Katten Grows Employee Benefits Practice with Mitchel Pahl

(NEW YORK) Katten announced today that Mitchel C. Pahl has joined its Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice as a partner in the New York office.

Pahl concentrates his practice on the employee benefits and executive compensation aspects of private and public company M&A, as well as lending, financing and other corporate transactions, and private equity management compensation. He also counsels clients on the design and operation of qualified retirement plans, equity incentive plans and other non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, and the negotiation of executive employment agreements and separation packages.

He has played a role in many high-profile corporate transactions, representing public companies, financial and government institutions, private equity firms and high-net-worth individuals around the world in a number of industries including tech, financial services, pharmaceutical, real estate and health care.

"Mitch brings decades of experience with highly complex and cutting-edge transactions and compliance matters, including those involving cross-border executives, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, asset-backed securities and other securitization vehicles," said Kate Ulrich Saracene, Katten partner and leader of the firm's Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice. "Mitch also brings new capabilities to Katten with his focus on qualified retirement plans, benefit plans for non-profits, and experience working with ESOPs. With the addition of Mitch, we've achieved our goal of building a full-service employee benefits and executive compensation practice, able to advise any type of client on any type of plan or transaction."

A sought-after public speaker noted for his work on global executive compensation matters, Pahl has served on panels addressing topics related to employee benefits including severance packages, pension plans, executive compensation arrangements and the Affordable Care Act. He is the co-author of a chapter of the Executive Compensation treatise, published by the New York Law Journal Press, and is a former adjunct professor at the Lubin School of Business at Pace University.

Prior to Katten, Pahl was senior counsel in the Compensation & Benefits group at Orrick. His arrival comes on the heels of another attorney in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice — Andrew R. Skowronski — being promoted to partner.