Nicole Bogard is partner with Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department. She collaborates with executives, in-house counsel and human resource professionals at publicly traded and private companies to design compliant total rewards programs that facilitate business objectives. Ms. Bogard is a trusted advisor for companies navigating the complicated tax and ERISA laws, by providing clients with understandable and practical advice. Although Ms. Bogard has considerable experience with counseling clients on assorted employee benefit issues, her practice has a particular emphasis on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Health Care Reform), HIPAA privacy and security rules, wellness programs, self-funded health plans, COBRA administration, and nondiscrimination rules. She represents clients with matters before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Labor (DOL).

Ms. Bogard leads the firm's Atlanta office's ERISA, Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits practice. Recognized as an engaging national speaker, she is frequently asked to present on Health Care Reform and a variety of employee benefit issues for clients and professional organizations.

Ms. Bogard also advises plan sponsors on the design and operation of employee benefit plans, including 401(k) plans, flexible benefit plans, wellness programs, severance plans, and VEBAs. She creates and drafts wrap plan documents, summary plan descriptions and plan administrative forms in compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA. Her other specialties include assisting clients with understanding ERISA fiduciary obligations, negotiating third party administrator services agreements for employee benefit plans and correcting employee benefit plan administrative errors through the DOL and IRS voluntary correction programs.