Ali Haffner returned to Shipman & Goodwin in 2007 after eight years as in-house employee benefits and executive compensation counsel to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) at its corporate headquarters in Armonk, New York.

Ali’s experience and unique in-house perspective now benefit the firm’s clients as she advises employers, including both public and privately held companies, on all aspects of employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements.

While at IBM, Ali drafted plan documents, negotiated vendor contracts and advised on a wide array of legal and compliance issues attendant to the company’s tax-qualified 401(k) and cash balance pension plans, executive compensation and incentive plans, global equity compensation plans and health and welfare benefit plans. She regularly counseled human resources personnel and management on benefits design strategy and workforce communications.

Ali regularly advises clients on complex compensation and benefits issues arising in corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. In connection with IBM’s sale of its hard disk drive business to Hitachi, Ali led the global HR negotiations in Tokyo. Ali has advised on the legal considerations (and tackled the practical challenges) of transitioning employees-- including facilitating the establishment of new benefit plans and vendor contracts, negotiating pension asset transfers, developing executive retention incentives and determining the fate of outstanding equity compensation grants.

Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code significantly altered the legal landscape governing non-qualified deferred compensation. Ali has continued to augment her experience in this area and regularly advises clients on 409A compliance in employment agreements, severance plans, change in control agreements and other plans and arrangements. In addition, she has advised on the SEC’s requirements for the disclosure of executive compensation.

Ali also advises on ERISA fiduciary and investment issues and on health and welfare plan issues, including those arising under ERISA, HIPAA and COBRA. She has conducted client seminars on Section 409A, lectured on numerous employee benefits and executive compensation topics at internal IBM conferences, and spoken at New York University’s 59th Annual Conference on Labor: Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation.

Ali Haffner returned to Shipman & Goodwin in 2007 after eight years as in-house employee benefits and executive compensation counsel to International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) at its corporate headquarters in Armonk, New York.

Ali’s experience and unique in-house perspective now benefit the firm’s clients as she advises employers, including both public and privately held companies, on all aspects of employee benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements.

While at IBM, Ali drafted plan documents, negotiated vendor contracts and advised on a wide array of legal and compliance issues attendant to the company’s tax-qualified 401(k) and cash balance pension plans, executive compensation and incentive plans, global equity compensation plans and health and welfare benefit plans. She regularly counseled human resources personnel and management on benefits design strategy and workforce communications.

Ali regularly advises clients on complex compensation and benefits issues arising in corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. In connection with IBM’s sale of its hard disk drive business to Hitachi, Ali led the global HR negotiations in Tokyo. Ali has advised on the legal considerations (and tackled the practical challenges) of transitioning employees-- including facilitating the establishment of new benefit plans and vendor contracts, negotiating pension asset transfers, developing executive retention incentives and determining the fate of outstanding equity compensation grants.

Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code significantly altered the legal landscape governing non-qualified deferred compensation. Ali has continued to augment her experience in this area and regularly advises clients on 409A compliance in employment agreements, severance plans, change in control agreements and other plans and arrangements. In addition, she has advised on the SEC’s requirements for the disclosure of executive compensation.

Ali also advises on ERISA fiduciary and investment issues and on health and welfare plan issues, including those arising under ERISA, HIPAA and COBRA. She has conducted client seminars on Section 409A, lectured on numerous employee benefits and executive compensation topics at internal IBM conferences, and spoken at New York University’s 59th Annual Conference on Labor: Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation.

EDUCATION

Cornell Law School, J.D., 1995

Alfred University, B.A., 1992, magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

Connecticut

New York

Court Admissions

United States District Court District of Connecticut

Professional Affiliations

* American Bar Association

* National Association of Stock Professionals (NASPP)