KRISTI L. HILL

Kristi is Vice Chair of the ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) and employee benefits practice group. She focuses her practice on the areas of ERISA and employee benefits, employment and labor law, and corporate transactions. She enjoys applying her legal expertise to help employers attract and retain valuable employees by working with employers to find practical and workable solutions to problems they face that are in compliance with complex legal requirements.

Kristi counsels clients regarding all aspects of qualified retirement plan compliance (401(k), profit sharing, 403(b), ESOP, defined benefit, and governmental), including document drafting and review, plan design, operations and implementation, compliance resolution/corrections, prohibited transaction analysis, and other Internal Revenue Code and ERISA compliance matters. She is also experienced in guiding clients through plan mergers, terminations, and spin-offs. Kristi advises plan sponsors regarding fiduciary duties and risks, and recommended best practices and procedures. She also defends clients in IRS audits and DOL investigations to resolve investigations favorably for employers.

With respect to health and welfare plan compliance, including cafeteria, flexible spending, and health savings plans, Kristi addresses issues governed by ERISA, the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, and COBRA.

Kristi is also experienced in advising clients regarding retirement, health and welfare, and executive compensation benefits issues that arise during corporate transactions, including with respect to nonqualified plans and Section 409A issues.

When she is not at work, Kristi enjoys an active life. She is an avid Arizona Wildcats fan, and enjoys traveling and running. She also loves spending time with her husband and children and is an avid reader.

Education

  • J.D., magna cum laude, Duke University School of Law
  • M.A. Brigham Young University
  • B.A., magna cum laude, Utah State University

Areas Of Practice

We have an extensive practice counseling employers on all aspects of employee benefits.  

Our attorneys practicing in the employment and labor relations area advise and defend management in virtually all aspects of the employment relationship.

Our business and finance attorneys represent national, regional and local clients participating in significant transactions.

OTHER EXPERIENCE

  • Retirement Plans
  • Health Care Plans

Awards and Honors

  • Best Lawyers in America®, Ones to Watch – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, 2024
  • Southwest Rising Stars®, Employee Benefits, 2021, 2023

Representative Matters

  • Conducted extensive benefit plan due diligence for international engineering company for $800 million acquisition, and assisted with resulting plan merger.
  • Successfully designed and defended complex and unconventional IRS correction application for regional healthcare network’s qualified retirement plan resulting in employer corrective contributions totaling just 15% of the approximately $1.5 million required under the IRS safe harbor correction approach.
  • Cleaned up and successfully defended complex IRS Form 5310 application for a favorable determination letter on the plan termination of a large health network’s 401(k) plan that was prepared and submitted by another plan service provider.
  • Successfully defended small employer’s profit sharing plan in Department of Labor investigation involving multiple findings of prohibited transactions which resulted in payments to the plan of less than 15% of the more than $500,000 initially demanded by the Department.

Articles and Presentations

Professional and community activities

  • Board Member, Western Pension and Benefits Council, Governing Board
  • Former President, Western Pension and Benefits Council, Phoenix Chapter
  • Former Board Member, Western Pension and Benefits Council, Phoenix Chapter

Admissions

  • Arizona