Roberta Casper Watson - Tampa, FL

Overview

Awards and Honors

Education

• Legal Education

  • Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1974
    J.D.

• Non Legal Education

  • University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, 1971
    B.A.
    Honors: cum laude
    Major: Political Science

Past Positions

• Trenam Kemker, Senior Member, 2011 - 2013
• Trenam Kemker, Shareholder, 1988 - 2011

Classes and Seminars

• Conducting Effective Service Provider RFPs for ERISA Retirement Plans - Panelist, Strafford CLE webinar, July 14, 2021
  
• Urgent Health Plan Priorities - COBRA Subsidies, and Health and DCAP FSA Extensions and Expansions , Panelist, The Wagner Law Group Webinar, May 26, 2021
  
• ERISA Covered Health and Welfare Plan Administration: Compliance, Fiduciary Liability, DOL Enforcement Actions, Co-panelist, Strafford CLE webinar, April 14, 2021
  
• iability Insurance for ERISA Plan Sponsors: Minimizing Financial Risks During the Pandemic and Economic Downturn, Co-presneter Strafford Webinar, December 2, 2020
  
• New Legislation Affecting Workplace Health & Welfare Benefits, Co-panelist with Dannae Delano and Barry Salkin, The Wagner Law Group free webinar, May 15, 2020
  
• Lawyer Insights on SECURE Act Planning and Obligations, Co-panelist with Stephen Wilkes, Financial Experts Network webinar, April 30, 2020
  
• Merger, Divestiture and Acquisitions and Employee Benefits - Co-panelist with David Gabor, Izzy Goldowitz and Mark Poerio, free live webinar with Institutional Investment Consulting Inc., March 24, 2020
  
• New Individual Coverage and Excepted Benefit HRAs: DOL Guidance and Compliance Challenges for Employers - Panelist, Strafford live CLE webinar, January 29, 2020
  
• Being Smart About M&A-Related Benefit Plan and Employment Issues - Co-panelist with David Gabor, Mark Poerio and Roberta Watson, The Wagner Law Group FREE webinar, June 11, 2019
  
• Fiduciary Compliance in ESOP Transactions: Recent DOL Settlement Agreements and Best Practices for Counsel , Co-panelist, Strafford Live Interactive CLE webinar, June 4, 2019
  
• Florida West Coast Employee Benefits Council's Annual Educational Workshop, Roberta Watson (Council President), opening remarks, April 22, 2019, Centre Club, Tampa, FL
  
• Structuring Options for ESOP Transactions: Advanced Techniques for ERISA Counsel and Plan Sponsors , Webinar for Strafford, Tuesday, September 25, 2018
  
• Agencies Issue Final Rule that Expands Duration of Short-Term Limited-Duration Health Insurance , Dan S. Brandenburg and Roberta Casper Watson, American Bar Association, Employee Benefits Committee Newsletter, August 2018
  
• ERISA Reporting and Disclosure: Statutory Exclusions and Exemptions , Co-panelist, Strafford CLE webinar, August 14, 2018
  
• ERISA Compliance: Implementing Effective Claims Procedures Under Section 503 and DOL Regulations
  
• Ethical Considerations Regarding Private Opinion Letters for Qualified Plans - Co-panelist, ABA Employee Benefits Spring Update, April 9, 2018, Washington, D.C.
  
• ERISA Compliance and Monitoring 401(k) Investments: Safe Harbor Rules and Appointing Advisers – Co-panelist, webinar for Strafford, April 3, 2018
  
• HSAs, FSAs, HRAs and Voluntary Insurance Programs: ERISA vs. Non-ERISA Compliance - Webinar for Strafford, Tuesday, November 28, 2017
  
• Protecting Yourself: Private Determination Letters, Insurance, and Indemnification – Co-presenter with Jon Schultze at NCEO’s Fall ESOP Festival, October 3, 2017, at the Grand Hyatt, Tampa Bay, FL
  
• Conducting Effective Service Provider RFPs for ERISA Retirement Plans - Webinar for Stafford Live CLE Webinars, July 13, 2017
  
• What Every Employer Needs to Know About the Affordable Care Act - PART 2 - Health & Welfare Law Webinar, December 15, 2015
  
• What Every Employer Needs to Know About the Affordable Care Act - PART 1 - Health & Welfare Law Webinar, November 12, 2015

Published Works

Articles

• Mandated Benefits 2021 Compliance Guide - Co-author, Wolters Kluwer, April 2021
  
• How Benefits Can Ease Workers' Return To The Office - Law360, March 31, 2021
  
• Truncated IRS Guidance Agenda Heartens Benefits Attorneys - Bloomberg Law, November 30, 2020
  
• Seven Attorneys from The Wagner Law Group Named to 2020 Super Lawyers Lists - November 3, 2020
  
• Benefits Industry Newsmakers - BenefitsPro, September 7, 2020
  
• Employee Retention Tax Credit Under the CARES Act - Co-author with Barry Slakin and Livvia Quan Aber, The Wagner Law Group Law Alert, May 21, 2020
• Welfare Plan Issues During the Covid-19 Emergency - Co-author with Barry Salkin, Bloomberg Law, April 2020
• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act Updated to Include Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Provisions - Co-author with Barry Salkin and Virginia Peabody, The Wagner Law Group Law Alert, April 1, 2020
• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act - Co-author with Barry Salkin and Virginia Peabody, The Wagner Law Group Law Alert, March 26, 2020
• Agencies Issue Proposed Rules Regarding Health Care Transparency - Co-author with Barry Salkin, The Wagner Law Group Law Alert, March 19, 2020
• 4 Tips For Complying With Coronavirus Benefit Mandates - Law360, May 1, 2020
• Sharing of Workers’ 401(k) Data ‘New Frontier’ in Litigation - Roberta Casper Watson, Bloomberg Law, February 14, 2020
• Mandated Benefits 2020 Compliance Guide - Co-authors Katherine Brustowicz, Dannae Delano, David Gabor, Barry Salkin and Marcia Wagner, Wolters Kluwer, December 2019
• An Employer's Guide to Navigating the ACA Reporting Requirements - Roberta Watson and Dannae Delano, The Practical Lawyer, December 2018 Reprinted with permission from ALI CLE
• An Employer's Guide to Navigating the ACA Reporting Requirements - Roberta Watson and Dannae Delano, The Practical Tax Lawyer, Fall 2018 Reprinted with permission from ALI CLE
• Health Care Reform Proposal - Wolters Kluwer Journal of Pension Benefits, Spring 2018, vol. 25, no. 3
• Realtors Nearly Sold on Association Health Plan Rule - BNA, February 28, 2018
• Fate of health reform’s 30-hour rule uncertain - Employee Benefit Adviser, July 14, 2017
• 5 ways to ensure an HSA isn't subject to ERISA - Investment News, July 7, 2017
• Should ERISA exemption be sought for voluntary? - Employee Benefit Adviser, November 14 2016
• Broker input anticipated on new OT rules - Employee Benefit Adviser, November 08 2016
• Can UAW pull off brave, new health deal? - Detroit Free Press, August 23, 2015
• Health-care 'Cadillac' tax could be hurdle in auto talks - Detroit Free Press, August 19, 2015
• Health care tax could be hurdle in UAW talks - Detroit Free Press, August 18, 2015
• Experts Weigh in on the 'Cadillac Tax' - AccountingWeb, July 1, 2015
• Beyond 401(k): Program Will Take a Peek at New Pension Model - In Business Madison (ibmadison.com), October 31, 2014

Bar Admissions

• Massachusetts, 1974
• Florida, 1985
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1979
• U.S. Tax Court, 1979
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
• U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts
• U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit
• Supreme Court of Florida
• Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts

Other Affiliations

• Subcommittee on Special Insurance Problems, 1987 - Present (Chairman)
• Harvard Club (Vice President of Programs)
• Florida West Coast Employee Benefits Council (Member)
• Northside Mental Health Center, 1987 - Present (Board of Directors)
• American Heart Association, Hills City Chapter, 1988 - Present (Board of Directors)
• Unitarian Universalist Foundation (Trustee)
• Employee Benefits Interest Group of the American Bar Association's Health Law Section (Past Chair)
• ABA Tax Section's Employee Benefits Committee, 1995 - 1996 (Member/Past Chair)
• ABA's Joint Committee on Employee Benefits ("JCEB") (Past Chair)
• American College of Employee Benefits Counsel (Charter Fellow)
• American Law Institute (Member)
• Tampa Bay Pension Council (Member)
• American Bar Association, Health Law Section, Employee Benefits Interest Group, 1998 - 2001 (Chair)
• The Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section (Employee Benefits Committee, Chair)
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
• The ESOP Association
• Gulf Coast TE/GE Council (President)
• American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section, Employee Benefits Committee
• American Law Institute
• Member of CHIPRA Task Force, 2010 - Present
• Harvard Club of the West Coast of Florida (Board of Directors)
• Florida West Coast Employee Benefits Council, 1996 - 2003 (Board of Directors)
• Northside Mental Health Center (Board of Directors)
• Community Health Purchasing Alliance, District Six (CHPA)
• Tampa Bay Pension Council

Fraternities and Sororities

• Phi Beta Kappa