Practices
S. John Ryan is a partner in Seward & Kissel’s Employee Benefits Group. He joined the Firm in 1998.
John advises a variety of clients — publicly and closely held corporations, partnerships, governmental entities, tax-exempt foundations and sole proprietorships — concerning all aspects of employee benefits matters. These matters include representation involving the structuring, drafting, operation, amendment and termination of qualified and non-qualified pension, profit-sharing, stock bonus and employee stock ownership plans, individual retirement accounts, stock option plans and group life, disability, medical reimbursement, and other types of welfare plans.
John has particular expertise with the fiduciary aspects of ERISA. He regularly assists clients in developing investment products for the pension plan market, tailoring investment products for specific plan investors and analyzing the fiduciary duties, and prohibited transaction risks imposed by these investment structures, specific investment agreements or potential transactions on money managers.
John has been recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law in the years 2006 – 2021, inclusive.
Publications
- Co-authored, “DOL Updates Procedures for Prohibited Transaction Exemption Applications,” Seward & Kissel (January 31, 2024)
- Co-authored, “U.S. Legal and Compliance Issues Relating to ESG for Private Fund Advisers,” International Comparative Legal Guide – Environmental, Social & Governance Law 2024 (January 17, 2024)
- Co-authored, “DOL Proposes to Expand the Definition of an ERISA Fiduciary,” Seward & Kissel (November 28, 2023)
- Co-authored, “Action Steps for Managers of Private Investment Funds Subject to ERISA Prior to December 1, 2023 to Address the DOL’s Rule Regarding Proxy Voting,” Seward & Kissel (September 25, 2023)
- Co-authored, “NYS Senate Passes Bill Banning Non-competes; On to NYS Assembly,” Seward & Kissel (June 13, 2023)
- Co-authored, “The NLRB’s General Counsel is After Your Non-competes,” Seward & Kissel (June 1, 2023)
- Co-authored, “U.S. Legal and Compliance Issues Relating to ESG for Private Fund Advisers,” International Comparative Legal Guide – Environmental, Social & Governance Law 2023 (January 27, 2022)
- Co-authored, “DOL Publishes Final Rule Regarding ESG Investing and Proxy Voting,” Seward & Kissel (January 20, 2023)
- Co-authored, “SEC Adopts Executive Compensation Clawback Rules,” Seward & Kissel (November 9, 2022)
- Co-authored, “DOL Proposes an Amendment to the QPAM Exemption,” Seward & Kissel (July 29, 2022)
- Co-authored, “Compliance Issues Associated With Advisers’ Integration of ESG Criteria,” Hedge Fund Law Report (March 3, 2022)
- Co-authored, “DOL Amends Six Class Exemptions to Eliminate References to Credit Ratings,” Seward & Kissel (March 28, 2022)
- Co-authored, “The DOL Cautions Extreme Care When ERISA Fiduciaries Consider Offering Cryptocurrency as a 401(k) Plan Investment Option,” Seward & Kissel (March 14, 2022)
- Co-authored, “S. Legal and Compliance Issues Relating to ESG to Private Fund Advisers,” International Comparative Legal Guide – Environmental, Social & Governance Law 2022 (January 6, 2022)
- Co-authored, “DOL Fiduciary Rule Covering IRA Rollovers,” Seward & Kissel (November 11, 2021)
- Co-authored, “DOL Proposes a Regulation Regarding ESG Investing and Proxy Voting,” Seward & Kissel (November 9, 2021)
- Co-authored, “Seward & Kissel LLP – ERISA Guidebook (Fall – Winter 2021)” Seward & Kissel (September 1, 2021)