Joy Sellstrom is senior counsel in the Employee Benefits Department and has focused her practice on employee benefits and executive compensation for over 25 years, specializing in health and welfare benefits. Ms. Sellstrom has been Co-Chair of the Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Welfare Benefits Practice Group for the past 10 years and is a frequent author on health care reform issues. In addition to health care reform, she advises employers on HIPAA privacy and portability, COBRA, wellness programs, consumer-driven health arrangements (including health reimbursement arrangements and health savings accounts), domestic partnership issues and funding mechanisms for both active and retiree health programs (e.g. VEBAs and 401(h) accounts). Her practice also includes reviewing and preparing vendor agreements, and counseling regarding governmental audits.

In addition to advising clients on health and welfare issues, Ms. Sellstrom has substantial experience with qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, voluntary and involuntary separation programs, and executive compensation arrangements. With respect to defined contribution, defined benefit and hybrid plans, she regularly assists clients with day-to-day compliance issues and fiduciary matters (including the investment of plan assets). Her practice includes structuring severance arrangements (and waivers) in case of a reduction in force and restructuring non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements in accordance with Section 409A. Frequently, she has assisted management in structuring the appropriate committees to handle employee benefit plan design and administration, thereby relieving the board of directors of certain fiduciary obligations.