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Georgeann Peters has a diverse general business practice with an emphasis on employee benefits and executive compensation, ERISA compliance, and all areas of tax-exempt organization law. In addition, she has considerable experience in federal tax matters generally, including handling tax controversies.

In the employee benefits and executive compensation area, Ms. Peters’ experience includes both qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, profit-sharing and 401(k) plans, ESOPs and health and welfare benefit plans, including so-called Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) of trade and industry organizations, equity and incentive compensation plans, severance arrangements, change in control agreements and executive employment contracts. She also has extensive experience with both “non-electing church” plans exempt from ERISA, as well as plans subject to ERISA’s requirements.

She has counseled large and small clients in all aspects of employee benefits law and with respect to executive compensation issues and plans, including stock options, SERPs, restricted stock plans and incentive compensation programs. In the employee benefits area, she has handled audits by the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor and represented clients in federal court litigation under ERISA related to employee benefits and fiduciary compliance.

Ms. Peters also has extensive experience with a variety of federal income tax matters, concentrating in the area of benefits, executive compensation and nonprofit and other tax-exempt organizations. This includes advising tax-exempt charities, foundations and trade and industry groups on formation and qualifying for tax-exempt status, corporate organizational and governance matters, and related tax and corporate issues.

Ms. Peters has advised tax-exempt organizations in connection with business transactions and has handled audits of their operations by the Internal Revenue Service, including Coordinated Exam audits. She has successfully represented both large and small clients before the Internal Revenue Service at the district and national levels.

Ms. Peters has a broad range of general business practice experience involving benefit plan and employment issues in mergers and acquisitions, real estate matters, joint ventures, partnerships and closely held corporations. She was in-house counsel to a large life insurance company for two years and practiced with the firm of Gingher & Christensen until its affiliation with BakerHostetler. Ms. Peters has been recognized in the area of employee benefits in the Chambers USA Guide: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business since 2007.

Ms. Peters is a member of the American, Ohio and Columbus Bar Associations and the employee benefits committee of each. She has frequently lectured regarding qualified retirement plans, executive compensation and other employee benefits in programs sponsored by the Columbus Bar Association, the Ohio CLE Institute and other professional associations.

Ms. Peters was formerly a member of the firm’s Policy Committee and a group coordinator for the Columbus office, and she currently co-chairs the firm’s Employee Benefits Practice Team. Ms. Peters is a member of the Board of Directors for the King Arts Complex and of the Board of Counsellors to the Capital University Law School.