Biography
Sarah has extensive experience in the executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of mergers, acquisitions and financings. She represents senior executives and companies in the negotiation and drafting of employment and severance agreements. She also advises as to the design and operation of executive and employee benefit arrangements including equity compensation and cash incentive plans, change in control and retention arrangements and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. In addition, Sarah regularly advises employers on the design and operation of tax-qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans and 457(b) plans, as well as health and welfare benefit plans.
Sarah advises clients on pension plan investment and compliance with ERISA’s fiduciary obligations and prohibited transaction rules. She regularly counsels private fund sponsors in connection with ERISA’s “plan asset” regulations and with VCOC, REOC and similar issues.
Sarah is recognized as a leading lawyer for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York by Chambers USA, where clients note “she is very good at explaining and synthesizing things and presenting options and solutions. She is technical and pragmatic.” She is also recommended for Labor and Employment: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional by Legal 500 US, is named among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers” list and is recognized for Employee Benefits by Super Lawyers. Sarah served as Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Committee.
Sarah is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Berkshire Community Land Trust.
Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Guides and Resources, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Sarah Downie Named a “Leading” Lawyer for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation in New York Award Brief — Chambers USA
- Sarah Downie Recommended for Labor and Employment: Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plans: Transactional Award Brief — Legal 500 US
- Sarah Downie Named Among the “500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers” Award Brief — Lawdragon
Speaking Engagements
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PLI’s ERISA Fiduciary Investment Basics 2023
Speaker(s):
Sarah Downie
March 21, 2023 — New York, NY — Weil Executive Compensation & Benefits partner Sarah Downie spoke on a panel titled “The Launch – Establishing a Plan Assets Fund” as part of PLI’s ERISA Fiduciary Investment Basics 2023.
Latest Thinking
- Effect on Private Funds of Recent DOL Amendments to ERISA’s Qualified Professional Asset Manager (QPAM) Exemption Alert — Private Funds — By Sarah Downie — PDF — April 29, 2024
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises the Initial Purchasers on an Upsized $400 Million 144A Offering of Convertible Senior Notes by Fluence Energy, Inc. Deal Brief — December 17, 2024
- Weil Advises Iron Mountain on $1.2 Billion Private Offering of Senior Notes Deal Brief — December 10, 2024