Jeffrey J. Bakker is a member of Neal Gerber Eisenberg’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation and Fund Formation & Investment Management Practice Groups. Mr. Bakker represents companies with respect to a wide array of executive compensation and employee benefit matters, including: designing and preparing deferred compensation and equity compensation plans; ensuring tax and ERISA compliance of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans (including defined contribution, defined benefit and cash balance plans); advising clients as to their fiduciary responsibilities with respect to employee benefit plans; and counseling clients on the administration of welfare benefit plans (including health savings accounts). His practice also includes providing assistance in the employee benefits aspects of corporate transactions and the negotiation and preparation of employment and separation agreements.

Jeff is recognized as a leader in the 2010 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (recommended in “Labor & Employment: Benefits & Compensation”). He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.

Jeff has co-authored two articles that have appeared in the Benefits Law Journal: “HIPAA Privacy Compliance: It’s Time to Take It Seriously” (Spring 2004) and “ERISA Issues in Distributions from Insurance Company Demutualizations” (Autumn 2001).

Before beginning his legal career in 1997, Jeff worked as an actuarial technician for four years with a major Chicago consulting firm.

Jeff received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois and his B.A., magna cum laude, in mathematics and government from Monmouth College.

Jeff is a member of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals and the American Bar Association.

• Illinois, 1997

• Monmouth College (B.A., 1990) magna cum laude
• University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., 1997) magna cum laude