About

Melissa Ostrower is Principal in the New York City office of Jackson Lewis P.C.

Ms. Ostrower advises companies on all aspects of employee benefits law, including compliance with ERISA and the Code as well as administrative matters and fiduciary issues relating to benefit plans.  Ms. Ostrower has extensive experience in executive compensation matters and counsels both public and private companies on executive compensation issues, including Section 409A and 162(m) of the Code.

Ms. Ostrower is also a member of the Jackson Lewis healthcare reform task force and is intimately involved in helping Jackson Lewis clients ensure compliance with recently enacted healthcare reform legislation.

Ms. Ostrower is a graduate of Brandeis University (B.A., M.A.), George Washington University Law School (J.D.) where she was a member of The Law Review, and New York University (LL.M.).

Stephanie O. Zorn is Of Counsel in the St. Louis, Missouri, office of Jackson Lewis P.C.

Ms. Zorn has over twenty years of experience representing management in employee benefits and employment matters, both as in-house counsel and in private practice.

Ms. Zorn’s employee benefits practice includes counseling clients with regard to plan compliance, administration, participant disclosures, reporting and drafting requirements under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, ACA, HIPAA and COBRA.  Ms. Zorn assists clients with a broad range of plans, including retirement plans, welfare benefit plans, nonqualified plans, executive compensation plans, severance plans and voluntary early retirement plans.  Ms. Zorn’s practice includes counseling clients on fiduciary compliance — including investment selection, service provider reviews and plan committee issues — and merger and acquisition issues.  Ms. Zorn also represents clients in a range of employee benefits claims and litigation, including ERISA claims for plan benefits and COBRA compliance challenges.

Ms. Zorn’s employment practice consists of counseling and defending employers in connection with discrimination, harassment, disability accommodations, family and medical leave and wage and hour matters.  Ms. Zorn also assists clients with reductions in force and reorganizations, noncompete and confidentiality agreements, retention agreements, service provider classification, outsourcing and international labor and employment matters.

Ms. Zorn is a frequent speaker on employee benefits and employment law issues, including federal health care reform and discrimination laws.