John Paliga

John Paliga is a highly accomplished expert on ERISA/Tax issues providing legal advice to businesses and individuals on these matters for over thirty years.
John has been an Adjunct Professor of employee benefits law for over fifteen years. He has taught courses on pension plan qualification requirements under the Internal Revenue Code, defined benefit plan terminations, multi-employer withdrawal liability, and complex employee benefit issues in mergers and acquisitions.

Professionally, John is a member of the Appeals Board of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which hears matters concerning ERISA benefit disputes. Prior to rejoining PBGC, John was the ERISA partner for two full-service law firms in Baltimore, Maryland, where he regularly collaborated with clients to rectify compliance issues (ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code), address employee benefit issues in mergers and acquisitions, and resolve ERISA disputes. John also maintains a small but active private practice focused exclusively on employee benefit issues.

John is an active member of both the ABA and Maryland Bar Associations. He has had leadership positions in the Employee Benefit Plans and Executive Compensation Group of the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust & Estate Law, including most recently as Co-Chair of the Group. He also is a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel (ACEBC). As a Fellow in the ACEBC, John has been instrumental in spearheading the “Nell Hennessy Employee Benefits Moot Court Competition.” John has prepared and presented in-house and outside training courses on employee benefit issues, including QDROs, fiduciary responsibilities, and tax qualification requirements.