Patrick S. Menasco

Partner

• pmenasco@steptoe.com
• vCard
• New York Office

Patrick S. Menasco is a partner in the New York and Washington offices of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the firm’s Tax group and Litigation Department.

Mr. Menasco represents and advises a diverse range of clients in matters relating to the investment of employee benefit capital.  For over a decade, Mr. Menasco has focused on advising global banks, broker-dealers and asset managers with respect to their derivatives, prime brokerage, securities lending, asset management, and other businesses.  Mr. Menasco has particularly deep experience in stable value funds and products and regularly advises large asset managers on structuring and managing multi-billion dollar stable value portfolios.  In recent years, Mr. Menasco has gained significant experience assisting asset managers and broker-dealers in addressing impaired assets, including in the context of auction rate securities, securities lending pools, and special purpose vehicles.  Mr. Menasco leads the firm’s ERISA prime brokerage and derivatives sub-practice. 

Mr. Menasco has represented numerous clients in audits, investigations, exemption requests, and regulatory initiatives before the US Department of Labor.  He has also represented clients before the US Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the US District Courts, and the US Courts of Appeal.

From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Menasco served as a counselor and litigator in the Office of the General Counsel, US Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, where his practice focused on plan termination, prohibited transaction, employment, and appellate matters.

Noteworthy

• Ranked for the DC: Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation category in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers (2011)
• Regarded as “peerless” for prime brokerage, swaps, and derivatives in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers (2011)
• Recommended for Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits by Legal 500 US  (2008)
• Senior Teaching Fellow at the Tulane University Law School 
• Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School 

Select News & Events

• "Understanding Basic Financial Institution Activities," ERISA Fiduciary Investment Basics 2012, February 8, 2012
• Steptoe Receives 18 Practice, 56 Individual Mentions in Chambers USA 2011
• Patrick Menasco Speaks at ACI's Employee Benefit Plans Conference, May 24, 2010
• Patrick Menasco Speaks on Panel about Current Issues in Defined Contribution Plan Arena, March 22, 2010
• Steptoe Announces Two New Partners

Selected Publications

• ERISA Advisory - CFTC Announces New Swap Rules
  February 2, 2012
• ERISA Advisory - Labor Department Issues Final Regulations Addressing Provision of Investment Advice to Participants and Beneficiaries of Self-Directed Individual Account Plans and IRAs
  October 31, 2011
• ERISA Advisory - Proposed Regulation Redefining Fiduciary
  November 5, 2010
• ERISA Advisory - ERISA Advisory Council Makes Stable Value Fund Recommendations to Labor Department
  November 17, 2009
• ERISA Advisory - Labor Department Issues But Then Proposes to Delay Effective Date of Final Regulation Addressing Provision of Investment Advice to Participants and Beneficiaries of Self-Directed Individual Account Plans
  February 3, 2009
• ERISA Advisory - Labor Department Issues Proposed Regulations and Class Exemption Addressing Provision of Investment Advice to Participants and Beneficiaries of Self-Directed Individual Account Plans and IRAs
  August 25, 2008
• ERISA Advisory - Labor Department Issues Enforcement Guidelines Dealing With The Receipt Of Gifts And Gratuities By Plan Fiduciaries
  August 4, 2008
• ERISA Advisory - Labor Department To Issue Proposed Regulations Addressing Notice Requirements In Participant-Directed Plans
  July 22, 2008

More Publications »