Benefits Lawyer, ED

We're seeking a Benefits lawyer to join the Employment Law team in the Legal and Compliance division as an Executive Director.

In the Legal & Compliance division, we assist the Firm in achieving its business objectives by facilitating and overseeing the Firm's management of legal, regulatory and franchise risk. This is an Executive Director level position within the Employment Law team name as lead counsel advising on all US retirement, health and welfare benefit plan matters, providing strategic, legal, and technical advice to Human Capital Management and multiple plan committees.

Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.

Responsibilities include:
> Review, analyze and draft decision letters with respect to 401(k), pension, and health and welfare plan claims and appeals
> Advise on the design, administration, and compliance of qualified pension, profit-sharing, 401(k), and welfare benefit plans
> Prepare amendments to employee benefit plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans and severance pay plans to ensure compliance with applicable legal requirements and to implement plan design changes
> Review statutory, regulatory and other governmental pronouncements to assess the impact on employee benefit plans
> Assist with submission of various federal and state governmental reports related to US employee benefit plans
> Prepare and review employee benefit plan communications
> Prepare and revise summary plan descriptions and other employee communications
> Advise on the resolution of compliance issues and other technical matters that arise in the day-to-day administration of employee benefit plans and programs
> Assess impact of corporate transactions (mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, etc.) on employee benefit plans
> Prepare IRS determination letter requests and other employee benefits-related governmental filings
> Correct retirement plan qualification errors and failures through IRS correction programs
> Advise on the resolution of issues and concerns that arise in the administration of the Firm's employee benefit plans
> Act as Secretary to and draft minutes of US and Canada retirement plan investment and US health and welfare committees
> Respond to related regulator inquiries and research related issues
> Oversee related litigation matters, including preparing responses and gathering materials to provide to counsel
> Prepare, review and negotiate various employee benefits-related vendor contracts and investment management agreements
> Perform other duties as assigned What you'll bring to the role:?

> A qualified lawyer in the US with 8 to 10 years of relevant legal experience (either at a major law firm and/or in-house)
> Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills with ability to contribute successfully to cross-functional teams
> Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to distill and communicate complex ideas in a clear, commercially astute manner that supports internal clients in making difficult decisions
> Highly motivated and independent self-starter with excellent work ethic
> Excellent analytical skills with ability to exercise sound judgement even in ambiguous situations
> Excellent organizational skills with experience of managing multiple time-sensitive projects simultaneously
> Strong lateral thinking and problem solving
> Ability to provide practical advice to other teams within the Legal & Compliance Division and business units
> Ability to work from Morgan Stanley's New York office 3 to 4 days per week

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

We are committed to maintaining the first-class service and high standard of excellence that have defined Morgan Stanley for over 89 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $165,000 and $275,000 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. Consequently, our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees.

It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).