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William L. Sollee, Jr.
Partner
1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
T:  202.393.7600
F:  202.393.7601

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William L. Sollee, Jr. is a nationally-recognized expert on the regulation of employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements under the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA.  Many of the most sophisticated corporations in the world – General Motors, Chrysler, Ford Motor, Boeing, Xerox, Caterpillar, DuPont, Anheuser-Busch, Cisco, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Mattel, and Sodexo, among others – have relied on Mr. Sollee to guide them through the Tax and ERISA standards governing employee benefit plans and represent them before the IRS and other government agencies.  He frequently provides advice on the application of Code section 409A and leads comprehensive Tax Code compliance reviews of qualified plans, a service he has now performed for plans with assets in the aggregate exceeding $250 billion.

Clients have benefited significantly from Mr. Sollee’s creativity and problem-solving ability over the years. Mr. Sollee’s benefit designs have been successfully adopted by Fortune 50 and other major corporations. He has devised innovative new approaches to more efficiently finance and secure nonqualified deferred compensation plans and to optimize benefit-related tax deductions. Mr. Sollee’s ingenuity once even “saved” the New York State hospital financing system from collapse (if you believe the Times ).

Mr. Sollee has particular expertise in the following areas:

  • Qualified retirement plans regulated under Internal Revenue Code sections 401, 401(k), 411, 436 and related provisions
  • Deferred compensation plans and executive compensation subject to Code sections 83, 162(m), 402 and 409A
  • VEBAs subject to Code sections 419, 419A and 512
  • Cafeteria plans subject to Code section 125
  • Worker classification issues involving the application of common law standards and section 530
  • The tax treatment of compensation and benefit programs generally, including employee benefit tax accounting methods under Code sections 162, 404 and 419A

Mr. Sollee also frequently advises pension sponsors regarding compliance with ERISA fiduciary standards, having developed particular expertise in designing administrative structures that reduce exposure to lawsuits challenging breach of fiduciary duty. 

Significant Projects and Rulings

In the past several years, Mr. Sollee:

  • Secured IRS approval for a never-before-approved accounting method change authorizing a multi-million dollar acceleration of deductions for VEBA retiree medical contributions
  • Was lead outside pension tax counsel in a high-profile bankruptcy case during which he negotiated the largest pension plan funding waivers ever granted by the IRS and PBGC (PLRs 200730026, 200730027)
  • Represented two automotive companies in their negotiations with IRS to secure approval of a multi-billion dollar transfer of pension assets from one sponsor's pension plan to the other's (PLR 200734022)  
  • Helped another multinational corporation secure an IRS private letter ruling on a complex qualified plan issue of first impression (PLR 200237026)
  • Received IRS approval for an innovative retiree-medical funding vehicle involving a multinational employer’s 401(k) plan
  • Successfully negotiated scores of other favorable government rulings, no-action agreements and settlements

Mr. Sollee also frequently assists clients during the comment period following the issuance of proposed regulations, helping ensure that final regulations do not have unintended consequences on the client’s benefit structure. 

Government Service

Legislation Counsel, U.S. Joint Committee on Taxation, 1991 - 1992

Tax Counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, 1993 - 1994

Honors & Awards

Listed in Legal 500

Listed in Best Lawyers in America

Memberships & Affiliations

American Bar Association, Tax Section, Employee Benefits Committee

District of Columbia Bar, Tax Section, Employee Benefits Committee

Publications
Speeches & Presentations

Complying with New Section 409A, DC Bar, Section of Taxation Employee Benefits Committee, 2006 

News
Education

The University of Michigan Law School, 1988, J.D., with honors

  • Katcher Senior Tax Prize

Harvard University, 1985, A.B. in Applied Mathematics, with honors

  • Admitted with sophomore standing
Bar and Court Admissions

District of Columbia

Maryland

U.S Tax Court