Cohen & Buckmann, P.C.

Firm Details: 

Managing Partner: Sandra Cohen

Languages: English 

Firm Overview: 

Cohen & Buckmann is a New York-based, boutique law firm that primarily practices in areas of executive compensation and employee benefits law. The firm’s founding partners, Sandra Cohen and Carol Buckmann, are known throughout the world for their advice and counsel on these complex areas of the law. The firm represents C-suite executives and executive teams, companies, and employers of all sizes. Other law firms often hire the Firm to handle matters that fall outside of their scope of work. These typically are matters relating to Equity Plans, Executive Compensation, Section 409A and ERISA matters. The Firm handles complex management negotiations, taxation of deferred compensation (409A), provides advice to funds and plan fiduciaries and guidance on fiduciary duties and covers employee benefits, and tax-qualified plans in corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions. Cohen & Buckmann attorneys often serve as outside pension and benefits counsel to corporate law firms and are known for their experience and knowledge of cross-border employment matters. The firm also counsels investment advisers on regulatory matters and their fiduciary duties to clients.

Main Areas of Practice: 

Employee Benefits

Employment Law

Entrepreneurship

Executive Compensation

Investment Advisory Law

Executive Compensation:  

Compensation arrangements play a critical role in attracting talent and driving performance. Led by Sandra Cohen, an industry veteran and law professor, Cohen & Buckmann attorneys are experienced at understanding the key goals and incentives and helping to achieve them by analyzing governance implications and legal and financial risks associated with compensation and benefit schemes. They also are skilled at navigating interrelated securities law, disclosure, investor relations, tax, ERISA, and accounting issues. The firm represents executives, executive management teams, employers, and funds in matters involving complex negotiations related to the transactional aspects of mergers and acquisitions, equity rollovers, employment agreements, severance packages, noncompete issues, nonqualified deferred compensation, golden parachute taxes (Section 280G), harmonizing employee benefits, and negotiating management transitions, among others. They are known globally for being adept at navigating Code Section 409A, Section 457(f) and other tax matters and providing personalized guidance on sophisticated equity plan and co-investment decisions.

Contact: Sandra Cohen

Email: [email protected]

Employee Benefits & ERISA:  

Cohen & Buckmann is known for its advice and counsel on all types of qualified retirement plans, including pension plans, 401(k) plans and ESOPs, as well as Section 403(b) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Attorneys draft and review tax qualified and supplemental retirement plans, and help employers keep qualified pensions affordable, navigate regulatory issues, and harmonize benefits after mergers and acquisitions. Led by Carol Buckmann, a pioneer in this area of the law, the team regularly advises on compliance with legal requirements and the latest law changes, including the SECURE and CARES Acts, and advising on fiduciary responsibility, how to avoid prohibited transactions, and navigating government audits.

The firm’s attorneys are often retained by law firms of all sizes, from global multinational firms to boutique M&A firms, to serve as their employee benefits and ERISA department, helping their clients establish and maintain their employee benefits plans and ensure they comply with the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, and other applicable laws that impact employee benefits.

Contact: Carol Buckmann

Email: [email protected]

Investment Advisory Law:  

Cohen & Buckmann’s Investment Advisory Law practice advises registered investment advisers in legal, regulatory and compliance matters. Drawing on years of experience as outside counsel and in in-house leadership positions, including chief compliance officer and general counsel, Cohen & Buckmann’s attorneys are known for their deep understanding of the finance industry and the numerous complex state and federal compliance issues. The team provides clients of all sizes with strategic advice and counsel throughout the lifecycle of their businesses, from inception through maturity to dissolution, as well as advice and structuring of mergers and acquisitions.

Regulatory and legal changes continue to impact the industry each year. Cohen & Buckmann’s Investment Advisory lawyers evaluate each client’s unique business and operations and develop and maintain comprehensive customized compliance programs.

Contact: Lauri London 

Email: [email protected]

Employment Law:  

Cohen & Buckmann’s employment lawyers provide timely counsel on core issues affecting the people who make businesses successful and uncover potential problems before they become crises. These include employment counselling for sensitive situations, employee policies and handbooks, reviewing how workers are classified and analysing contracts to support changing independent contractors to employees, implementing organizational best practices and restrictive covenants, including noncompetition agreements, employee confidentiality, non-solicitation, and non-disparagement agreements.

Contact: Sandra Cohen

Email: [email protected]

Entrepreneurship:  

Entrepreneurs face a variety of legal and business issues when starting new businesses and Cohen & Buckmann is well positioned to assist company founders with all aspects of entrepreneurship, from the routine to the most complex. The firm does not focus on any industry segment, so the team is able to work through challenges on ‘both sides’ of transactions. The team guides clients on incorporation and corporate record keeping, trademarks and intellectual property, transactions, seed financing and raising capital, regulatory compliance, establishing stock options and other plans for start-ups, hiring, consulting agreements, and post-employment contracts for CEOs and senior executives.

Contact: Lauri London

Email: [email protected]

Clients:  

Cohen & Buckmann represents clients from around the world on US legal issues and has a notable concentration of key Canadian clients with US activities. The firm’s clients include executives, employers, and organizations of all sizes and across all industry sectors. These range from emerging new companies to established Fortune 500 companies, including banks, digital assets, e-sports employers, telecommunications companies, media organizations, manufacturers, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, retailers, law firms, investment advisors, and others.

Firm Headquarters:  

100 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017

Tel: 212 489-9618

Fax: 866 905 2710

Email: [email protected]