Seyfarth Bolsters Employee Benefits Offerings with Addition of Lisa Loesel as Partner in Chicago

May 12, 2025 - Seyfarth Shaw LLP has further enhanced its renowned Employee Benefits Department with the addition of Lisa Loesel as a partner based in the firm’s Chicago office.

Loesel’s practice focuses on employee benefits matters, including the design, amendment and administration of pension and 401(k) plans, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, and employee stock ownership plans.

“Lisa’s practice of advising large Fortune 500 level companies aligns perfectly with our department’s platform,” said Diane Dygert, chair of Seyfarth’s Employee Benefits practice.  “We view Lisa as being a key player to continue to grow our employee benefits practice in Chicago, and the Firm overall. Her professional and personal qualities fit seamlessly with the firm and her addition is aligned with our strategic goals. Lisa will be an outstanding addition with excellent credentials and proven success.”

Loesel comes to Seyfarth after nearly two decades at McDermott Will & Emery, where she was a partner. She advises both privately and publicly held corporations concerning the employee benefits design and transition matters that arise from corporate mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Loesel counsels clients about fiduciary and plan investment issues under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). She also provides guidance to plan fiduciaries regarding the claims and appeals procedures under ERISA.

Loesel routinely represents clients in negotiations before the Internal Revenue Service, US Department of Labor, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. She helps clients with internal compliance reviews, voluntary correction filings under the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) and applications for determination letters on tax qualification.

Loesel provides international experience, having advised multinational clients on global employee benefits matters, compliance issues, benefits issues specific to expatriates, and benefits issues related to cross-border transactions.

“Seyfarth’s long-established commitment to excellence and innovation and its dedication to maintaining a top-tier employee benefits practice made it a natural choice to embark on the next stage of my career,” said Loesel. “I am excited to join Seyfarth’s deeply talented and dynamic employee benefits team and look forward to collaborating to the benefit of our clients.”

Loesel has achieved positive results on many significant matters, including:

• Supporting a large professional services firm with its conversion from a partnership to a C corporation and advising on related retirement plan and nonqualified plan implications.
• Representing buyer in a $300 million asset carve out purchase and advising on related benefit plan implications, including the negotiated transfer of pension and nonqualified retirement plan liabilities from seller to buyer.
• Counseling a large hospitality company on its retirement plan integration strategy following its stock acquisition of several major restaurant chains.
• Advising physician practice management platforms and other affiliated service groups on benefit plan structuring options.

“Lisa will be a perfect addition to both our Employee Benefits department and the Chicago office,” said Cory Hirsch, co-managing partner of Seyfarth’s Chicago office. “Her practice aligns very well with our group with her strong substantive background in retirement, 409A and benefits deal issues and strong reputation around Chicago.”

Loesel has been recognized by Chambers (2024), Best Lawyers in America (2023-2025) and Legal 500 US (2022-2024).

She received her JD from the University of Michigan School of Law in 2006 and her BA from Yale University.

Seyfarth’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department supports clients with every aspect of their employee benefits needs—from designing, drafting, and implementing plans and agreements to counseling on operational compliance and fiduciary issues. Clients vary in size from mid-sized private companies to Fortune-ranked corporations in key industry sectors such as health care, consumer products, higher education, manufacturing, retail, transportation, and environmental services, as well as boards of trustees of large multiemployer funds.

About Seyfarth: With more than 900 lawyers across 18 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides top-tier advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide.