Christine P Roberts

Ms. Roberts practices exclusively in the area of employment benefits and employment law, with particular emphasis on pension and welfare benefit plan compliance under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). 

Christine works primarily with small to mid-sized, privately held businesses (from 50 to 250 employees).  Given Santa Barbara's strong not for profit sector, a number of her clients are not for profit entities, including both public charities and private foundations.  Areas of particular emphasis include the following:

• Resolving operational and fiduciary errors in qualified retirement plans under the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor voluntary compliance programs.  By assisting clients through these programs, Christine is able significantly to reduce their potential audit liability.
• Design and drafting of nonqualified deferred compensation plans for upper-level management personnel.  Christine helps clients design and operate these plans within the tight regulatory guidelines instituted in 2005 under Internal Revenue Code Section 409A.  Christine also works frequently with nonqualified deferred compensation plans unique to nonprofit employers under Code Section 457.
• Christine has developed expertise in performing benefits due diligence in anticipation of a merger, acquisition, or other change in business ownership or control.  She is well versed in this process in both stock and/or asset transactions, and works closely with transactional attorneys in meeting deal deadlines and resolving benefit plan issues discovered in the due diligence process.
• Christine fields client calls and emails each week on a multitude of questions related to welfare benefit plans including group medical and dental coverage (both insured, and self-funded arrangements), cafeteria or “flex” plans, COBRA continuation coverage, and health privacy issues at both the federal (HIPAA) and state level.
• Finally, Christine works frequently with broader employment law issues, including employment discrimination, labor relations, and wage and hour issues, and as a result can often address the potential consequences of a benefits decision from these multiple perspectives.