the Advisory Council in order to help further its mission,” says Ms. Wagner.
The New England Legal Foundation (NELF) is the leading non-profit public interest law firm in the region dedicated to addressing policy and constitutional concerns related to free enterprise. NELF’s ongoing mission is to champion individual economic liberties, property rights, good government based on the rule of law, and inclusive economic growth. NELF challenges actions by governments and private litigants which would unreasonably intrude on the economic freedoms of individuals and business enterprises, in New England and nationwide. It supports the belief that free enterprise is a linchpin of a democratic society and offers the most sustainable path to advance the American ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
NELF President Daniel B. Winslow said of Ms. Wagner, “She is a quintessential example of a lawyer who has embraced the value of entrepreneurship. She founded her law firm on a shoestring and now oversees one of the nation’s premier ERISA law firms. She brings to our Massachusetts Advisory Council a unique level of expertise, experience, and wisdom. She will be a great addition to our leadership ranks.” “Our state Advisory Councils,” Mr. Winslow noted, “help develop our Foundation’s positions on public policy matters, and they often recommend legal advocacy for consideration by our Board of Directors on issues of importance to the region’s economy. The Advisory Councils also host speakers of interest to their particular sector of the economy at locations convenient to members in each state.”
Ms. Wagner has been practicing ERISA & employee benefits law for approximately 35 years and founded The Wagner Law Group more than 25 years ago. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Cornell University and is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
Ms. Wagner is an authority on employee benefits matters, including qualified and non-qualified plans, fiduciary issues, deferred compensation, and welfare benefit arrangements. Her experience in employee benefits includes plan design, drafting and preparation, compliance, tax planning and consultation on all aspects of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. She consults with law firms, employee benefits organizations, and corporate and public plan sponsors, and serves routinely as an expert witness in ERISA litigation. She counsels plan sponsors on qualified plans, 403(b) and 457 plans, multiple employer plans (MEPs), IRAs, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), executive compensation arrangements and retiree medical benefits in matters involving plan operation and maintenance, plan terminations, mergers and acquisitions, tax treatment of plan participants, use of life insurance and annuities, and derisking of pension liabilities.
Ms. Wagner also specializes in Title I of ERISA, and has obtained advisory opinions, information letters and prohibited transaction exemptions from the U.S. Department of Labor. She handles fiduciary matters impacting plan sponsors, investment and other fiduciary committees, investment managers and advisors, recordkeepers, broker-dealers, banks, and other financial services firms. Ms. Wagner advises clients on the avoidance and rectification of prohibited transactions, the development of compliance programs, and investment policies. She is a renowned expert in issues concerning pension plan investments and fiduciary issues, and her opinion has been sought by noted authorities in the employee benefits area, including governmental agencies. Ms. Wagner works on Department of Labor, IRS and PBGC audits of plans as well as of financial institutions that service plans, and has negotiated numerous favorable closing agreements.
She was appointed Chair of the Employee Plans subcommittee of the IRS Tax Exempt & Government Entities Advisory Committee and received that agency’s highest honor. She is a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and is the recipient of more than 50 professional honors. Ms. Wagner has written hundreds of articles and 24 books. She is a highly sought-after lecturer, and is widely quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Pension & Investments. She has been a guest on Fox, CNN, Bloomberg, and NBC.
The Wagner Law Group:
The Wagner Law Group has been dedicated to the highest standards of integrity, excellence and thought leadership for over two decades and is considered to be the nation’s premier ERISA and employee benefits law firm. The firm is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a Tier 1 National Best Law Firm in the areas of ERISA and employee benefits. With 48 attorneys in 12 offices, it provides unparalleled legal advice to its clients, including large, small and nonprofit corporations as well as individuals and government entities nationwide and in several foreign countries. The firm’s attorneys combine many years of experience in their fields of practice and include those who are AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and have been named to the prestigious Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers® lists for 2022. The Wagner Law Group is certified as a woman-owned and operated business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.