Doug Dahl spotlightTell us about your practice.

I have a relatively-broad employee benefits practice that focuses primarily on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, including ESOPs, pension plans and deferred compensation. I also spend a good portion of my time on equity plans, bonus plans and various benefit issues in the M&A space. Although I don’t spend as much time on health and welfare plans here at Bass, Berry & Sims, I spent several years at my prior firm knee deep in the Affordable Care Act and its endless pages of regulations.

What is an interesting trend happening right now related to your field of practice?

One thing that is unique (as well as challenging) about employee benefits is that the laws are constantly changing. Tax reform very much impacts employee benefits, as do any changes to healthcare reform. Any movement on these items could significantly change the way our clients offer various benefits to their employees and thus our practice. Hopefully any changes to the tax and healthcare systems will just keep us busy!

In 2016, you joined the firm as a lateral attorney. Can you tell us about that transition and experience?

My transition and experience have gone very well. Due to the nature of my practice, I am fortunate to work with various groups at the firm, including Corporate, Healthcare and Labor & Employment, and with a couple dozen different attorneys. That level of integration helped me to feel a part of the firm and culture relatively soon after I arrived. I also consider myself a problem-solver who looks first at a client’s objective and then to whether and how the client’s objective can be met. I think other attorneys appreciate this mindset.