Brian M. Murray

He | Him | His

Partner

Cleveland
T +1.216.861.7084
F +1.216.696.0740

Overview

Brian Murray has decades of experience counseling clients involved in business mergers, acquisitions and consolidations. He focuses on employee benefit and executive compensation matters in the M&A context and advises clients on integrating and restructuring employee benefit plans after closing.

In addition, he has a great deal of experience with executive compensation matters, having structured plans and agreements to secure favorable tax treatment and maximize the impact of clients’ compensation dollars. He also helps clients maintain comprehensive and accessible policies and procedures for complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA’s) evolving privacy, security and breach notification requirements.

Select Experience

  • Worked on the employee benefit aspects of acquisitions and divestitures for a multinational food and beverage company, including the acquisition of a division of a global pharmaceutical corporation.
  • Has worked on employee benefit aspects of acquisitions and divestitures for venture capital firms.
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Experience

  • Counsels a multinational company on all employee benefit and executive compensation matters, including governance, plan design, day-to-day administration, employee communications, fiduciary issues and controversies.
  • Worked on the employee benefit aspects of acquisitions and divestitures for a multinational food and beverage company, including the acquisition of a division of a global pharmaceutical corporation.
  • Works extensively on employee benefit aspects of acquisitions and divestitures for venture capital firms, corporations of all sizes and small business owners.
  • As general benefits counsel to a media company, assisted in freezing a pension plan and maintaining post-freeze compliance with applicable laws.
  • Has developed and maintains HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures and related forms; drafted executive employment, change in control and severance agreements; and drafted and pension, retirement savings and health and welfare plans for a variety of clients.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • The Best Lawyers in America® (2017 to Present)
    • Ohio: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Ohio Super Lawyers "Rising Star" (2014)

Memberships

  • American Bar Foundation: Fellow
  • American Bar Association 
    • Updated the treatise on employee benefits for eight years.
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Worldwide Employee Benefits (WEB) Network

Pro Bono

  • Working with another lawyer, won a case involving an attempt to evict a mother and her children.
  • Legal Aid Society: Volunteer

Prior Positions

  • Calfee, Halter & Griswold (2001 to 2014)
  • Duvin, Cahn & Hutton (1999 to 2001)

Admissions

  • Ohio

Education

  • J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 1999; cum laude
  • B.A., Case Western Reserve University, 1996, cum laude