Arent Fox
ATTORNEY BIO
Susan S. Kleiman

Susan S. Kleiman
November 11, 2011
  • Sr. Attorney
  • Washington, DC
202.857.6137
susan.kleiman@arentfox.com

As a senior attorney, Susan Kleiman’s practice focuses on counseling clients on a wide variety of employee benefits and executive compensation matters which arise with respect to their tax-qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation programs, tax-exempt retirement programs and health and welfare arrangements. Susan has broad experience on tax and regulatory issues involving matters under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code and related federal and state laws.

Client Work

Susan represents a diverse group of clients ranging from tax-exempt employers to multinational corporations. In her retirement plan practice, Susan works with a broad base of defined contribution and defined benefit plans, including Section 401(k) plans, Section 403(b) plans, employee stock ownership plans, profit-sharing plans, defined benefit plans, and money purchase pension plans. She counsels clients on issues related to their deferred compensation and equity compensation arrangements, including design issues and issues arising under Internal Revenue Code Section 409A. She works with clients to maintain the tax-qualified status of their retirement plans by preparing and filing determination letter submissions with the IRS, assisting clients with voluntary plan corrections under government compliance programs and responding to audits and investigations initiated by IRS, DOL, and PBGC. In this regard, Susan represents clients before the IRS, the US Department of Labor and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. In her welfare practice, Susan counsels clients on a wide variety of health and welfare arrangements, including plan design, review and compliance issues, funding issues and COBRA and HIPAA issues.

Susan advises public and private companies on employee benefits matters arising from corporate mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations.

Previous Work

Susan joined Arent Fox in 1998. Before entering private practice, she served as a staff attorney for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal agency charged with overseeing the nation’s pension insurance program.

Professional Activities

Susan is an active member of the District of Columbia Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Life Beyond the Law

Susan enjoys spending her time outside the office discovering new places to explore in the DC area with her husband and son. She is a tennis enthusiast and is a regular at the US Open in New York City each summer. She also enjoys running and competing in local road races to raise money for charity.

Bar and Court Admissions

  • District of Columbia Bar
  • Pennsylvania Bar
  • Texas Bar

Education

American University, Washington College of Law
, JD
  ( cum laude )
Emory University
, BA
  ( with honors )

Practices

  • ERISA
  • Labor & Employment
  • Tax
  • Wealth Planning & Management

Industries

  • Nonprofit

Areas of Focus

  • ERISA Transactional
  • Estate Planning
  • Nonprofit & Tax-Exempt Organizations
  • Tax
1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036-5339
T202.857.6000 F202.857.6395
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New York, NY 10019-5820
T212.484.3900F212.484.3990
555 West Fifth Street, 48th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013-1065
T213.629.7400F213.629.7401
www.arentfox.com