March 3, 2004

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS E-UPDATE

Proposed Automatic Rollover Rules Issued

On March 1, 2004, the Department of Labor issued proposed regulations to retirement plans and financial institutions that provide guidance on how to implement a new requirement that mandatory retirement plan distributions between $1,000 and $5,000 must be automatically rolled over into an individual retirement account unless the participant directs otherwise.  The proposed rules provide safe harbors from fiduciary liability in the selection of the financial institution to provide the IRA and the selection of the IRA investments.  The Department is seeking comments on the proposed rule until April 1, 2004 with the intent to issue a final rule in June, 2004.  The automatic rollover requirement is to be effective six months after the date of publication of the final rule.  For details, please read the proposed rule and a related proposed prohibited transaction class exemption.

For further information, please contact any of our employee benefits attorneys:

Attorneys
  
Mary Beth Braitman                               Janine Bosley

marybeth.braitman@icemiller.com       janine.bosley@icemiller.com
(317) 236-2413                                         (202) 824-8618

Craig Burke                                              Gary Dankert
craig.burke@icemiller.com                    gary.dankert@icemiller.com
Assistant phone: (317) 236-2256          (317) 236-2203

Jennifer Bartels Frahm                           Philip Gutwein II
Jennifer.frahm@icemiller.com               philip.gutwein@icemiller.com
(317) 236-2302                                         (317) 236-2483

Lisa Harrison                                          Martha Hutzelman
lisa.harrison@icemiller.com                 martha.hutzelman@icemiller.com
(317) 236-5806                                        (202) 824-8619

James Kemper                                        Jason Levine, LL.M
james.kemper@icemiller.com               jason.levine@icemiller.com
(317) 236-2293                                        (202) 824-8614

Terry Mumford                                      terry.mumford@icemiller.com             
(317) 236-2110                                        (317) 236-2347

Melissa Proffitt Reese                          Marc Sciscoe
melissa.reese@icemiller.com               marc.sciscoe@icemiller.com
(317) 236-2470                                        (317) 236-2178

Tara Schulstad Sciscoe                       Christopher Sears
tara.sciscoe@icemiller.com                christopher.sears@icemiller.com
(317) 236-5888                                       (317) 236-5891

Tiffany Sharpley                                  Stephanie Smithey
tiffany.sharpley@icemiller.com        stephanie.smithey@icemiller.com
(317) 236-2111                                       (317) 236-2141

Eric Swank                                            Annemarie McGavin                 
eric.swank@icemiller.com                 annemarie.mcgavin@icemiller.com
(317) 236-2440                                      (202) 824-8642

M. Marcelle Mayard-Henry, LL.M
marcelle.mayard-henry@icemiller.com
(317) 236-5934


*Please note, the professionals listed below are not lawyers, are not licensed to practice law and do not provide legal services.

Paralegals

  
Nancy Germano                                   Jennifer Lucas
nancy.germano@icemiller.com          jennifer.lucas@icemiller.com
(317) 236-5862                                       (317) 236-2207

Taretta Shine (Chicago)                      Gregory Wolf
taretta.shine@icemiller.com               gregory.wolf@icemiller.com
(312) 726-8132                                       (317) 236-2201


Retirement Plan Consultant            Communications Consultant 
                                  Julie Herrick
         julie.herrick@icemiller.com
(317) 236-5977                                      (317) 236-5812

 
Office Locations

Indianapolis Office:                            Washington, D.C.:
One American Square                         1090 Vermont Avenue, N.W.
34th Floor, Box 82001                          Suite 920
Indianapolis, Indiana 46282               Washington, D.C. 20005      
Phone: (317) 236-2100                         Phone: (202) 824-8600
Fax: (317) 236-2219                              Fax: (202) 824-8601                     

Chicago Office:
135 S. LaSalle Street
Suite 4100
Chicago, IL  60603
 
Ice Miller is a full-service law firm with offices in Chicago, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.  The 27 employee benefits professionals of Ice Miller provide legal and consulting services for retirement and health and welfare benefits and executive compensation to public and private employers, financial institutions, insurance companies and other types of benefit service providers.
 
For additional copies of current publications, contact the Business Development Department at (317) 221-2844.  Please visit our Web site at
www.icemiller.com for more information about Ice Miller.
 
This publication is intended for general information purposes only and does not and is not intended to constitute legal advice.  The reader must consult with legal counsel to determine how laws or decisions discussed herein apply to the reader's specific circumstances.

 

Copyright (c) 2004 Ice Miller and its licensors. All rights reserved.