Andrew Gaines
U.S. Head of Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits, New York
With four decades of experience, I advise clients on complex executive compensation and employee benefits elements arising from mergers and acquisitions as well as Title I ERISA matters.
Overview
Professional experience
Education and qualifications
Published works
Overview
Andrew has practiced for more than 35 years exclusively in the Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits area at several preeminent law firms and have had the opportunity to advise clients on a wide array of complex executive compensation and employee benefits elements of public and private mergers and acquisitions, capital market transactions and restructuring/bankruptcy matters. In addition, Andrew has also been a leader in the New York bar on advising investment fund sponsors and pension plan investors on Title I ERISA matters.
Andrew advises employers on all aspects of executive compensation and employee benefit plans and their treatment in corporate transactions and in bankruptcy. He also represents employers and executives in the negotiation of employment and severance agreements. Andrew counsels’ investment fund sponsors on ERISA issues associated with the formation of private investment funds and the structuring of underlying investments as well as upper-tier arrangements for their partners and employees. Andrew also frequently counsels large institutional pension investors on fiduciary issues arising in connection with investing in private investment funds.
Andrew frequently advises private funds clients and their portfolio companies. Andrew is the practice leader of the Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits practice in the U.S. and resides in the Linklaters New York Office.
Professional experience
Andrew has been recognized as a leading individual in Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation by Chambers USA and the Legal 500 for the past seven consecutive years, with clients describing him as “an incredible subject matter expert who is also very practical.”
In 2021, he was recognized as a “Leading Corporate Employment Lawyer” by Lawdragon. Andrew was named the 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (NY) by The Best Lawyers in America, and has been recognized in both the Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Tax Law (NY) categories since 2006.
Andrew is a frequent lecturer for Practicing Law Institute, Practical Law and the ABA. Andrew is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Riverspring Life (prominent NY geriatric care institution) and a Trustee of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.