Chris Rylands is a member of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice group. His practice covers the full range of employee benefits and executive compensation issues from design and implementation of employee benefit plans and executive compensation programs, ongoing compliance with the tax and other rules related to such plans and programs, up to and including termination of such plans and programs.  Mr. Rylands has also assisted clients with employee benefits and executive compensation issues in mergers and acquisitions.

In the retirement plan arena, Mr. Rylands has counseled clients with regard to issues associated with maintaining 401(k) and defined benefit pension plans.  He has also assisted clients in using employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) as both a retirement planning and corporate finance tool.  Mr. Rylands has represented clients in front of the IRS and Department of Labor in reviews and examinations of their retirement plans by those agencies.  With regard to health and welfare plans, Mr. Rylands has aided clients in compliance with the varying array of health and welfare-related laws including HIPAA and COBRA compliance.

Mr. Rylands’ executive compensation experience includes the drafting and negotiating of a wide variety of executive compensation arrangements, including, in particular, extensive experience with executive employment agreements.  Mr. Rylands has advised clients with regard to the tax implications of their various arrangements under Sections 162(m) (deduction limitations), 280G (golden parachute rules), and 409A (deferred compensation rules) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Mr. Rylands' previous professional experience includes work in the areas of data compilation and analysis at the University of Oklahoma and Southern Regional Education Board.