Press Release

Thompson Hine Expands Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice Nationally with Seven New Attorneys

Issued by Thompson Hine LLP

Oct. 8, 2025

CLEVELAND  – Thompson Hine LLP is pleased to announce significant growth of its Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (EBEC) practice with the addition of seven attorneys: Kristin Koenecke, Shira McKinlay, Eric Slack, and Michelle Webster as counsel, and associates Agnes Kolbeck, Hanna Santanam and Amanda Schwaben.

This 30% expansion of the team reflects the strong market demand for EBEC counsel and underscores the group’s national reputation for sophisticated, business-focused advice on ERISA, tax, retirement plan compliance, health plan compliance, executive compensation, and benefits litigation matters.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these accomplished lawyers – including two senior lawyers joining directly from the IRS and one senior lawyer from the Department of Labor - to Thompson Hine’s team,” said Julia Ann Love, the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group leader. “Their collective experience across government, private practice, investigations, compliance, transactions, and litigation deepens our ability to help clients navigate complex and rapidly evolving benefits and compensation issues.”

The new attorneys are:

Kristin Koenecke joined as counsel in New York, advising on ERISA compliance with deep health plan experience, including the Affordable Care Act, No Suprises Act, MHPAEA, and Title I fiduciary responsibilities. She spent more than a decade at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration in investigative and supervisory roles, working on and overseeing DOL cases involving ERISA-covered retirement plans, health and welfare plans, service providers, ESOPs, MEWAs, and criminal matters. She has provided litigation support on Title I and ACA-related matters and served on a national task force overseeing DOL’s MHPAEA NQTL enforcement.

Shira McKinlay joins the firm’s Washington, D.C. office from the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, Health and Welfare Branch, where she served as Special Counsel. With more than 25 years of employee benefits experience, she has extensive knowledge of group health plans and health insurance coverage. While working for the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, McKinlay drafted guidance on and supported numerous Tri- Agency initiatives, including the No Surprises Act (NSA) and Independent Dispute Resolution process, MHPAEA rules and enforcement, the Gag Clause Prohibition requirements, and preventive services regulations. She has also provided litigation support in NSA and Affordable Care Act-related matters. She previously worked in private practice before joining the government. Admitted in CA, not admitted in DC; practice supervised by D.C. Bar Members.

Eric Slack is counsel in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, with nearly two decades of federal tax and regulatory experience. A former executive within the IRS Large Business & International and Employee Plans Divisions and detailed tax counsel with the Senate Finance Committee, he led national IRS programs overseeing retirement plan compliance, examinations, determination letters, and voluntary corrections for more than one million plans holding over $11 trillion in assets. He advises on retirement plan compliance, executive compensation, and benefits-related tax matters, bringing a strategic, policy-informed perspective from collaborations with Treasury, DOL, PBGC, and SSA. Admitted only in California; practice supervised by D.C. bar members.

Michelle Webster joins the Washington, D.C. office after nearly two decades at Mayer Brown. She is a seasoned litigator who represents and defends corporate clients in complex ERISA fiduciary breach class actions, including matters alleging excessive retirement plan fees, imprudent investment selections, prohibited transactions, and share class issues.

Agnes Kolbeck joined the Washington, D.C. office as an associate. She advises on qualified retirement plan compliance under the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, and Treasury and DOL regulations, with experience drafting plan documents and filings. She also collaborates with the ERISA litigation team on retirement plan class actions, litigation avoidance, and fiduciary responsibility.

Hanna Santanam joined the Washington, D.C. office as an associate. She advises plan sponsors and plan fiduciaries of qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans on compliance under the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, and Treasury and DOL regulations, with a particular focus on ESOP administration, formation, and transactions. She also assists with ERISA class action defense, representing corporate and institutional clients.

Amanda Schwaben is an associate in Cleveland focusing on compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, and Treasury and DOL regulations, as well as drafting plan documents, amendments, and participant communications. She also supports the firm’s Labor & Employment group on litigation and workplace compliance matters.

Thompson Hine’s EBEC practice provides comprehensive counseling on the full spectrum of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, including plan design and administration for qualified and nonqualified retirement plans; health and welfare plan compliance and audits; MHPAEA, ACA, NSA, and related federal and state requirements; ERISA fiduciary governance; executive compensation and equity arrangements; transactions and benefits-related diligence; regulatory investigations and examinations; voluntary corrections; and benefits litigation. The team regularly advises on issues under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, DOL and Treasury regulations, PBGC requirements, and related federal and state laws.

The practice, consisting of approximately 25 professionals, offers decades of experience delivering exceptional, efficient guidance to a broad range of U.S. and global businesses, including 30+ Fortune 1000 companies. Ranked by The Legal 500 as one of the top Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practices in the country and recognized by Chambers USA as a leading practice for nearly 20 years.

This expansion enhances the firm’s ability to deliver practical, business-oriented solutions to employers, plan sponsors, financial institutions, and fiduciaries across the country amid an increasingly complex regulatory and enforcement environment.

About Thompson Hine LLP

Thompson Hine LLP, a full-service business law firm with over 400 lawyers in 10 offices, was ranked number 1 in the category “Most innovative North American law firms: New working models” by the Financial Times and was 1 of 7 firms shortlisted for The American Lawyer’s inaugural Legal Services Innovation Award. The firm has been recognized by the National Law Journal as a Legal Technology Trailblazer and featured by Bloomberg for its innovative service delivery models, which drive accuracy and predictability. The firm’s commitment to innovation is embodied in Thompson Hine SmartPaTHTM – a smarter way to work – predictable, efficient and aligned with client goals. For more information, please visit ThompsonHine.com and ThompsonHine.com/Innovation/SmartPaTH.

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