Press Release

Israel Goldowitz Recognized by Best Lawyers® as Washington, D.C. 2022 'Lawyer of the Year' in Employee Benefits (ERISA)

Issued by The Wagner Law Group P.C.

Aug. 26, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Marcia Wagner, the Managing Director of The Wagner Law Group, widely recognized as the country’s top ERISA and employee benefits law firm, is pleased to share that Partner, Israel Goldowitz, has been named Best Lawyers® 2022 Employee Benefits (ERISA) "Lawyer of the Year" in Washington, D.C. “It comes as no surprise that Izzy, a nationally renowned ERISA attorney, has been recognized with this outstanding distinction, and we wish him tremendous congratulations,” says Ms. Wagner.

In addition to The Best Lawyers in America© annual Best Lawyers® distinctions, recognitions are also awarded to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the "Lawyer of the Year" for each specialty and location. Accordingly, Mr. Goldowitz is the only attorney in Washington, D.C. to have been distinguished with the Best Lawyers® Employee Benefits (ERISA) "Lawyer of the Year" award in Washington, D.C. for 2022.

Mr. Goldowitz, who joined The Wagner Law Group in January 2019, has more than 35 years of experience in employee benefits, most notably with mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and bankruptcy as they affect pension plans. As Chief Counsel for the PBGC, he led the legal teams that helped save the pensions of such companies as Chrysler and American Airlines, and led the legal teams that negotiated pension protections with such companies as Sears and Gannett. Mr. Goldowitz is a seasoned litigator who has helped establish several key precedents in the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals. He is well known in the ERISA and bankruptcy community and to leaders in government, business, employee, and retiree associations, and academia. Mr. Goldowitz is a frequent speaker and has written book chapters, articles, and continuing legal education materials on both employee benefits and bankruptcy topics. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and is active in the International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association. He served on the Labor and Benefits Advisory Committee to the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Chapter 11 Reform Commission and co-wrote the report of the pension subcommittee. Mr. Goldowitz taught in the Georgetown University Law Center Masters of Law program for 30 years and is a member of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law Employee Benefits Advisory Board.

The Wagner Law Group

The Wagner Law Group is a nationally recognized practice in the areas of ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation, labor, employment and human resources, investment management, bankruptcy and restructuring, HIPAA, privacy and security, litigation, tax-exempt organizations, trusts and estates and family law.

Established in 1996, The Wagner Law Group is dedicated to the highest standards of integrity, excellence and thought leadership and is considered to be amongst the nation's premier ERISA and employee benefits law firms. The firm has 11 offices across the country, providing unparalleled legal advice to its clients, including large, small and nonprofit corporations as well as individuals and government entities worldwide. The Wagner Law Group's 39 attorneys, senior benefits consultant and seven paralegals combine many years of experience in their fields of practice with a variety of backgrounds. The firm is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a Tier 1 Best Law Firm in the areas of ERISA and employee benefits. Nine of the firm's attorneys are AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and nine are Fellows of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, an invitation-only organization of nationally recognized employee benefits lawyers. Seven of the firm's attorneys have been named to the prestigious Super Lawyers list for 2021, which highlights outstanding lawyers based on a rigorous selection process. The Wagner Law Group is certified as a woman-owned and operated business by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council. 

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