"I love employee benefits and executive compensation law because it's such an important, highly technical, and dynamic area. As our population grows older, retirement and health benefits become increasingly important.  Well-designed plans accomplish the employer's and employees' goals."
- Scott E. Galbreath

Scott E. Galbreath

Scott's employee benefits and executive compensation practice includes: counseling clients on choosing appropriate retirement, deferred compensation, and other benefit plans; ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance, investments, prohibited transactions, and fiduciary duties; as well as drafting plan documents and correcting plans.  He has particular expertise with the new rules for deferred compensation under Internal Revenue Code section 409A.   He was appointed as an adjunct professor for the John Marshall Law School's Center for Tax and Employee Benefits Graduate Program in 2007.  Scott has written and spoken on new developments in employee benefits throughout his career.  Most recently, he has spoken before various professional groups on IRC section 409A compliance, and published on the subject in "The Journal Of Pension Benefits."  He has also written for the "CCH Pension Plan Guide," and was a principal author of the Chicago Bar Association's comments to the Internal Revenue Service on the initial guidance under Code section 409A. 

Scott is admitted to the Illinois, as well as California bar. He is an officer of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Taxation Committee, and president of the Sacramento Chapter of the Western Pension And Benefits Conference. He was named an Illinois Leading Lawyer In Employee Benefits in 2007.

20 Years of Experience

seg@seethebenefits.com

Education

  • IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law: LL.M. (Tax) with Honors, 1991; J.D., 1986
  • Elmhurst College: B.A. with High Honors, Political Science and Urban Studies, 1983

Areas of Expertise

Scott's employee benefits and executive compensation practice includes: counseling clients on choosing appropriate retirement, deferred compensation, and other benefit plans; ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance, investments, prohibited transactions, and fiduciary duties; as well as drafting plan documents and correcting plans.  He has particular expertise with the new rules for deferred compensation under Internal Revenue Code section 409A.   He was appointed as an adjunct professor for the John Marshall Law School's Center for Tax and Employee Benefits Graduate Program in 2007.  Scott has written and spoken on new developments in employee benefits throughout his career.  Most recently, he has spoken before various professional groups on IRC section 409A compliance, and published on the subject in "The Journal Of Pension Benefits."  He has also written for the "CCH Pension Plan Guide," and was a principal author of the Chicago Bar Association's comments to the Internal Revenue Service on the initial guidance under Code section 409A. 

Scott is admitted to the Illinois, as well as California bar. He is an officer of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Taxation Committee, and president of the Sacramento Chapter of the Western Pension And Benefits Conference. He was named an Illinois Leading Lawyer In Employee Benefits in 2007.