Counsel
Executive Compensation & Benefits
For over 25 years, Pam has built a practice focused on designing, implementing, and administering qualified pension, profit-sharing, and stock bonus plans, including leveraged ESOPs and 401(k) plans. She has significant experience in the area of executive and incentive programs, including equity compensation and bonus plans, fringe benefit programs, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, rabbi trusts, and insurance arrangements. Pam has gained extensive experience advising clients on executive compensation and employee benefits related to business transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, and combinations.
Pam has significant experience designing, implementing, and administering welfare benefit plans, including cafeteria plans, and voluntary employee beneficiary associations. She also has significant experience with respect to the governmental withholding and reporting requirements for all types of compensation, including qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation and fringe benefits.
Pam has advised sponsors of qualified plans regarding fiduciary responsibilities under ERISA and prohibited transactions. Her work includes an administrative practice before the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service.
Riverstone Holdings in the $9.5 billion formation of Talen Energy Corporation, one of the largest independent power producers in the U.S., through a Reverse Morris Trust spin-off of PPL Corporation’s merchant power generation business and the concurrent combination thereof with Riverstone’s merchant power generation business and associated debt financings
Natural Gas Partners in its $100 million equity commitment to MS Energy Services, an independent directional drilling service company
Riverstone Holdings in its $400 million acquisition of three coal-fired generating plants located in Maryland from a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation
Continental Airlines in its $3.2 billion all-stock merger with United Airlines
SCF Partners in its combination of five portfolio companies to form Forum Energy Technologies, a provider of manufactured and applied products to the energy industry, and simultaneous investment in the combined company
BG North America in the $450 million sale of its entire U.S. power generation portfolio to Energy Capital Partners
A leading global private investment firm in the acquisition of Styron from The Dow Chemical Company
BP in the $2.4 billion sale of its Texas City refinery and a portion of its retail and logistics network in the Southeast United States to Marathon Petroleum
Riverstone Holdings in the acquisition by its portfolio company, TrailStone, of U.S. Oil & Refining Co., owner of a 42,000 bbl/day refinery and a rail, pipeline, marine and truck logistics business in the Pacific Northwest
BG Group and EXCO Resources in the $910 million sale of TGGT Holdings, a joint venture between the two companies that owns and operates natural gas gathering, transportation and treating assets, to Azure Midstream
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The Best Lawyers in America has named 124 Vinson & Elkins lawyers in its “Best Lawyers” category in the 2024 edition. Additionally, 87 Vinson & Elkins attorneys have been named in the Ones to Watch category, which recognizes lawyers with 5-10 years’ experience. Some individuals are listed in more than one practice area, giving the firm a total of 308 rankings.
August 21, 2023
August 21, 2023 • 2-minute read
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