Partner
201 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70170
504.582.8394 tel
504.589.8394 fax


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Susan Chambers is a partner in Jones Walker's New Orleans office, and her areas of practice include qualified plans and nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, such as 401(k) plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, defined benefit pension plans, and plans subject to new Code Section 409A. Ms. Chambers also addresses her clients’ fringe benefit and welfare benefit plan needs, such as Section 125 cafeteria plans, health savings accounts (HSAs) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance for health plans, and the tax aspects of life, disability, and health insurance. In addition, Ms. Chambers has represented buyers and sellers in a variety of corporate transactions in which she has negotiated benefit issues, reviewed benefit plans, and drafted representations and covenants. 

Ms. Chambers has advised clients on fiduciary issues and prohibited transactions; the drafting of documents, summary plan descriptions, enrollment and distribution forms, and procedures for handling and reviewing qualified domestic relations orders and qualified medical child support orders; plan administration and compliance in operation, and IRS procedures to correct any noncompliance; filing for determination letters and annual Form 5500 filings; and plan terminations.

Ms. Chambers’ knowledge extends to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as well as the employer benefit aspects of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 and the employee benefit provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition, she has reviewed health plans for compliance with HIPAA, the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act, the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the Medicare Secondary Payer Rules, and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

Noteworthy

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009 (Copyright 2008 by Woodward/White, Inc.) in the area of Employee Benefits Law

News

• Sixty-Two Jones Walker Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009; Jones Walker Top-Listed in Louisiana
• Jones Walker Attorneys Appear in "Big Suits" in The American Lawyer
• Jones Walker Presents HIPAA Seminar

Presentations

• "Changes in Qualified Defined Contributions Plans Under the Pension Protection Act of 2006", April 2, 2007
• "Current Developments in Deferred Cooperation", April 24, 2006
• "Congress Changes the Rules on Deferred Compensation", December 13, 2004
• "Final COBRA Regulations", September 21, 2004
• "Taking the Mystery Out of the HIPAA Medical Privacy Rules for Employers and Group Health Plans", July 11, 2003

Publications

• "Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program"
  Louisiana Employment Law Letter, 1995
• "Effect of FMLA on COBRA Continuation Coverage"
  Louisiana Employment Law Letter, 1995
• "To Accrue or Not to Accrue: How Does FMLA Leave Affect an Employee's Retirement Benefits?"
  Louisiana Employment Law Letter, 1995
• "New Veterans' Rights Law Affects Pension and Health Plans"
  Louisiana Employment Law Letter, Part I, November 1994
• "A Few Words about COBRA"
  Louisiana Employment Law Letter, 1994
• "Veterans' Reemployment Rights Part II"
  Louisiana Employment Law Letter, 1994

Memberships

• American Bar Association (Member, Sections on Employee Benefits and Taxation)
• Louisiana State Bar Association (Member, Section on Taxation)