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Professionals 97 results
Capabilities 47 results
Practice Area
Executive Compensation Plans & Agreements
Our Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation (EBEC) attorneys generally focus on two separate but related areas—employee benefits and executive compensation. We advise corporations, boards of directors, private equity firms, and executives on all legal, design, drafting, negotiation, and compliance aspects of executive compensation matters. We advise corporations, firms, fiduciaries, executives, administrators, governmental entities, and financial institutions on innovative and traditional employee retirement and health and welfare benefits programs. Our substantial experience and over 50 years of involvement in the EBEC field have given us a deep understanding of the evolution of benefits law and the market for executive compensation.
Practice Area
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
With attorneys based in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., Winston’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (EBEC) team represents a broad range of plan sponsors and offers clients not just deal support but the full suite of employee benefit services. These include public company reporting and executive compensation, employee benefits in mergers and acquisitions, qualified retirement plans and Title I investment advice, health and welfare benefit plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and international human resources matters. And driven by a volatile labor market, we are partnering with clients to innovate plan structure and design, including cutting-edge services such as private exchange medical benefits, employee benefits in captive insurance, and fiduciary governance best practices. With decades of experience, our EBEC team maintains strong brand recognition, with clients describing our attorneys as “superb,” “very client-friendly,” “extremely responsive and able to bring forth the right resources,” and “having an “incredible breadth of knowledge.”
Practice Area
Environmental Litigation & Enforcement
With today’s rapidly evolving rules of engagement, paired with the often contentious nature of environmental disputes, clients rely on Winston for our practical experience and substantive knowledge of the broad-ranging issues involved in environmental litigation, enforcement, and investigations.
Experience 5 results
Experience
|June 8, 2025
Secured, with co-counsel, final approval of an historic settlement of over US$2.75B in back-damages for current and former college-athletes and a new revenue-sharing model allowing schools to share future earnings with athletes. This decade-long effort across four different lawsuits redefines the economics of college sports, affirming athlete rights and fair compensation. Following a 9-0 Supreme Court victory in Alston v. NCAA, the team filed three antitrust class actions, resulting in a groundbreaking settlement that creates a revenue-sharing system projected to generate at least US$20B in new, previously prohibited payments and benefits to Division I college athletes over the next decade. The settlement was recognized in Am Law‘s Litigator of the Week column.
Experience
|August 27, 2021
GenNx360's Majority Investment in Whitsons Culinary Group
Winston & Strawn LLP represented GenNx360 Capital Partners, a New York City-based private equity firm investing in middle market business-to-business industrial and business services companies, in its majority investment in Whitsons Culinary Group, which leads the industry with its customized services, innovative programs, commitment to quality, focus on nutrition, local sourcing, and community support. Its services include school nutrition, residential and healthcare dining, prepared meals, and emergency dining. GenNx360’s operational expertise and track record of building platforms will continue to drive Whitson’s next phase of rapid growth. GenNx360's investment will enable Whitsons to focus on driving their mission of Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time™.
Experience
|January 19, 2021
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s Acquisition of Atlas General Insurance Services
Winston & Strawn LLP represented Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a Fortune 500 and an American global insurance brokerage and risk management services company, in connection with its acquisition of San Diego, California-based Atlas General Insurance Services, a multiline program manager and managing general agency offering workers’ compensation, commercial lines, and specialty property programs nationwide.
Insights & News 952 results
Investigations, Enforcement, & Compliance Alerts
|March 3, 2026
|5 Min Read
SEC Division of Enforcement Releases Revised Enforcement Manual
Marking the first comprehensive update in eight years, the SEC’s Division of Enforcement (the Division) released a revised edition of its Enforcement Manual (the 2026 Manual). SEC Chairman Paul Atkins called the update a “long-overdue step,” and Division Director Margaret Ryan said the changes are intended to “ensure greater uniformity” and “reflect the Division’s best practices.” Although the 2026 Manual has many changes from the previous version, some will have a greater impact. In this article, we highlight the most significant revisions and discuss their practical implications.
Benefits Blast
|February 17, 2026
|9 Min Read
Recent developments at the federal legislative and regulatory levels signal a significant shift toward greater transparency requirements in the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) industry.
Client Alert
|February 11, 2026
|5 Min Read
UK Crypto Regulation Moves Forward: Lending, Staking & DeFi - Key Takeaways from FCA CP25/40
The close of 2025 highlighted the continuing momentum for the digital asset industry, with regulatory developments accelerating rather than slowing. In December, the UK Government and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released a series of draft instruments and consultation papers that are poised to play a significant role in shaping the sector’s future. On 15 December 2025, HM Treasury (HMT) published a revised draft of The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Order 2025. This was followed on 16 December 2025 by the FCA’s publication of three consultation papers addressing core elements of the forthcoming cryptoasset regulatory framework: (1) CP25/40 Regulating Cryptoasset Activities, (2) CP25/41 Regulating Cryptoassets: Admissions & Disclosures and Market Abuse Regime for Cryptoassets, and (3) CP25/42 A Prudential Regime for Cryptoasset Firms. Momentum continued into the new year. On 8 January 2026, the FCA provided further detail on its proposed “gateway” the application process through which firms will seek authorisation to carry on newly regulated cryptoasset activities under the UK’s forthcoming regime.
Other Results 26 results
Law Glossary
What Is Performance-Based Compensation?
Performance-based compensation (PBC) is a system for rewarding employees financially, outside of their regular salaries. The financial compensation is based on how individual employees, departments, the company, or the company’s stock price performs during a specific time frame and in accordance with pre-determined goals set by the organization. These programs may also be called Pay-For-Performance systems. Companies who utilize these systems must be prepared to define and track performance, as well as provide compensation, such as bonuses, when objectives are met according to benchmarks. The supplemental income will also have tax implications for employees.
Law Glossary
What Is Executive Compensation?
The term executive compensation refers to the financial payments and non-financial benefits provided to the upper level management within a business or organization. Employees who receive this type of compensation are generally presidents or vice-presidents, chief executive, financial, operating, legal, and other C-Suite executives. An executive compensation package is a group of benefits that could include stock awards, severance protection, deferred compensation, and retirement plans. SEC regulations require public companies to disclose the amount their executives are earning, plus how this amount is calculated. Some states also have executive compensation laws.
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