Partner

Michael A. Vanic is a partner in the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group. He has approximately 30 years of experience in ERISA litigation, involving both retirement plans and welfare benefit plans and representing single-employer, multi-employer, government and church plans, plan sponsors, fiduciaries and service providers in a wide range of ERISA claims including fiduciary breach, denial of benefits, service provider malpractice, withdrawal liability and other qualified plan and non-qualified deferred compensation matters.

Publications and Speaking Engagements

Mike is the author or co-author of several articles involving ERISA and employee benefit issues including: "Tibble v. Edison International: Excessive Fees Finally Go To Trial," Pensions & Benefits Reporter, 37 BPR 2349, October 26, 2010; “LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates: The History Behind It, and How One Case Can Clarify and Create Confusion at the Same Time,” Journal of Taxation of Investments, Summer 2009; “Best Laid Plans: In Employee Benefit Cases, Corporate Officers May Find It Hard to Avoid Getting Stuck with Personal Liability,” in the California Law Business Supplement of the Los Angeles Daily Journal (July 8, 1996), and “Practical Advice to Avoid or Limit TPA Liability” in Journal of Pension Benefits (Spring 1996); and “ERISA: A Pandora’s Box for the Uninformed” in the June 1995 issue of The Corporate Counsellor. He is also co-legal reviewer for Engagement Letters and Guidebook: CPA's Guide to Loss Prevention Practices, published by CAMICO Services, Inc. (1998/1999).

In General. Mike earned his J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University of Los Angeles where he was Alpha Sigma Nu and a member of the St. Thomas More Honor Society. He received his B.A, magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California and his A.A. from The Pennsylvania State University.