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Jennifer
Watkins

  • Partner
jwatkins@wnj.com
Detroit
T 313.546.6192
F 248.603.9792

My admin

I place a high priority on providing real-world, usable advice and understandable explanations to clients. Although I practice in an extremely complex area of law, I’m told I’ve got a great knack for boiling down multifaceted concepts, distilling them into non-technical language and helping clients solve problems and advance their interests. It’s important that I make things as easy as possible so my clients can focus on running their businesses and organizations.

Drawing on two decades of experience and a deep and broad knowledge base, Jennifer advises employers on the design and administration of their retirement and executive compensation plans. She also represents employers with matters before the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Jennifer strives to provide practical advice to clients to help them navigate the complicated employee benefits rules.

practices

  • Handled lump sum buy‑out process for multiple defined benefit pension plans, including preparing plan amendments, working with consultants and actuaries, reviewing and negotiating group annuity contracts and preparing distribution packages.
  • Managed termination process for several defined benefit pension plans (traditional and cash balance plans), including amending plans as required, preparing distribution forms, drafting notices to participants, preparing and submitting IRS and PBGC filings, working with actuaries and annuity contract vendors and managing post-termination PBGC audit.
  • Prepared committee charters, authority matrixes and fiduciary calendars for several clients’ retirement plans.
  • Prepared plan documents for merged pla
  • Handled lump sum buy‑out process for multiple defined benefit pension plans, including preparing plan amendments, working with consultants and actuaries, reviewing and negotiating group annuity contracts and preparing distribution packages.
  • Managed termination process for several defined benefit pension plans (traditional and cash balance plans), including amending plans as required, preparing distribution forms, drafting notices to participants, preparing and submitting IRS and PBGC filings, working with actuaries and annuity contract vendors and managing post-termination PBGC audit.
  • Prepared committee charters, authority matrixes and fiduciary calendars for several clients’ retirement plans.
  • Prepared plan documents for merged plans and designed comprehensive packages of administrative forms and processes, including election forms, beneficiary forms, QDRO forms and procedures, and distribution forms, and developed systems for administering and reporting rollovers and distributions.
  • Managed and automated qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) approval process for a defined benefit plan with more than 80,000 participants and a 401(k) plan with more than 20,000 participants.
  • Set up formal claims processing systems for retirement plans, including development of templates for responses and counseled clients on dozens of claim denials and appeals.
  • Designed, prepared, and updated various types of nonqualified executive compensation plans and completed required government filings.
  • Analyzed correction paths for nonqualified plan errors under applicable regulations and counseled clients on options.
  • Counseled nonprofit and governmental clients on issues to unique to their retirement and executive compensation programs.
  • Prepared and successfully negotiated dozens of voluntary correction program (VCP) submissions with IRS.
  • Handled several IRS and Department of Labor audits of clients’ retirement plans, including counseling client on document production and organization, acting as main contact with agency representative, and managing communications and negotiations.
  • Negotiated settlement with Department of Labor for delinquent annual report filings, which resulted in an 80% penalty reduction.
  • Reviewed and negotiated dozens of service agreements with retirement plan and executive compensation plan vendors.
  • Managed Request for Proposal (RFP) process for plan-level investment advisory services for several clients, including preparing RFP, fielding questions from candidates, evaluating proposals, and preparing and presenting comprehensive analysis of responses to plan fiduciary.
  • “SECURE Retirement Legislation Update: Additional Guidance, Administration and Implementation,” Warner 2024 HR Seminar, May 1, 2024, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • “SECURE 2.0 Legislation: A New World for Retirement Plans,” Warner 2023 HR Seminar, May 16, 2023
  • “Employee Benefits Committee: Hot Topics Roundtable Discussion,” State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section Annual Tax Conference, May 25, 2023
  • “
  • “SECURE Retirement Legislation Update: Additional Guidance, Administration and Implementation,” Warner 2024 HR Seminar, May 1, 2024, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • “SECURE 2.0 Legislation: A New World for Retirement Plans,” Warner 2023 HR Seminar, May 16, 2023
  • “Employee Benefits Committee: Hot Topics Roundtable Discussion,” State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section Annual Tax Conference, May 25, 2023
  • “Part 2: Distribution Rule Revisions,” Warner ‘s Employee Benefits SECURE Act 2.0 Webinar Series, March 28, 2023
  • “Part 1: Changes to Retirement Plan Eligibility and Contributions,” Warner ‘s Employee Benefits SECURE Act 2.0 Webinar Series, March 7, 2023
  • “Employee Benefits Webinar Series: Part 2 – Retirement Plan Legal Update,” Warner Webinar, July 14, 2021
  • “Employee Benefits Webinar Series: Part 1 – Retirement Plans: Preparing Your Plan for the New Normal, Year-End, and Beyond,” Warner Webinar, October 27, 2020
  • “The New Normal and What’s Next for Retirement Plans,” Warner Employee Benefits Webinar, June 11, 2020
  • “Employee Benefits Panel,” Warner 2019 HR Executive Panels, October 16, 2019, Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • “Tips and Traps: Executive Compensation and the Tangled Web of 409A,” FEI Detroit, October 8, 2019
  • “Crafting Deferred Compensation Solutions,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 7, 2019, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • “Employee Benefits Panel,” Warner 2018 HR Executive Panels, October 12, 2018, Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • “The Who, What, When and How of ERISA’s Reporting and Disclosure Requirements for Retirement Plans,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 3, 2018, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • “401(k) Withdrawal Dos and Don’ts,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 23, 2017, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • “How Does Compensation Affect Your Benefit Plan? 10 Things You Need to Know,” Warner Human Resources Seminar (2012)
  • “Retirement Plan Issues in Uncertain Times,” Warner Human Resources Seminar (March 2010)
    • Coauthor, “Division of Retirement Benefits,” Michigan Family Law(8th ed.), Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
    • Retirement Plan Administration Guide, Chapter 5:  Duties of Pension Plan Administrators, Bloomberg, 2021
    • “13 Things You Need to Know About Compensation,” Journal of Pension Benefits, Summer 2012
    • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2006
    • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2005
    • Coauthor, “Division of Retirement Benefits,” Michigan Family Law(8th ed.), Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
    • Retirement Plan Administration Guide, Chapter 5:  Duties of Pension Plan Administrators, Bloomberg, 2021
    • “13 Things You Need to Know About Compensation,” Journal of Pension Benefits, Summer 2012
    • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2006
    • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2005
    Image for Jennifer A. Watkins

    Jennifer
    Watkins

    • Partner
    jwatkins@wnj.com
    Detroit
    T 313.546.6192
    F 248.603.9792

    My admin

    Biography|
    Credentials

    I place a high priority on providing real-world, usable advice and understandable explanations to clients. Although I practice in an extremely complex area of law, I’m told I’ve got a great knack for boiling down multifaceted concepts, distilling them into non-technical language and helping clients solve problems and advance their interests. It’s important that I make things as easy as possible so my clients can focus on running their businesses and organizations.

    Drawing on two decades of experience and a deep and broad knowledge base, Jennifer advises employers on the design and administration of their retirement and executive compensation plans. She also represents employers with matters before the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Jennifer strives to provide practical advice to clients to help them navigate the complicated employee benefits rules.

    practices

    • “SECURE Retirement Legislation Update: Additional Guidance, Administration and Implementation,” Warner 2024 HR Seminar, May 1, 2024, Grand Rapids, Michigan
    • “SECURE 2.0 Legislation: A New World for Retirement Plans,” Warner 2023 HR Seminar, May 16, 2023
    • “Employee Benefits Committee: Hot Topics Roundtable Discussion,” State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section Annual Tax Conference, May 25, 2023
    • “
    • “SECURE Retirement Legislation Update: Additional Guidance, Administration and Implementation,” Warner 2024 HR Seminar, May 1, 2024, Grand Rapids, Michigan
    • “SECURE 2.0 Legislation: A New World for Retirement Plans,” Warner 2023 HR Seminar, May 16, 2023
    • “Employee Benefits Committee: Hot Topics Roundtable Discussion,” State Bar of Michigan Taxation Section Annual Tax Conference, May 25, 2023
    • “Part 2: Distribution Rule Revisions,” Warner ‘s Employee Benefits SECURE Act 2.0 Webinar Series, March 28, 2023
    • “Part 1: Changes to Retirement Plan Eligibility and Contributions,” Warner ‘s Employee Benefits SECURE Act 2.0 Webinar Series, March 7, 2023
    • “Employee Benefits Webinar Series: Part 2 – Retirement Plan Legal Update,” Warner Webinar, July 14, 2021
    • “Employee Benefits Webinar Series: Part 1 – Retirement Plans: Preparing Your Plan for the New Normal, Year-End, and Beyond,” Warner Webinar, October 27, 2020
    • “The New Normal and What’s Next for Retirement Plans,” Warner Employee Benefits Webinar, June 11, 2020
    • “Employee Benefits Panel,” Warner 2019 HR Executive Panels, October 16, 2019, Kalamazoo, Michigan
    • “Tips and Traps: Executive Compensation and the Tangled Web of 409A,” FEI Detroit, October 8, 2019
    • “Crafting Deferred Compensation Solutions,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 7, 2019, Grand Rapids, Michigan
    • “Employee Benefits Panel,” Warner 2018 HR Executive Panels, October 12, 2018, Kalamazoo, Michigan
    • “The Who, What, When and How of ERISA’s Reporting and Disclosure Requirements for Retirement Plans,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 3, 2018, Grand Rapids, Michigan
    • “401(k) Withdrawal Dos and Don’ts,” Warner Human Resources Seminar, May 23, 2017, Grand Rapids, Michigan
    • “How Does Compensation Affect Your Benefit Plan? 10 Things You Need to Know,” Warner Human Resources Seminar (2012)
    • “Retirement Plan Issues in Uncertain Times,” Warner Human Resources Seminar (March 2010)
      • Coauthor, “Division of Retirement Benefits,” Michigan Family Law(8th ed.), Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
      • Retirement Plan Administration Guide, Chapter 5:  Duties of Pension Plan Administrators, Bloomberg, 2021
      • “13 Things You Need to Know About Compensation,” Journal of Pension Benefits, Summer 2012
      • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2006
      • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2005
      • Coauthor, “Division of Retirement Benefits,” Michigan Family Law(8th ed.), Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education
      • Retirement Plan Administration Guide, Chapter 5:  Duties of Pension Plan Administrators, Bloomberg, 2021
      • “13 Things You Need to Know About Compensation,” Journal of Pension Benefits, Summer 2012
      • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2006
      • Contributing Author, Employee Benefits Law (Second Edition), Cumulative Supplement, 2005