Bill G. Freudenrich

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  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Honors & Involvement
Bio overview

Bill Freudenrich is an employee benefits attorney with specific expertise in retirement plan design, self-insured medical plan design, wellness programs, deferred compensation, subrogation, mergers and acquisitions, plan terminations, leased employees, and COBRA and HIPAA compliance.

Bill represents both multi-employer plans and participating employers on funding issues concerning withdrawal liability, reorganization issues and collection of delinquent contributions. He has advised lending institutions of the risk associated with loans to employers that participate in multi-employer plans. Bill also provides ongoing counseling to multiple tax-exempt and governmental healthcare institutions in the areas of open meeting requirements, executive compensation, Section 403(b), Section 457(f), Section 457(b) and Section 401(a).

Working with clients to make well-informed, strategic decisions regarding employer-sponsored health and wellness plans is central to Bill’s practice, particularly in light of the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In addition to regularly assisting clients in designing, analyzing and implementing cost-containment strategies, he frequently counsels clients of all sizes on a broad range of legal, tax and cost-benefit matters related to health care reform, including “play or pay,” health care exchanges, changes to flexible spending accounts, and a myriad of other issues required to maintain legal compliance. Bill is particularly regarded for his keen understanding of the issues and practical advice.

Bill’s achievements have earned him inclusion in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for BusinessOklahoma Super Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America (employee benefits/ERISA law), which selected him as the “Tulsa Employee Benefits (ERISA) Lawyer of the Year” for 2023.

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Experience, Honors, & Awards

Representative Experience

  • Counseled multi-employer plans on the requirements of withdrawal liability, collection of delinquent contributions, funding requirements and prohibited transactions.
  • Counseled trustees of multi-employer plans on issues concerning fee disclosures and conflicts of interest among providers and assisted trustees in preparing requests for proposal (RFPs) for vendor searches.
  • Counseled financial institutions on the risks associated with loans to employers that are subject to collective bargaining agreements.
  • Performed forensic qualified plan audits to determine total plan expenses.
  • Designed and drafted deferred compensation plans for both tax-exempt and corporate entities.
  • Assisted clients with the rehabilitation of qualified retirement plans that have incurred a ‘qualification’ failure through the IRS EPCRS program.
  • Counseled employers on the design, drafting and administration of self-insured medical plans and qualified retirement plans.
  • Counseled collectively bargained multi-employer retirement plans on compliance with the Taft-Hartley Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and IRS Tax Code.
  • Assisted employers in the preparation of requests for proposal (RFPs) in the selection of third-party administrators (TPAs), registered investment advisors (RIAs) and custodians for qualified retirement plans.
  • Assisted in complex litigation of employee benefit issues, including but not limited to, TPA negligence, multiple employer welfare associations (MEWAs), insolvency, disability claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, prohibited transactions, determination of ERISA vs. governmental status, and employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) valuation issues.

 

Honors and Awards

  • Listed in the Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (employee benefits/ERISA law)
  • Named as “Tulsa Employee Benefits (ERISA) Lawyer of the Year” for 2023 by The Best Lawyers in America
  • Listed in Oklahoma Super Lawyers
  • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings

Professional Organizations and Memberships

  • Tulsa County Bar Association
  • Oklahoma Bar Association

Civic Involvement and Leadership

  • Broken Arrow Youth Basketball Association (Former Vice President)

ATPs display in this column

At The Podium

Dial E for Experts: Answers to Your FAQs

EmployerLINC23: HR in Reel Life
Tulsa, OK | March 30, 2023

Dial E for Experts: Answers to Your FAQs

EmployerLINC23: HR in Reel Life
Oklahoma City, OK | March 29, 2023

Direct Contracts, Bundles, & Reference-Based Pricing: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

SouthWest Benefits Association Webinar
September 18, 2018

Paradigm Shift in Healthcare: Strategies employers can implement to save money and control costs

PremierSource Summer 2016 Seminar
Oklahoma City, OK | June 16, 2016

Surprise! Emerging gender identity benefits issues and unexpected traps in the ACA

EmployerLINC16: Employers Under Pressure
Tulsa, Oklahoma | April 5, 2016

Surprise! Emerging gender identity benefits issues and unexpected traps in the ACA

EmployerLINC16: Employers under pressure
Oklahoma City, OK | March 30, 2016

Department of Labor Benefit Plan Audits

EmployerLINC 2015: Case studies in costly mistakes
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | April 30, 2015

Department of Labor Benefit Plan Audits

EmployerLINC 2015: Case studies in costly mistakes
Tulsa, Oklahoma | April 28, 2015

DOL Forecast: Audits, with a chance of investigations

EmployerLINC Webinar
Online | April 3, 2015

When leave laws collide: Tackling complex health plan coverage issues

EmployerLINC Webinar
Online | March 3, 2015

After DOMA — Understanding new laws, guidance regarding the treatment of same-sex spouses in the workplace

EmployerLINC Webinar
Online | January 22, 2014

Benefit Plans – Common Legal Issues

HoganTaylor Employee Benefit Plan Administrators’ Educational Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | November 5, 2013

Benefit Plans – Common Legal Issues

HoganTaylor Employee Benefit Plan Administrators’ Educational Seminar
Fayetteville, Arkansas | November 4, 2013

Healthcare Reform – Upcoming Compliance

Executive Officer Network Meeting
September 4, 2013

Wellness Programs — Carrots and Sticks, Compliance and Risks

EmployerLINC Webinar
August 22, 2013

The Oklahoma Employee Injury Benefit Act

EmployerLINC Seminar: Workers' Compensation Overhaul
Tulsa, Oklahoma | June 20, 2013

Health Care Reform Update

EmployerLINC 2013: 'Government Gone Wild'
Tulsa, Oklahoma | April 26, 2013

Health Care Reform: 2013 & Beyond

Stillwater Area Human Resource Association
April 18, 2013

Health Care Reform: New Year, New Regs, New Changes

Tulsa Area Employer Council
Tulsa, Oklahoma | February 12, 2013

The Affordable Care Act

Tulsa Area Human Resources Association Annual Employment Law and Practices Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | November 1, 2012, 03:00

Affordable Care Act Implementation Timeline

Tulsa Chamber Human Resource — ACA Forum
Tulsa, Oklahoma | October 9, 2012, 8:30 AM

Health Care Reform + Supreme Court Ruling = Now What?

McAfee & Taft Employee Benefits Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | August 23, 2012

Health Care Reform + Supreme Court Ruling = Now What?

McAfee & Taft Employee Benefits Seminar
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | August 22, 2012

Hostage or Hero — Taking control of the renewal process

EmployerLINC Webinar
Online | June 27, 2012

Hidden Treasure — Uncovering the latest ‘little known’ strategies for BIG potential cost savings in your health plan

EmployerLINC 2012: ‘Adventures in HR’
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | April 10, 2012

Hidden Treasure — Uncovering the latest ‘little known’ strategies for BIG potential cost savings in your health plan

EmployerLINC 2012: ‘Adventures in HR’
Tulsa, Oklahoma | April 3, 2012

Employee Benefits: Compliance Strategies to Avoid Sanctions, Penalties and Litigation

EmployerLINC 2011 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | April 26, 2011, 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Employee Benefits: Compliance Strategies to Avoid Sanctions, Penalties and Litigation

EmployerLINC 2011 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | April 20, 2011, 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM

Common Retirement Plan Mistakes and Corrections

Oklahoma State Council for Human Resource Management Seminar in Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma | November 3, 2010

How New Regulations Are Impacting Company Retirement Plans

Fall 2010 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | October 26, 2010, 8:25 AM - 12:00 PM

Guiding your Health Plans through a Changing Landscape

Fall 2010 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | October 26, 2010, 8:25 AM - 12:00 PM

How New Regulations Are Impacting Company Retirement Plans

Fall 2010 Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | October 20, 2010, 8:25 AM - 12:00 PM

Electronic Delivery of Benefits-Related Documents: Cheaper, Faster, Riskier?

Spring 2010 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
May 26, 2010, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Health Plans and the New Laws

Spring 2010 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | May 19, 2010, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Electronic Delivery of Benefits-Related Documents: Cheaper, Faster, Riskier?

Spring 2010 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Seminar
Tulsa, Oklahoma | May 19, 2010, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Attorney Articles
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Admissions

  • Texas, 1988
  • Oklahoma, 1991
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
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Education

  • J.D., University of Tulsa, 1988
  • B.S. (Accounting), Oklahoma State University, 1983
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Annual seminar offers employers real-world examples of costly, common mistakes

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Attorney, government officials weigh in on progress of health care reform implementation

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McAfee & Taft to host webinar on implementing affordable, enforceable workplace wellness programs

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How safe are your employees’ retirement funds?

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