Keith Ranta

Keith Ranta advises a wide variety of business and institutional clients on the full range of issues associated with executive compensation and employee benefit arrangements, including the various tax, securities and employment law issues that govern compensation and benefit plans.

Keith's clients include privately and publicly held companies at every stage of the corporate life cycle. He works with clients to develop strategy and provide practical solutions pertaining to the design and administration of equity and incentive compensation plans, employee stock purchase plans, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, employment and severance agreements, change in control plans and other compensation agreements. Keith counsels publicly held companies regarding the disclosure of compensation arrangements in public filings and corporate governance matters related to executive compensation. He advises companies and investors regarding compensation and benefit plan issues arising in connection with public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other corporate transactions. Keith also negotiates and drafts employment and separation arrangements on behalf of both companies and executives.

In addition, Keith works with clients to design and maintain qualified retirement and health and welfare plans. He is experienced in employee benefit plan compliance and correction matters under IRS and Department of Labor correction programs and also assists nonprofit entities with designing and administering Section 403(b), 457(b) and 457(f) retirement plans. He also guides clients through the application of ERISA and fiduciary and plan asset rules with respect to the investment of employee benefit plan assets.

Notably, Keith previously served as an attorney advisor in the executive compensation branch of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. In that capacity, Keith focused on guidance projects and advised the IRS and other divisions within the Office of the Chief Counsel on tax issues related to executive compensation arrangements. Moreover, Keith spent significant time reviewing and working on regulations and guidance projects pertaining to nonqualified deferred compensation (Sections 409A and 457A).

Keith is a regular speaker and educator at bar association and trade group conferences on issues of nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements and other executive compensation issues.