Justin Stemple focuses his practice on qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and executive compensation, including incentive programs and equity compensation. "Employee benefit regulations are very complex," he says. "I strive to communicate those complex rules to my clients in ways that are easy to understand and apply practically." To gain insight into the field, Justin also teaches a certification course for employee benefits specialists.

Representative Experience

  • Counseling employers and shareholders on transferring ownership to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and on the dissolution or sale of an ESOP-owned company
  • Counseled employers regarding the impact of mergers and acquisitions on their qualified retirement plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans
  • Successfully negotiating contract dispute with third-party administrator regarding qualified retirement plan distribution issues
  • Assisting employers with submissions to correct retirement plan operational errors under Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor correction procedures
  • Implementing the freeze and termination of defined benefit pension plans with the PBGC in both standard and distress terminations
  • Assisting employers successfully resolve issues raised in Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service audits
  • Counseling employers and compensation consultants in regard to the design and implementation of complex equity incentive programs
  • Assisting employers with reviewing and challenging multimillion dollar withdrawal liability claims by union multiemployer pension funds
  • Providing document services for all varieties of qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, defined benefit pension plans, profit-sharing plans, ESOPs and union multi-employer pension plans
  • Drafting and conducting Internal Revenue Code Section 409A reviews of deferred compensation plans, including phantom stock plans, individual account balance plans, non-account balance plans, incentive based plans and severance agreements
  • Assisting several publicly traded companies structure their non-qualified deferred compensation plans to achieve their original business purpose and retain flexibility while bringing the plans into compliance with Section 409A

Honors and Awards

  • Order of the Coif
  • Phi Betta Kappa

Bar Associations

  • State Bar of Michigan

Teaching and Lecturing

  • Adjunct Faculty Member, Western Michigan University (Certified Employee Benefits Specialist Program), 2006-Present
  • Regular speaker with ESOP Association
  • "Are You Ready for New DOL Fee Disclosure Rules?," WNJ Human Resources Seminar, March 25, 2011, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • "Plan Mechanics," ESOP Association Michigan Chapter Meeting, October 27, 2010
  • 2010 Legislative Update, West Michigan Chapter of ISCEBS, November 17, 2010
  • "Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans:  What and Why?," WNJ Human Resources Seminar, March 23, 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • "Last Call for 409A," WNJ Human Resources Seminar, September 11, 2008, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • "Generational Differences in the Workplace," ESOP Association Michigan Chapter Meeting, October 23, 2007
  • "Electronic SPDs, Notices and Consents:  What You Need to Know," WNJ Human Resources Seminar, May 10, 2007, Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • "Structuring Equity Compensation in ESOP Companies," ESOP Association Michigan Chapter Meeting, March 28, 2007

Publications

  • Editor of HR Focus, the firm's quarterly newsletter

Professional Affiliations

  • National Center for Employee Ownership
  • The ESOP Association

Events

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