Ninth National Forum

October 26-28, 2026

National Press Club

Washington, DC

REGISTRATION OPENING SOON!

FINAL AGENDA

NINTH NATIONAL FORUM 2026

A printable version of this agenda may be found at this link.

SPEAKER BIOS WILL BE COMING

Monday October 26, 2026

6:00pm - 9:00pm         Welcome Reception 

Players Club--1400 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202)986-4730

If you’re in town the night before the forum starts, please join fellow IBCN members to pre-game by socializing and sharing some fun, food and drinks.

*There is no additional charge for this event.

Organizers: Mary Jones, Microsoft, Lynne Durbin, IBCN

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Program and Networking

National Press Club-529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045

Phone: (202) 662-7500

8:00am – 8:15am          Continental Breakfast

8:15am – 8:25am          Opening Remarks – Mary Jones, Microsoft

8:25am – 9:40am          ERISA Litigation:  What's Next for Plan Fiduciaries

ERISA litigation is evolving rapidly—expanding beyond excessive fee claims into new frontiers such as forfeitures, pension risk transfers, and health plan fiduciary oversight. This panel will cover recent litigation trends and targets and break down decisions shaping the litigation landscape so plan sponsors can anticipate the next wave of litigation. Speakers will discuss ongoing advocacy efforts and provide practical strategies for in-house counsel to mitigate risk, strengthen fiduciary processes, and stay ahead of emerging claims.

 

Speakers: Abbey Glenn, Jeremy Rosenblum-Morgan, Lewis & Bockius

James Gelfand, President & CEO - ERISA Industry Committee
Organizer: Jessica McNamara, IBM Corporation

9:45am – 11:00am          PBMs, Contracting, and Market Practices:  Current Dynamics and Emerging Trends

This panel will provide a timely overview of emerging pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform efforts and their impact on employer-sponsored health plans. It will highlight the potential implication of the PBM reforms included under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 and DOL’s rulemaking related to PBMs, as well as practical best practices for PBM contracting designed to mitigate financial, compliance, and fiduciary risk for plan sponsors and ERISA fiduciaries. The session will examine key contractual provisions—such as transparency, audit rights, and rebate pass-throughs—that are increasingly critical in today’s environment. It will also explore evolving market practices in light of recent PBM-related litigation and heightened congressional scrutiny. Participants will leave better equipped to evaluate PBM arrangements and align their strategies with current legal and industry trends.

Speakers: Amber Rivers - Groom Law Group 

Matt Muma - American Benefits Council

Organizer: Mary Jones, Microsoft

11:00am - 11:20am      Coffee & Networking Break

11:20am - 12:35pm      A Benefits Lawyer, A Tax Lawyer and A Securities Lawyer Walk Into A Conference Room: Unpacking Benefits, Tax and Disclosure Considerations for Executive Compensation Matters

This panel will explore a range of executive compensation topics from benefits, tax and disclosure perspectives. Topics will include perquisites, nonqualified deferred compensation benefits, change in control and parachute payments, equity compensation, pay for performance, employee mobility and upcoming and proposed reforms.

Speakers:  Michael (Mike) Chittenden, Matthew (Matt) Franker, and Jenna Wallace - Covington & Burling

Organizer:  Mark Burgreen, AbbVie

                                   

12:35pm -1:50pm         Lunch & Presentation

(presentation to start after 15 minutes)

Fireside chat with DOL Solicitor General, Jonathan Berry (invited)

Organizers  Mark Burgreen, AbbVie

1:55pm-3:10pm        Service Provider Contract Issues Part 1- Retirement Plans

Wondering whether there’s a better way to approach contracting for services and investments in the retirement plan space, and what new issues are percolating in this area?  Sarah and Kendra will shine a spotlight on issues, identify creative solutions, tell some “negotiations gone wrong” war stories, and so much more as they share their expertise.

Speakers:  Sarah Bassler Millar, Kendra Roberson - Faegre Drinker

Organizer:  Maya Crone, FreddieMac

3:10pm – 3:30pm        Coffee & Networking Break

3:30-4:45pm          Navigating the New H&W Compliance and Litigation Landscape:  Helping Internal Counsel Get the Benefits Team to the Other Side

The H&W welfare benefit plan compliance and landscape has changed drastically in the last 5 years.  Plan sponsors have faced an onslaught of legislation, regulation and agency enforcement and now litigation against plans is on the rise.  The job of a benefits counsel has changed with respect to the health and welfare plans from mostly maintenance to proactive planning and strategy.  In this session we will identify and address key strategic points to ensuring that your client’s plans, and those charged with administering the plans, are in the best position to fend off federal and state agencies and would-be plaintiffs.  

Speakers:  Ashley Gilligan, Alston & Bird
Organizers:  Garrett Fenton, Microsoft Corporation

4:50pm - 5:45pm         Modern In-House Benefits Counsel: Trends, Technology Influence & the Evolving Practice

How is the role of in-house employee benefits counsel changing? Join a candid discussion of the trends reshaping our practice, from AI and legal technology adoption to evolving relationships with outside counsel, cost pressures, global compliance challenges, and the growing need for broader business influence. Survey results from forum participants will be shared to spark a practical conversation on what's changing—and what successful benefits counsel are doing to stay ahead.

Organizers:  Jessica McNamara, IBM Corporation, Jennifer Ting, Brighthouse Financial

5:45pm          Day’s Wrap Up Remarks--Jessica McNamara, IBM Corporation

Immediately Following the Wrap-Up Remarks

Members Cocktail & Dinner Reception (Sponsors and Speakers Invited))

The Hamilton (across the street), 600 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005

Phone (202) 787-1000

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

8:00am - 8:15am           Continental Breakfast

8:15am - 9:30am Service Provider Contract Issues - Part 2 Health and Welfare

Contracting with vendors to provide services for employee benefit plans has become more complicated over the last decade, from both a substantive standpoint and a procedural standpoint. Our speakers will focus on practical approaches to contracting. They will discuss recent legal developments (including transparency for service providers other than PBMs), strategies for mitigating fiduciary risk, contracting trends (including AI and other uses of data), and tips for specific contract provisions. 

Speakers:  Alisa Tavares, Juliana Reno - Venable
Organizer:  Jennifer Kobayashi

9:35am - 10:50am     Retirement Plan Hot Topics 

A wide-ranging conversation about recent developments in the retirement plan arena, including the 401(k) investment topics (alternative assets, retirement income, the DOL’s proposed regulation), cybersecurity concerns, adoption deadlines for SECURE 2.0, pension annuitizations, pension plan actuarial factors, 401(k) forfeiture provisions, and other hot topics.

Speakers:  Jodi Epstein, Spencer Walters - Ivins, Phillips & Barker

Organizer:  Megan Hansen, Constellation Energy

10:50am - 11:10am     Coffee & Networking Break

11:10am - 12:10pm      ERISA Fiduciary Duties Governance for Group Health Plan & Welfare Plans

This panel examines ERISA fiduciary duties in the context of group health and other welfare benefit plans, with particular attention to the governance, oversight, and litigation issues facing employers and fiduciaries. Employers are grappling with how to address the increasing costs and complexity of managing their group health and welfare plans, with constantly changing regulatory developments and litigation risks. In understanding how to approach ERISA fiduciary governance, employers can enhance their administration, establish processes to improve third party services and effectively manage their risks.

 

Speakers:  Gretchen Walsh, Sandra Buckman - Cohen & Buckman
Organizers: Dasha Brockmeyer, Prudential Financial, Inc., Suzanne Smith, FedEx Freight

12:10pm – 1:10pm        Lunch & Presentation

(presentation to start after 15 minutes)

Issues Keeping You Up At Night: Fireside Chat with the Regulators

Invited Speakers:   Justin Danhof, Senior Policy Advisor, Employee Benefits

Security Administration, US Department of Labor

Caitlin Soto, Senior Policy Advisor, Employee Benefis

Security Administration, US Department of Labor

Organizer:  Megan Hansen, Constellation Energy

 

1:15pm – 2:30pm        75-Minute Workout: Get in Shape for Employee Benefits Litigation

Our personal employee benefits fitness coaches will take us through a circuit (court) training course to get your plans and company in shape for possible litigation.  This gym membership covers best practices in responding to benefit claims and document requests, maintaining privilege, vendor agreement provisions, mitigating commonly litigated issues, and other muscle-building topics.  No actual physical activity required; subject matter may be sweat-inducing. 

Speakers:  Adam Cohen and Brittany Edwards, Eversheds

Organizers:  Cynthia Christie, MassMutual, Anne Sherman, SAS

2:35pm - 3:35pm        Navigating Puerto Rico and Canada Benefit Plan Compliance Concerns

Employer-sponsored plans maintained primarily for Puerto Rico employees are subject to ERISA, however, ERISA’s Title II tax provisions and Title IV plan termination rules may not apply in all cases. Certain US income tax retirement and welfare benefit rules also may not apply to Puerto Rico residents. This panel will highlight key differences between Puerto Rico and US mainland benefit plan rules, and discuss common areas of concern. For Canada, the panel will identify key differences between (i) Canada’s legal framework for plan governance and ERISA’s fiduciary standards and (ii) Canada income tax standards and US Internal Revenue Code Section 409A. Issues pertaining to US citizens working in Canada (and vice versa), employer health coverage in Canada, and Canada workforce restructuring also will be discussed.

 

Speakers:  Rene Aviles Garcia, Capital Member, Ferraiuoli, LLC

  John Prezioso, Principal, Prescient Compensation Law

Organizers:  Edgardo Barreto, FedEx Corporation, Christina Crockett, TMNA

3:35pm-3:45pm           Closing Remarks – Jessica McNamara, IBM Corporation