William R. Charyk

Counsel
Bill has broad experience in the law of employee benefits.
William Charyk, Partner, Washington DC at Arent Fox LLP

Prior to 2011, Bill served for 12 years as the firm’s Managing Partner. 

He primarily focuses on two specialty areas in the Tax practice — taxation of partnerships and employee benefit/executive compensation tax planning. In the past, he also served as the department manager of the Business Department.

Client Work

Bill’s work in the partnership tax area has involved serving as tax counsel to a wide variety of syndicated and closely held limited partnerships, particularly entities with tax-exempt investors.

Bill also focuses on the tax aspects of our employee benefits practice. As such, he ultimately supervises the planning and implementation of a wide variety of compensation vehicles, including defined benefit pension plans, Section 401(k) programs, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and various executive deferred compensation arrangements such as Rabbi and secular trusts, stock appreciation right plans, and phantom stock bonus programs.

His practice includes individual representation of a number of public company executives, as well as consultation for local legal and medical professional firms.

Professional Activities

Bill served as an adjunct professor of law at The Georgetown University Law Center for more than 25 years where he taught a graduate-level course in taxation of partnerships.

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

Washingtonian Magazine has consistently recognized Bill for his tax and ERISA capabilities in its biennual “Best Lawyers” lists, including the recent issue, published in December 2017 and 2018. He has also been recognized for many years in the tax and ERISA areas by The Best Lawyers in America. Bill has consistently been recognized as a leading Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation lawyer by Legal 500 (2011 - 2023) and by Chambers USA (2014 - 2023).

Bill is a frequent writer and has lectured on a wide variety of topics in the employee benefits area, ranging from post-mortem estate planning to compliance problems for qualified retirement programs.

Life Beyond the Law

When he is not practicing law or engaged in law firm management, Bill indulges in his interests in literature, Asian poetry, classical music, and jazz. To assist in the maintenance of mental focus and stamina, Bill also practices Chinese martial arts. He has had the privilege of studying since 1989 under Sifu Tai Yim, the eighth generation Grand Master of the Southern Shaolin Hung Fut kung fu system.