
Alden J. Bianchi
Member / Chair, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice
+1.617.348.3057
Alden is a highly regarded employee benefits and executive compensation lawyer.
Alden is the Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice. He advises corporate, not-for-profit, governmental, and individual clients on a broad range of executive compensation and employee benefits issues, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, stock and stock-based compensation arrangements, ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction issues, benefit-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, and health and welfare plans. He is nationally renowned for his advice on the Affordable Care Act's impact on employers. He represented the Romney administration in connection with the historic 2006 Massachusetts health care reform act. Alden has testified before the Senate Finance Committee on the subject of health care reform. His many published works include the Bloomberg/Bureau of National Affairs Health Care Reform Advisor, a comprehensive work on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on employers and employer-sponsored group health plans. He is also the current chair of the Bloomberg Tax Compensation Planning Journal Advisory Board.
Education
- Georgetown University (LLM)
- Boston University (LLM, Taxation)
- Suffolk University Law School (JD)
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute (BS)
Experience
- Served as counsel to a global staffing company on the US regulatory aspects of all of its worldwide stock compensation arrangements. Also advised the company on all US tax-qualified and non-qualified pension plans, welfare arrangements, and fringe benefit programs.
- Advised CitiGroup on all its U.S. employee welfare benefits programs, including compliance with the Affordable Care Act and a top-to-bottom review of their retiree health benefit plans.
- Advised the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the correction of qualification failures under the Commonwealths’ public employee pension plans. The plans in issue have over $80 billion in assets and provide pension benefits to tens of thousands of current and former state employees.
- Serve as outside benefits counsel to a nationwide pharmacy on all matters relating to their benefit and compensation programs, in addition to representing the company in investigations before government agencies.
- Advised the ERISA Industry Committee on the Affordable Act and other welfare plan issues and to prepare comments to the Treasury Department on proposed regulations issued under the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility rules.
- Retained by Robert Half International to write a comprehensive explanation of the Affordable Care Act for RHI U.S. clients and prospects.
- Advised a large Massachusetts city on their transfer into a state-sponsored group health arrangement and PBM.
- Prepared a master ERISA compliance checklist for third-party-administration affiliate of a state-licensed health insurance issuer.
- Advise William Gallagher & Associates’s benefits brokers and consultants on pension and welfare issues and employment law matters.
- Served as outside benefits counsel to Protector Group on employee benefits issues with a focus on compliance with the Affordable Care Act.
- We serve as outside benefits council to PrideStaff on matters relating to compliance with the Affordable Care Act.
- Served as outside benefits counsel to Paradigm Health Plans on matters relating to compliance with the Affordable Care Act and matters relating to group health insurance products.
- Serve as outside benefits counsel to the American Staffing Association on benefits and employment matters, and in connection with impact of the Affordable Care Act on ASA members.
- Routinely advise a regional benefits consulting firm that provides advice to employers with various benefits-related issues.
- Represented a state Blue Cross Blue Shield organization on a top-to-bottom re-write of their ASO agreements for ERISA-covered plans.
Recognition & Awards
- Bloomberg BNA: 2015 Federal Tax Contributor of the Year for his article “Information Reporting Under the Affordable Care Act: I.R.C. §6055 and §6056,” which was featured in the Compensation Planning Journal
- Who’s Who Legal: Labour, Employment & Benefits (2016)
- Best Lawyers in America: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (1995 – 2021)
- Chambers USA: Nationwide – Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (2010 – 2019)
- Chambers USA: Massachusetts (Band 1) – Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (2006 – 2019)
- Included on the Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Employee Benefits/ERISA List (2006 – 2020)
- Who’s Who in American Law
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
- Named as a JD Supra Top Author, Affordable Care Act (2017)
Involvement
- Fellow, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
- Member, BNA Pension & Benefit Publications Advisory Board
Viewpoints
Overview of the Impact of the Consolidated Appropriations Act on Employee Benefit Plans, Programs and Arrangements
January 13, 2021 | | By Alden Bianchi
Supreme Court Holds that ERISA Does Not Preempt Arkansas PBM Law: The Impact on Employer Sponsored Group Health Plans
December 31, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi, Tara E. Dwyer
Labor and Treasury Departments and IRS Issue Relief to Employee Benefit Plan Participants & Beneficiaries during the COVID-19 National Emergency
April 30, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi
The Impact of the CARES Act on 401(k) and Other Defined Contribution Plans
April 28, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi, Patricia Moran
Highlights from Three-Agency FAQs about the FFCRA and the CARES Act Relating to Group Health Plans
April 15, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi, Patricia Moran
The Impact of the CARES Act on Employee Welfare Benefit Plans, Programs, and Arrangements
April 14, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi, Patricia Moran
COVID-19 Considerations: Midyear Reductions or Suspensions of Employer & Matching Contributions to 401(k) and Defined Contribution Plans
April 3, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi
Employer-Funded, Tax-Free Disaster Relief Payments Available to Employees
March 31, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi
Tracking the SECURE Act’s Effect on Tax Qualified Retirement Plans
March 3, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi
The Impact of the SECURE Act on Tax Qualified Retirement Plans
February 10, 2020 | Blog | By Alden Bianchi
News & Press
Mintz Practice Groups and Attorneys Garner Top Rankings in 2020 Edition of The Legal 500 United States
June 12, 2020
What’s Next for the Affordable Care Act: Member Alden Bianchi Explains How a U.S. Supreme Court Decision Will Make an Impact
March 6, 2020
Joint Committee on Taxation Cites Bloomberg Tax Portfolio Authored by Mintz Member Alden Bianchi
July 11, 2019
The Portfolio addressed the employee benefits-related questions and issues that arise in connection with the employment of contingent or alternative workers.
The briefing document was prepared by the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation: Description of the Social Security Tax Base (JCX-36-11), June 21, 2011. The document can be found at www.jct.gov.
Mintz Recognized by Chambers USA 2019
April 26, 2019
Waiver sought for health plan fee
June 12, 2018
Chambers USA 2018 Ranks Mintz Attorneys & Practices
May 03, 2018
Dear Employer, You Could Owe the IRS Millions of Dollars
March 5, 2018
Individual Mandate Now Gone, G.O.P. Targets the One for Employers
January 14, 2018
‘Skinny’ health plans confuse consumers
November 21, 2017
ACA & Access to Birth Control (Audio)
November 14, 2017
Anthem’s In-House Drug Plan: What Should Employers Expect?
October 24, 2017
Mintz Named Top Firm in Energy and Eleven Attorneys Featured in JD Supra’s 2017 Reader’s Choice Awards
March 20, 2017
Mintz Attorney Alden J. Bianchi Named Chair of Bloomberg BNA Compensation Planning Advisory Board
February 24, 2017
Eighty-Four Mintz Attorneys Named 2016 Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
October 18, 2016
Events
COVID-19 and the Workplace: Guidance Regarding Employment and Benefits Issues Facing Employers Now
View the Webinar Recording
