Susan E. Bernstein is a Special Counsel with Schulte Roth & Zabel, where she focuses her practice on all aspects of employee benefits, ERISA and executive compensation. She has extensive experience in designing, drafting and providing advice concerning all types of employee benefit and executive compensation programs, including tax-qualified and non-tax-qualified deferred compensation and retirement plans and welfare benefit programs. Susan has considerable experience in negotiations with the IRS and DOL on behalf of clients undergoing audits by and inquiries from these agencies. Susan is the outgoing Chair of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax-Exempt and Government Entities where she led the ACT’s project on Missing Participants. Susan is a member of the IRS Pension Liaison Group, co-chair of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Committee of the New York State Bar Association, a member of the ERISA Advisory Board for Strafford Publications, and was also named Employee Benefit Adviser’s Most Influential Women in Benefit Advising. A recognized thought leader, Susan is a frequent speaker on employee benefits and has authored numerous articles of interest to employers. Susan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She is admitted to the New York State bar.