Melanie Nussdorf

Partner

• mnussdorf@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

Melanie Nussdorf is a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she is a member of the Tax and Employee Benefits groups.

Her practice spans the entire range of employee benefits, from the tax-based rules for qualified pension plans, to fiduciary issues, welfare benefits, and plan termination. Ms. Nussdorf's particular focus over the last several years has been fiduciary issues, including prohibited transaction exemption questions under ERISA, especially in connection with financial products. Ms. Nussdorf represents a number of financial institutions including major banks, brokerage houses, and insurance companies. In addition, she has particular experience in all aspects of the plan termination process, including issues of employer liability for poorly funded plans terminating in or outside of a bankruptcy proceeding. She has done substantial work on ERISA issues relating to hedge funds and private equity vehicles. She also has substantial experience with the exemption and advisory opinion process under ERISA and has worked extensively on legislative issues related to ERISA.

Ms. Nussdorf was counsel for age and sex discrimination at the Department of Labor prior to serving as Executive Assistant to the Solicitor of Labor from 1977-81. During this period, she had significant oversight responsibility for the department's legal work under ERISA. From 1981-84, she served as Special Counsel at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

Noteworthy

• Received a #1 Ranking in Chambers USA 2010: America’s Leading Business Lawyers; Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (District of Columbia) and Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Nationwide)
• Listed in Washington, DC Super Lawyers 2007 - 2010 for Employee Benefits/ERISA
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2009 and 2010 for Employee Benefits Law 
• Listed as International Law Office Client Choice Award Guide 2010 winner for Employment and Labor (US)
• Recommended by Legal 500 US 2009 as a Leading Lawyer for Labor & Employment: Employee Benefits

Select News & Events

• Chambers USA Honors 18 Steptoe Practices and 41 Attorneys
• Super Lawyers Honors 24 Steptoe Attorneys
• Hedge Fund Alert Quotes Melanie Nussdorf on Pension Regulations
• Best Lawyers in America Honors 44 Steptoe Attorneys
• 44 Steptoe Lawyers and 19 Practice Areas Named Among Best in the US by Chambers USA 2009
• US Legal 500 Recognizes Steptoe & Johnson LLP’s Leading Practices and Lawyers
• 401(k) Fees: An Update on Regulatory Actions Affecting Service Providers, July 23, 2008
• Melanie Nussdorf Discusses Latest Developments at the PLI Pension Plan Investments 2007 Conference, May 3, 2007
• Melanie Nussdorf, Eric Serron at SIFMA Savings & Retirement Symposium, March 2, 2007

Selected Publications

• ERISA Advisory - ERISA Advisory Council Makes Stable Value Fund Recommendations to Labor Department
  November 17, 2009
• Melanie Nussdorf Quoted in Pensions & Investments about Revamped Rules for Offering Investment Advice
  May 4, 2009
• Melanie Nussdorf Quoted in US News & World Report About 401(k) and IRA Financial Advice Rules
  March 25, 2009
• Melanie Nussdorf Quoted in Pensions & Investments about Future Pension Reform
  March 24, 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 »