Is beneficiary designation from pre-spinoff plan valid for determining

[Guest Thom Heaney Jr]

I have a client that became gravely ill recently. His 401(k) plan is a spin-off of a larger plan that broke up 2 years ago as a result of the divestiture of a large dental practice into 4 smaller ones. My client never completed a new Beneficiary Designation under the new plan and now is hospitalized with what may be a terminal illness. He is unconscious and in no position to complete a form now.

His former office manager found a copy of his beneficiary designation under the original, pre-spinoff, 401(k) plan. Can anyone confirm that this designation would be valid under the current plan since it is essentially a continuation of the original plan?