Hillary E. August

Hillary August is an Employee Benefits partner in Mayer Brown's Chicago office. She partners with plan sponsors and fiduciaries on meeting the regulatory compliance demands of the Internal Revenue Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and other applicable laws and guidance. Her practice spans the full lifecycle of employee benefits, from day-to-day administration to defense during regulatory investigations.

Fiduciary Guidance & Governance: Because Hillary previously spent almost a decade defending complex ERISA class actions on behalf of plan sponsors and fiduciaries, she approaches compliance with a litigator's foresight. She structures governance documents and participant communications, advises fiduciary committees, and steers clients through ERISA's pre-litigation claims and appeals process. Additionally, she advises financial services clients on prohibited transaction issues and compliance with Title I of ERISA.

Plan Correction & Remediation: A significant element of Hillary's practice involves identifying, documenting, and resolving operational and fiduciary errors. She has experience correcting plan failures through the IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), the Department of Labor's Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP), and the Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program (DFVCP), addressing issues such as eligibility, vesting, distributions, and contribution calculations.

Benefits Advice & Service Provider Agreements: Hillary counsels plan sponsors on the design, implementation, and amendment of tax-qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans, and executive compensation arrangements. She also drafts and negotiates service agreements on behalf of plan sponsors with recordkeepers, third-party administrators, insurers, and other service providers.

Corporate Transactions: Beyond compliance and fiduciary matters, Hillary regularly consults on the employee benefits aspects of major corporate transactions and post-acquisition integrations.

• The University of Chicago Law School, JD, with honors
  Order of the Coif; The University of Chicago Law Review Editorial Board Member
• Yale University, BA, magna cum laude
  Distinction in the Major

• Illinois

• English
• French

• Executive Board Committee Member & Diplomatic Outreach Committee Co-Chair, American Jewish Committee Chicago
• Governing Member, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Board Member, Yale Club of Chicago