Haynes Boone has one of the top-ranked Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practices in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston areas, according to the Chambers USA 2022 rankings (Chambers and Partners).
Haynes Boone’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group maintained its Band 1 ranking (DFW) in the 2022 directory – one of only three law firms in that tier. The group also maintained its Band 2 ranking in Houston.
The guide commended the firm’s “talented group of employee benefits and executive compensation attorneys, noted for its strength in a broad range of areas including ERISA," adding that the group “has particular strength advising clients on health and welfare plans.” Chambers shared direct praise from market sources:
- “They are very sharp, very strategic, very solutions-oriented and quite commercially minded...
- "The Haynes Boone employee benefits team is very strong. . . . I can always rely on them to arrive at the right answer."
- "The team has great knowledge and is able to help us with unusual issues and have great depth . . . They are able to quickly work as a team to identify and resolve issues."
- "Haynes Boone has a very large group of attorneys focusing only on employee benefits. They are very responsive and very good at providing proactive advice."
Individually, Chambers USA ranked Susan Wetzel – partner and co-chair of the firm’s Employee Benefit and Executive Compensation Practice Group – Band 1 in (DFW). Chambers also listed Partner Jesse Gelsomini (Band 2) and Counsel Brian Giovannini (Up and Coming) as Notable Practitioners in Houston.
Chambers shared the following praise from clients about the lawyers:
Wetzel:
- "Susan is one of the best ERISA attorneys with whom I have worked. She is always a pleasure to work with and very responsive." "She is a very sophisticated employee benefits attorney with the ability to advise on practical implications for clients. She is very responsive, especially in urgent situations." "She is very responsive, very solutions-oriented and very creative in helping us to navigate the world of employee benefits and executive compensation."
Gelsomini:
- "He has great expertise and experience."
- "He is outstanding and does great work."
Giovannini:
- "Brian is extremely technical and very efficient."
- "He is a good lawyer."
The firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Group advises leading companies in all areas of employee benefits and executive compensation. The team delivers the practical and useful counsel that clients need, especially in this heavily regulated area where rules are constantly evolving. Several of the firm’s lawyers have worked in corporate environments, and all routinely provide the day-to-day advice and guidance necessary for clients to properly construct and administer various plans and take full advantage of the operational, financial, and tax benefits that the law.
