Polsinelli Shughart PC welcomes attorneys Mary K. Samsa and William P. Sweeney to the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice as shareholders. Samsa and Sweeney join a deep bench of attorneys who advise clients in this increasing complex area of compliance responsibility. They assist clients on all aspects of plan creation and design, plan compliance and executive compensation agreements. Both attorneys previously practiced at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago before joining Polsinelli Shughart.
“Polsinelli Shughart is committed to recruitment of talented attorneys like Mary and Bill who can provide our clients with proactive advice and creative solutions that will benefit them the most,” said Managing Director/Chicago Anthony J. Nasharr. “They are an excellent addition to the Chicago office which continues its growth and commitment to outstanding client services. We are excited to have both on board.”
About Mary K. Samsa
Samsa has been in practice for more than 15 years and represents Fortune 500 public companies, privately held business entities and multinational organizations, as well as not-for-profit hospital systems and educational institutions. She maintains a core practice with respect to qualified retirement plans for both taxable and tax-exempt entities, and frequently interfaces with boards of directors, compensation committees and retirement/investment committees on employee benefit governance matters. She concentrates her practice in the area executive compensation for both taxable and tax-exempt entities and regularly advises on nonqualified, deferred compensation arrangements, executive employment arrangements and equity compensation packages, governmental reporting and disclosure, and international tax and employment issues for companies with mobile workforces.
“I’m a team-focused individual, whereby I truly believe that attorneys working together for the same client-driven goals can achieve significantly greater things for clients than just one attorney working alone,” Samsa said. “Polsinelli Shughart has developed an innovative platform, allowing attorneys in a broad range of legal practice areas to collaborate and provide superior service to clients. I wanted my clients to receive the benefits of that platform.”
Samsa earned her law degree with high honors in 1996 from DePaul University College of Law. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois in 1988 and a Master of Science in Taxation degree in 1992 from DePaul University College of Commerce.
Samsa is a member of the American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Society for Human Resource Management, Human Resource Management Association of Chicago and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals. She is the founder of the U.S. Midwest chapter of the Global Equity Organization and is a member of Empowering Women Network.
A respected leader in her field, Samsa also speaks and writes regularly on executive compensation issues. She sits on the editorial advisory boards for The Benefits and Compensation Law Alert Journal and The Benefits and Compensation Law for Nonprofits Journal and contributes columns.
About William Sweeney
Sweeny brings to Polsinelli Shughart a broad-based, comprehensive practice which involves all areas of employee benefits law. He advises public, private and tax-exempt employers on the design, implementation and administration of all types of welfare plans and tax-qualified retirement plans, including defined benefit, 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b), as well as counseling clients and conducting training on ERISA fiduciary compliance, COBRA and HIPAA.
Sweeney also has had substantial experience working with multi-employer benefit funds. He has represented clients before the IRS and the U.S. Department of Labor with respect to employee benefit plan audits and voluntary correction procedure filings, and drafting and negotiating terms of merger and acquisition agreements.
“Polsinelli Shughart’s strong national presence offers huge growth potential in respect to employee benefit clients and services,” Sweeney said. “It is an exciting time to join Polsinelli Shughart, and I welcome the opportunity to become a part of this forward-thinking, collaborative firm.”
Sweeney earned his law degree, cum laude, in 2002 from John Marshall Law School. He also was a member of the John Marshall Law Review. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Millikin University in 1999.
Sweeney is a member of the Chicago and Illinois Bar Associations. He is the co-chair of the Chicagoland CureSearch Walk to Conquer Childhood Cancer and is a member of the Irish Children’s Fund.
For more information contact:
Public Relations Manager Heather McMichael, 816-395-0618,
Parris Communications Bob Inderman, 816-931-8900,
About Polsinelli Shughart PC
With more than 500 attorneys, Polsinelli Shughart PC (www.polsinelli.com) is a national law firm that is a recognized leader in the areas of business litigation, financial services, real estate, business law, construction, life sciences, environmental and natural resources, health care, insurance coverage/bad faith, and labor and employment. Serving corporate, institutional and individual clients regionally, nationally and worldwide, Polsinelli Shughart is known for successfully applying forward-thinking strategies for both straightforward and complex legal matters. The firm has 16 offices located in Kansas City, St. Louis, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Washington, New York, Wilmington, Overland Park, St. Joseph, Springfield, Jefferson City, Topeka and Edwardsville.