Practice Expertise

  • Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
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Areas of Practice

  • Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
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WSG Practice Industries

Profile

Named 2021 "Lawyer of the Year" in the Houston metropolitan area for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law by Best Lawyers (Woodward/White, Inc.), Jesse Gelsomini helps clients in all industries efficiently resolve matters related to employee benefits, ERISA and executive compensation. He brings over three decades of focused legal experience to his work designing, drafting, implementing, and administering tax qualified pension, 401(k), profit sharing, ESOP and stock bonus plans.

A former CPA with a Big 4 firm, Jesse has a strong tax background and understands his clients’ business needs. He provides time-sensitive, practical legal advice in the areas of health care and other types of employee welfare benefit plans, as well as stock option, restricted stock, golden parachute and other incentive compensation and equity arrangements.

Jesse’s clients range in size from privately owned businesses to governmental employers to Fortune 500 corporations. His work includes:

Representing clients in investigations and other compliance matters involving the IRS, Department of Labor and other governmental agencies
Handling regulatory issues under applicable laws, including ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, HIPAA, COBRA and state laws
Providing legal advice on such issues as fiduciary responsibility requirements, tax effects, disclosure and other compliance matters
Handling all aspects of benefit plans and executive compensation arrangements that arise in conjunction with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other business transactions
Advising on litigation matters that involve benefit plans
Representing both employers and executives with employment contracts and incentive arrangements
Providing counsel regarding employment law considerations
Advising companies which are non-subscribers to the Texas Workers' Compensation Act.
Jesse is a contributor to Haynes and Boone's Practical Benefits Lawyer blog, which discusses issues and developments in all areas of employee benefits and executive compensation. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the United Way of Greater Houston.

Bar Admissions
Texas

Education

  • J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 1986cum laude; Order of the Coif; Order of the Barons Houston Law Review
  • B.S., Pennsylvania State University, 1980 with honors; (Accounting Honors Program Graduate); Beta Gamma Sigma; Beta Alpha Psi.
  • Certified Public Accountant, State of Texas, 1982-Present

Areas of Practice

  • Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
Employee benefits negotiation and transition matters for mergers and other business transactions

ERISA fiduciary compliance reviews

HIPAA, VEBA, MEWA and other health plan matters

Transactions involving ESOP owned companies

Design and drafting of executive incentive arrangements, including ERISA and tax implications.



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