Allison Itami advises employers and service providers on employee benefit programs, including health and retirement plans, with a focus in federal laws such as ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code, and the ways in which state laws affect benefit plans. Allison frequently works with state and municipal governmental units sponsoring and administering benefit plans and programs.

Allison works closely with service providers in the IRA and employer plan industry. These service providers include multi-national financial institutions, national and regional broker-dealers, banks, record-keepers, and insurance companies. Allison assists these financial institutions to comply with existing Department of Labor regulations and guidance.

Additionally, she provides advocacy regarding proposed regulations, advisory opinions, and individual prohibited transaction exemptions ranging from fiduciary investment advice to captive welfare benefit insurance arrangements to stock rights issued to plans.

She has worked with employers to draft, maintain, or terminate tax qualified retirement savings plans. From drafting policies to assisting with internal or Department of Labor audits, Allison has assisted plan fiduciaries with all manner of compliance processes. She assists plan fiduciaries in performing legal due diligence on selecting a service provider or investing in an alternative investment option. Her practice also includes providing legal counsel on investment items including prudent process and considerations for investing and divesting.

Allison’s practice includes a focus data privacy and cybersecurity issues. In addition to assisting service providers, she advises plan personnel regarding the use of plan data, data security provisions in service contracts, and post-incident actions. Allison is a frequent speaker at conferences on the topic of cybersecurity as it relates to benefit plans.