Thomas J. Hart

Principal

Thomas J. Hart’s expertise includes all aspects of employee benefits law, including ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code and related matters affecting employee benefit plans and their participants. Mr. Hart also has extensive experience in representing labor organizations and non-profit membership organizations.

In his many years in private practice, Mr. Hart has represented numerous multiemployer employee benefit plans and their trustees, assisting them in complying with federal labor and tax laws and regulations, making benefit decisions and plan amendments, monitoring investment managers, and effective litigation concerning benefit questions and fiduciary duties. He has litigated numerous cases in the federal district, bankruptcy and appellate courts, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States. These cases have included important and technical pension benefit issues arising under ERISA, complex issues of constitutional law and labor relations matters. He has worked with various employee organizations in creating and maintaining innovative employee benefit plans and arrangements uniquely designed for their special needs. These include multiemployer retiree health plans, deferred compensation programs and multiemployer 401(k) arrangements.

Mr. Hart is a graduate of Oberlin College and an honors graduate of the National Law Center of George Washington University. He served as professional staff member and as Assistant Counsel to the General Subcommittee on Labor of the United States House of Representatives. As Assistant Counsel, he was the key staff employee responsible for the 1972 Amendments to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. During his tenure with the committee, his duties also included responsibility for other legislation, including ERISA, the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Davis-Bacon Act, as well as legislative oversight of numerous federal labor programs.

Mr. Hart is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania. He is also admitted to practice before a number of United States District Courts and Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United States.