As a partner in Covington’s employee benefits practice group, Mike Francese focuses on counseling clients in matters arising under their employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements with respect to ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, and related federal and state laws.  He also represents clients before agencies and courts on both the federal and state level, and consults with them in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions.

Mike's practice covers a broad spectrum of employee benefit plans and programs, as well as a variety of executive compensation arrangements, such as:

• tax-qualified defined benefit and defined contribution plans, including traditional and hybrid pension plans, 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, and ESOPs;
• non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, including top-hat plans, 457(f) arrangements for employees of non-profit employers, and other types of nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements;
• equity-based compensation arrangements, including stock options, restricted stock, and phantom equity awards;
• health and welfare plans, including cafeteria, medical, disability, and severance plans and arrangements; and
• executive employment and consulting agreements, including change in control, and parachute payment arrangements.