James Dudley Hyde

James Dudley Hyde's practice encompasses the entire range of employee benefit services, including qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, executive compensation plans, health and welfare plans, COBRA and all other deferred compensation matters. He provides legal services to both taxable and tax-exempt employers, including governmental entities, and deals extensively with multi-employer pension plans established as a result of collective bargaining. He also has considerable experience in representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and other governmental agencies.

Dudley holds a master of laws degree in taxation and has extensive experience representing taxpayers in state and local tax matters before the Oklahoma Tax Commission and other state agencies.

In addition to being a guest lecturer on the topic of employee benefits at both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University, Dudley is a frequent moderator and speaker at seminars and conferences for the Oklahoma Bar Association, SouthWest Benefits Association, Western States Pension Conference and numerous other trade and professional organizations. He is also a contributing author of Winning Legal Strategies for Structuring Executive Compensation Plans: Leading Lawyers on CII Policy, SEC Registration Requirements, and New Age Securities Compliance, published by Aspatore Books in 2006.

His achievements have earned him significant recognition, both locally and throughout the United States, including being named to Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Best Lawyers in America (employee benefits/ERISA law) and Oklahoma Super Lawyers (employee benefits/ERISA law). He was also named "Best Lawyers'  2011 Oklahoma City Employee Benefits Lawyer of the Year," an honor only given to a single lawyer in each legal specialty in each community.

In addition, Dudley has served in key leadership roles with the SouthWest Benefits Association and the IRS Dallas Key District EP/EO Council for many years and has been named a charter fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel.

• Routinely counsels employers on the design, drafting, implementation, modification, and administration of qualified and non-qualified employee benefit plans.
• Representation of clients, including tax-exempt entities, before governmental agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, Oklahoma Tax Commission and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
• Representation of clients in numerous matters involving employee benefits and taxation as applied to state and local governments.  One such case resulted in a landmark decision benefiting manufacturers in the State of Oklahoma with respect to the ability to obtain refunds of Oklahoma sales and use taxes previously paid.