Amberlee Lapointe, Associate at our Phoenix law office
Amberlee Lapointe vcard
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Amberlee Lapointe

Associate
Biography

Amberlee’s practice is focused on employee benefits, including employer compliance with the requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) and the Internal Revenue Code. Her experience includes counseling clients regarding the administration of, and preparing documentation for, qualified retirement plans (including, but not limited to, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, profit sharing plans, defined benefit plans, and cash balance plans), health and welfare plans (including, but not limited to, Section 125 cafeteria plans, ERISA “wrap” plans, and self-funded and insured group health plans), and executive compensation plans; the correction of plan and plan fiduciary failures under correction programs offered by the Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service; and the benefits-related due diligence matters in corporate transactions.

Amberlee serves as a member of Snell & Wilmer’s Attorney Development Committee and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Amberlee is additionally a contributor to Snell & Wilmer’s SW Benefits Blog and the SW Benefits Update, which frequently post about current employee benefits and executive compensation topics and issues.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

  • Arizona


Court Admissions

  • Supreme Court of Arizona


Education

  • University of Iowa College of Law (J.D. with distinction)
    • College of Law Merit Scholarship
    • Boyd Service Award, High Honors
    • Faculty Award in Contracts
    • Faculty Award in Criminal Procedure: Investigation
    • Iowa Law Review, Student Writer and Contributing Editor
    • Equal Justice Foundation, Bookstore Chairman
    • Pro Bono Society
  •  University of Arizona (B.A., magna cum laude)
Experience

Awards & Recognition

  • Southwest Super Lawyers®, Rising Stars Edition, Employee Benefits (2023-2025)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Ones to Watch, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2024-2025)

Representative Experience

  • Advised employers regarding the correction of retirement plan failures using the self-correction program (“SCP”) and voluntary correction program (“VCP”) under the IRS’s Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”) and using the DOL’s Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (“VFCP”)
  • Assisted employers with drafting plan amendments and restatements for retirement plans with individually designed plan documents, and reviewing draft plan amendments and restatements for retirement plans with pre-approved plan documents, to reflect optional design changes and required amendments
  • Advised large and small employers regarding new obligations for retirement plans under the SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 Act
  • Assisted private employers through the termination of retirement plans, including the termination of defined benefit plans pursuant to the PBGC’s standard termination requirements
  • Assisted employers regarding the administration of COBRA continuation coverage, including drafting and reviewing COBRA general and election notices
  • Assisted large and small employers with the determination of whether domestic relations orders for defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans satisfy the qualification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Assisted plan fiduciaries with the review and revision of investment manager, advising, and consulting agreements related to the assets of qualified retirement plans sponsored by private and publicly traded companies
  • Advised on administrative rules governing a Qualified Tuition Program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code
  • Advised private and publicly traded companies, including buyers and sellers, with employee benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions

Previous Professional Experience

  • Snell & Wilmer L.L.P., Summer Associate (2018)
  • University of Iowa College of Law, Research Assistant to Dean Adrien K. Wing (2017-2019)
  • Arizona Attorney General, Antitrust Unit, ABA Janet D. Steiger Fellow (2017)
  • Pima County Legal Defender’s Office, Intern (2015)

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • Western Pension and Benefits Council
    • Member (2019-Present)
    • Spring Conference Committee Member (2022-2023)

Community Involvement

  • Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, Volunteer Income Tax Preparer (2020-2023)
  • Arizona Foundation for Women
    • Board Member (2022-2024)
    • Co-Chair, Programming (“RAP”) Committee (2023-2024)

Representative Presentations and Publications

Client News
Client News
Sep 19, 2023

Snell & Wilmer Advises Specialty Mechanical Contracting Company A.O. Reed & Co. in Acquisition to Legence

Client News
Aug 04, 2023

Snell & Wilmer Advises Federal Software Provider Integrated Data Services in Its Sale to Private Equity Firm Arlington Capital Partners