LAWYER
Steven W. Rabitz
Partner | New York
Steven W. Rabitz

Steven W. Rabitz is co-chair of Dechert’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice and leads the firm's national fiduciary practice in New York. He focuses his practice on the fiduciary responsibility, prohibited transaction and funding rules of ERISA, specifically how they relate to financial products and services, U.S. Federal income tax, securities and other legal matters concerning compensation and benefits. In addition, Mr. Rabitz assists clients on how ERISA rules are applicable to the design, implementation and ongoing operation of retirement and health benefits.

Mr. Rabitz advises clients such as broker-dealers, futures commission merchants, banks, investment managers, trustees, mutual fund complexes, alternative fund sponsors and other financial market participants on the conduct of their businesses as applied to U.S. retirement clients. He also represents both private and public companies in a variety of matters involving compensation and benefits, as well as cross-border related considerations. He is regularly featured in Chambers USA for his work in employee benefits and executive compensation and in Best Lawyers for his ERISA-related practice. He is nationally recommended by The Legal 500 and was recognized on the “Hall of Fame” list in 2022. In addition, he has been ranked in Super Lawyers and was recognized as a top 20 practitioner in the area of Employee Benefits and ERISA by Lawdragon in 2019.

Mr. Rabitz’s writing on current legal topics and issues has appeared in numerous publications, including, Tax Management Compensation Journal, Pension & Benefits Daily, Derivatives: Financial Products Report, The Hedge Fund Law Report, and Neuberger Berman's DC Insights, and he has been quoted in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Institutional Investor, Barron’s, Bloomberg, Hedge Fund Law Report, International Business Times and Law 360. In 2015, he received the Burton Award for excellence in legal writing. Mr. Rabitz frequently presents at conferences and webinars held by organizations, such as the Practising Law Institute (including one which he organized and currently chairs), IBA, SIFMA, the Institutional Investor Legal Forum, Regulatory Compliance Association and International Longevity Markets Association.

Prior to private practice, Mr. Rabitz pioneered and led the ERISA, executive compensation and benefits legal function at Lehman Brothers and served in a similar capacity at Barclays Capital. He also worked as part of a dedicated team of ERISA and compensation lawyers at Goldman Sachs earlier in his career. Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Rabitz was a partner at a national leading law firm.

  • ERISA Fiduciary Rule Update — ABA Business Spring Meeting (March 31, 2022)
  • Derivatives and Other Financial Instruments; Fiduciary Rule Update — Practising Law Institute, ERISA Plan Investments in the Financial Markets 2022: The Fundamentals (March 22, 2022)
  • Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company 2022: Pay, Performance and Perspectives — Chair, Practising Law Institute (February 2, 2022)
  • Carrying On About Developments in Carried Interests — Practising Law Institute, Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company 2022: Pay, Performance and Perspectives (February 2, 2022)
  • Selected Trends in Compensation Practices in Financial Services — Practising Law Institute, Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company 2022: Pay, Performance and Perspectives (February 2, 2022)
  • Fiduciary Rule Developments — Practising Law Institute, Pension Plan Investments 2021: Advanced Perspectives (November 23, 2021)
  • Spring Meeting of the Employee Benefits Committee of the Business Section of the ABA — ABA Business Law Section (April 22, 2021)
  • Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company 2021: Pay, Performance and Perspectives  — Chairperson, Practising Law Institute, Webinar (February 3, 2021)
  • DOL-ing Out the Authority - a Busy Year for the Department of Labor — ABA-JCEB Presentation (January 12, 2021)
  • Evolving Standards for Investment Advice Fiduciaries: The New (Old) DOL Fiduciary Rule, Proposed Class Exemption and Regulation Best Interest — Stafford Webinar (October 28, 2020)
  • Employee Benefits Update — American Bar Association Business Law Section (September 23, 2020)
  • ERISA Plan Investments in the Financial Markets 2020: The Fundamentals — Practising Law Institute 
  • Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company: Pay, Performance and Perspectives — Practising Law Institute (January 14, 2020)
  • Taxation of Financial Instruments and Transactions Committee Presentation — New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, New York, NY (June 13, 2019)
  • Current Plan Investment Issues — PLI's Pension Plan Investments 2019: Current Perspectives (May 7, 2019)
  • Private Funds Nuts & Bolts: Carrying On and “Acqui-hiring” a Taste for Earnouts and Other M&A Issues — Practising Law Institute, New York, NY (March 11, 2019)
  • Derivatives and other Financial Instruments — ERISA Plan Investments in Financial Markets 2018: The Fundamentals, Practising Law Institute (March 19, 2018)
  • Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company: Pay, Performance and Perspectives — Practising Law Institute (March 13, 2017)
  • Regulatory Interactions with Plans — PLI's ERISA 2017: The Evolving World 2017 (July 31, 2017)
  • Pension Plan Investments 2017: Current Perspectives — Practising Law Institute (May 16, 2017)
  • The DOL Fiduciary Rule and MiFID II Inducements Provisions: Impact on Mutual Fund Distribution — IBA's 28th Annual Globalization of Investment Funds Conference (April 23-25, 2017)
  • DOL for Various Business Models — SIFMA Compliance & Legal Society Annual Seminar (March 19, 2017)
  • Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company: Pay, Performance and Perspectives — Practising Law Institute (March 13, 2017)
  • The Fiduciary Rule: Where Should We Be, and Where Do We Go From Here? — Institutional Investor Legal Forum’s Winter Roundtable (February 28-March 1, 2017)
  • Regulatory Interaction with Plans, ERISA 2016: The Evolving World — Practising Law Institute (August 1-2, 2016)
  • DOL Fiduciary Seminar: Implementing the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule — SIFMA (May 11, 2016)
  • Implications of the Final DOL Fiduciary Rule — McKinsey & Company Webinar (May 4, 2016)
  • DOL's Fiduciary Advice: Final Regulations — Practising Law Institute (April 14, 2016)
  • Current Topics in Private Equity and Alternative Investments, Pension Plan Investments 2016: Current Perspectives — Practising Law Institute (March 30, 2016)
  • Understanding Special Alternative Investment Considerations and Insurance Products — ERISA Plans in the Financial Markets 2016, Practising Law Institute (February 3, 2016)
  • ERISA Regulations — Regular Compliance Association (March 2015)
  • ERISA and LDI Basics — International Longevity Markets Association (May 13, 2014)
  • ERISA Compliance — Regulatory Compliance Association (April 23, 2014)
  • Pension Plan Investments 2014: Current Perspectives — Practising Law Institute (April 1, 2014)
  • Derivatives and Other Financial Instruments: Fiduciary Rule Update and Selected Issues in Common Bilateral Financial Market Transactions — Practising Law Institute, ERISA Plan Investments in the Financial Markets 2022: The Fundamentals (March 22, 2022)
  • Carrying on About Carried Interests — Practising Law Institute, Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company 2022: Pay, Performance and Perspectives (February 2, 2022)
  • Selected Trends in Compensation Practices in Financial Services — Practising Law Institute, Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company 2022: Pay, Performance and Perspectives (February 2, 2022)
  • Co-Author, ERISA’s Social Goals, ESG Considerations under ERISA — Investment Lawyer (September 2020)
  • New “Alternatives” for Participant Directed Plans — Pension Plan Investments, Practising Law Institute (May 2019)
  • An Octopus’ Guide to Getting Your Arms Around ERISA’s Indicia of Ownership Rules — Pension Plan Investments, Practising Law Institute (May 2019)
  • Co-Author, Taxation of Carried Interests for Senior-Level Fund Managers — Hedge Fund Law Report (March 2019)
  • Co-Author, Cross Trading in Focus: Decoding the Regulatory Framework — Investment Lawyer (February 1, 2019)
  • Co-author, Cross Trading in Focus: Decoding the Regulatory Framework — Investment Lawyer (February 2019)
  • Keep Calm and Carried Interest — Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company: Pay, Performance and Perspectives, Practising Law Institute (March 2017)
  • What's the "BIC Deal" with Compensation in Financial Services? DOL's New Fiduciary Rule and Selected Compensation Impacts — Cool Compensation Considerations for the Private Company: Pay, Performance and Perspectives, Practising Law Institute (March 2017)
  • A 'Clear' Guide to Swaps and to Avoiding Collateral Damage in the World of ERISA and Employee Benefit Plans (Part One of Four) — The Hedge Fund Law Report,  Vol. 9, No. 38 (July 28, 2016)
  • An Alternative (Fund) Perspective on DOL's Fiduciary Proposal — Pension Plan Investments, Practising Law Institute (April 2016)
  • How UBTIquitous Are Tax Traps for ERISA Plans?: (...and what to 'leverage' if U-Bit off more than your plan can chew.) — ERISA Plans in the Financial Markets 2016, Practising Law Institute, (February 2016)
  • The ABC's of ETI's, ESG's, and ERISA — Neuberger Berman's DC Insights (December 2015)
  • DOL Conflicted Advice Proposal: The Hearings are Completed — But Who Is Listening? — Neuberger Berman's DC Insights (October 2015)
  • Deducting from Flexibility Under 162(m) New Proposed Treasury Regulations — Released — Tax Management Compensation Journal (September 2, 2015)
  • DOL Re -Proposal: Expanding and Redefining ERISA Fiduciary — Neuberger Berman's DC Insights (July 2015)
  • Illinois Adopts Payroll Deposit Savings Arrangement — Neuberger Berman's DC Insights (April 2015)
  • ABCs of ABB: A Timely Reminder of Plan Fiduciary Duties and the Avoidance of Tussey-Like Tussles — Neuberger Berman's DC Insights (January 2015)
  • DOL Re-Opens Brokerage Window Inquiry: Will It Clear the Air or Leave Participants in ‘Pane’? — Pension & Benefits Daily (October 29, 2014)
  • Aligning Employee and Investor Interests under the Volcker Rule — Hedge Fund Law Report (June 2, 2014)
  • 'All Clear’ for ERISA Swaps? Clearvoyance on Competing Rules not Required — Derivatives Financial Products Report (March 2013)
  • Isn’t That Special? CFTC’s Final Business Conduct Rules — Derivatives Financial Products Report (April 2012)
  • Deducting from Flexibility Under Section 162(m)—New Proposed Treasury Regulations Released — Tax Management Compensation Planning Journal (September 2, 2011)
  • The Results Are In: Comment Letters Identify Serious Concerns With DOL Proposed Fiduciary Rule — Pensions & Benefits Reporter (March 1, 2011)
  • Is That Your (Interim) Final Answer? New Disclosure Rules Under ERISA To Impact Many Hedge Funds — Hedge Fund Law Report (August 20, 2010)
  • On Being Reasonable: DOL’s Interim Final Fee Disclosure Rules — Pensions & Benefits Reporter (August 10, 2010)
  • ERISA’s Revised Schedule C: Many Tentacles and Lots of Ink — Pensions & Benefits Reporter (April 27, 2010)
  • DOL’s Advice on Advice and Investment Professionals: Take Two — Pensions & Benefits Reporter (April 13, 2010)
  • The Top Five ERISA-Related Traps for Investment Managers – Even When They Are Not Managing Plan Money — Pensions & Benefits Reporter (January 20, 2010)
  • The Oneida Decision: Second Circuit Holds Premiums Payable to PBGC Not Dischargeable in Bankruptcy — Bloomberg Law Reports, Bankruptcy Law (2009)
  • ERISA Update: preparing for new DOL reporting requirements for gifts and entertainment —Complinet (November 16, 2009)
  • Co-Author, ERISA Considerations in Structured Finance Transactions — Pension Plan Investments 2008 PLI/Tax 
  • Co-Author, QPAM and INHAM Exemptions — West Legalworks’ ERISA for Money Managers (April 17, 2008) 
  • Co-Author, Proposed Amendments to the Securities Lending Exemption — Pension Plan Investments 2004: Confronting Today's Issues PLI/Tax
  • Co-Author, The Role of the Compensation Committee and Experts in Dealing with Compensation Issues — Hot Issues in Executive Compensation 2002 PLI/Tax 
  • Co-Author, ERISA Aspects of Cross-Trading and Electronic Crossing Networks — Pension Plan Investments: Confronting Today’s Issues 2000 PLI/Tax 
  • An Overview of Recent Changes Concerning Foreign Compensatory Trusts: 402(b) Trusts, Grantor Trusts and ‘Rabbi’ Trusts — 4 Florida Tax Review No. 6, 431
  • Co-Author, Foreign Equity-Based Compensation and U.S. Securities Laws — Compensation & Benefits Review (July/August 1999)
  • Co-Author, ERISA Aspects of Soft Dollar Arrangements — Pension Plan Investments: Confronting Today’s Issues 1999 PLI/Tax
  • New Regulations Provide Zero Basis Relief for Affiliated Group Stock-Based Compensatory Arrangements — 81 Tax Notes, 503

 

Services
    • Brandeis University, B.A., 1992, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha
    • New York University School of Law, J.D., 1995, cum laude, Editor of New York University Review of Law & Social Change
    • New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 1998
    • New York
    • Massachusetts
    • Brandeis University Alumni Board (2018-current)
    • Anti-Defamation League, various roles including: National Commissioner; New York Regional Board; Chair or Co-Chair of New York Regional Board International Affairs; Public Policy and Government Affairs Committees (2010-2018)
    • NYU Law Alumni Association, Board of Directors (2006-2015)

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