Downtown Lunch CLE - Executive Compensation: Latest Trends and Hot Topics

Cristin Obsitnik, Partner, Drinker Biddle Cristin is a partner in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group at Drinker Biddle, specializing in the design and implementation of non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements and tax-qualified pension plans, as well as ERISA fiduciary matters. Cristin has extensive experience in all aspects of nonqualified deferred compensation plans (including Code Section 409A compliance), executive employment and separation agreements, golden parachutes and Code Section 280G, and performance pay under Code Section 162(m). She advises on all types of equity compensation arrangements, including stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted shares, restricted share units and phantom stock plans. Cristin also has extensive experience providing advice on company mergers and acquisitions, including how to handle any employee benefits matters that may arise, including controlled group, withdrawal liability and COBRA issues. Cristin also represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Cristin holds a B.A. from Amherst College, a J.D. from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law (cum laude), and a LLM from Northwestern University School of Law (with honors).

Michael Oettinger, Expert Counsel "" Benefits, Walgreens Mike is a member of the Employment Law Team at Walgreens, specializing in employee benefits/ERISA and executive compensation law. Mike serves as a legal advisor to management and HR personnel in all aspects of the design, compliance and administration of compensation and benefits programs for Walgreens and its publicly-held parent, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Mike is also responsible for employment, consulting, vendor and separation agreements, and other aspects of new hire and separation arrangements. Mike provides advice and guidance on total rewards matters in corporate acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations, and he also serves as the Walgreens-designated Trustee for multi-employer union pension and health plans. During his 15+ years at Walgreens, Mike has also served in various non-legal HR leadership positions, including compensation, executive compensation and business-unit operations HR. Prior to joining Walgreens, Mike was in-house counsel at True North Communications and in private practice at Gardner, Carton & Douglas (now Drinker Biddle). Mike holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Illinois, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. Lori Lenard, Senior Counsel, Asst. Sec. Compensation and Benefits, Discover Financial Services Lori is a member of the Public Company Team at Discover and leads a team in advising on all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including design and administration of tax-qualified, nonqualified and welfare benefit plans. She is also responsible for advising on third-party vendor, investment and insurance agreements and benefit disputes. She advises, trains and supports Discover's ERISA fiduciaries. Since Discover's spin-off in 2007, Lori has advised leadership on efforts to redesign compensation structures to comply with TARP, Federal Reserve Board guidance, Dodd-Frank corporate governance rules and recent tax law changes. She also leads Discover's annual proxy statement filing. Before joining Discover, Lori practiced in the Chicago Office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP where she represented private, public and not for profit entities in a variety of benefit matters. She previously served as Assistant General Counsel at FMC Technologies, Benefits Counsel at FMC Corporation and in private practice at the Chicago law firm, Altheimer & Gray. Lori holds a B.A. in Finance from Western Illinois University, and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.