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Audra Ferguson is a partner in Ice Miller’s Employee Benefits Group where she concentrates her practice on employee benefits law as it relates to government employers, ranging from state governments, municipalities, tribal governments, and other public entities. She assists clients with various retirement and welfare benefit plan issues. Specifically, her practice includes assisting clients with qualified defined benefit and defined contribution plans, governmental 457(b) deferred compensation plans, 403(b) plans and qualified tuition programs, 529 college savings plans, and qualified 529A Achieving Better Life Experience ("ABLE") saving programs.
 

Audra’s practice includes work on a variety of issues for governmental retirement plans, including plan design, plan administration, Internal Revenue Service compliance, and benefit taxation.

Audra has worked with clients to obtain private letter rulings, closing agreements, and IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”) Plan correction filings. Audra has also worked with clients on governmental volume submitter plans.

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Audra is actively involved in several employee benefits organizations, including the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys (“NAPPA”), National Association of State Retirement Administrators (“NASRA”), and National Council on Teacher Retirement (“NCTR”).

For employee benefits resources, click here.

Originally from Rockville, Ind., Audra earned her Bachelor of Arts in marketing and finance, magna cum laude, from Franklin College. Audra received her juris doctor from the Robert H. McKinney School of Law: Indiana University, summa cum laude, where she graduated first in her class.

Audra is actively involved with the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic where she represents pro bono clients in immigration matters. Audra also stays connected with her alma mater, Franklin College. In 2015, Audra was the recipient of Franklin College’s Young Alumni Award for her contributions to her profession, community and Franklin College. She also serves as a Board Member on the Franklin College Williams Chair Advisory Board for the Political Science Department and served as an Ambassador for the Council of Independent Colleges.

She is admitted to practice in the state of Indiana and the state of Texas, but is representing governmental entities and retirement plans across the country.
 
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Speaking Engagements
  • "Taxation With and Without Representation: Overview of Federal Tax Topics," P2F2, October 26, 2022
  • "Session 307: Social Security Considerations for Public Pensions," Conference of Consulting Actuaries, October 17, 2022
  • "Teacher Shortage Crisis Response - Is Return to Work the Answer?" NCTR conference, October 10, 2022
  • Federal Relations/Legal Panel "Public Pensions and Washington, D.C. - A Discussion of the Intersects of Advocacy, Law, and Politics", NCTR conference, October 9, 2022
  • "W-4P/W-4R: An Update", NCTR Webinar, August 18, 2022
  • "W-4P and W-4R Update", NAPPA conference, June 2022
  • "Significant State Pension Litigation Update", NAPPA conference, June 24, 2022
  • "IRS Withholding Form W-4P", NCTR Webinar, November 18, 2021
  • Legal Panel: "The Implications of ESG for Asset Allocation", NCTR conference, October 13, 2021
  • "I'm Here Live - I'm Not a Cat: Administering Retirement Plans in Our Virtual World", NAPPA conference, October 6, 2021
  • “2020 Federal Update Panel” Webinar for NASRA conference, August 11, 2020
  • "The New CARES Act and Its Retirement-Related Provisions" Webinar for NCTR, April 9, 2020
  • Panel Discussion regarding Emerging Federal Tax Compliance Issues Affecting Public Plans, NASRA/NCTR 2020 Joint Conference, March 2, 2020
  • "SECURE Act Implementation Issues," Webinar for NCTR, February 5, 2020
  • "Come on Take the Money & Run: Uncashed Checks, Disclaimer of Benefits, and Missing Participants," NAPPA Winter Meeting, February 2020
  • "Impact of Charter Schools on Teacher Pension Plans: Federal Law Considerations," NCTR Annual Meeting, October 2019
  • "Manifest Injustice - When Strict Plan Document Interpretation 'Just Ain't Fair'," NAPPA Winter Meeting, February 2019
  • The Board's Fiduciary and Legal Responsibility to DC Plans," NCTR Annual Meeting, October 2018
  • "The Hows and Whys of DC Plan," NCTR Workshop, July 2018
  • "Choosing Investment Options - A Fiduciary's Responsibility," NAPPA Annual Meeting, June 2018
  • "Alternative Plans," NAPPA Winter Meeting, February 2018
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