Ian Kopelman, with extensive experience in ERISA, is responsible for all matters involving retirement and other fringe benefit programs for clients ranging in size from major publicly held corporations and public benefit plans to sole proprietorships and partnerships.

Ian's experience includes designing and drafting both qualified and non-qualified retirement and deferred compensation plans, including leveraged employee stock ownership plans, and he regularly counsels clients on plan implementation, administration, operation and communication. He also works extensively in the area of employee welfare benefit plans, including health and healthcare cost containment programs, life insurance, disability and flexible benefit (Section 125) plans. Ian has primary responsibility for benefit plan aspects of corporate acquisitions, mergers and divestitures, terminating plans, and researching and giving opinions on ERISA issues, including those relating to plan qualification, reporting and disclosure, fiduciary responsibilities, and the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980. Ian also drafts master individual retirement account programs and employee pension benefit plans for banks, insurance companies and brokerage houses, and regularly counsels clients in this area.

Austin Rosenthal is Head of Platform Defined Contribution and Vice President at Dimensional Fund Advisors. In his role on the Retirement Distribution team, he is responsible for managing the home office and field relationships with Dimensional’s retirement plan recordkeeper clients.

Prior to joining Dimensional in 2010, Austin worked at Lincoln Financial Group in a variety of sales, strategy, product management, and innovation roles. He also was a member of the investment committee for Lincoln's defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Before joining Lincoln Financial, Austin was a managing director of the team that built SmartNest at Integrated Finance Limited. He started his career in JPMorgan's investment banking organization, ending up as an associate focusing on mergers and acquisitions and raising capital.

Austin earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated summa cum laude. He is a General Securities Principal and registered rep with FINRA and holds Series 7, 24, 63, and 65 licenses. He is also a Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM.

Kerry Eason has over 15 years of experience working with executive compensation, qualified retirement plans, employee health and other welfare benefit plans, payroll tax issues and general tax and employment related laws.

Kerry routinely counsels deferred compensation plan sponsors and plan service providers on compliance with Internal Revenue Code (Code) requirements for qualified and nonqualified plans (including Code sections 401(a), 409A and 457), ERISA fiduciary obligations, reporting and disclosure requirements and participant rights.  Kerry’s experience includes design, implementation, ongoing administration and legal and regulatory compliance of employee benefit plans, including drafting plan documents, employment agreements, participant communications and correction of operational errors.