Bradford P. Campbell is a nationally recognized figure in employer-sponsored retirement plans. He is the former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits and former head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration. As ERISA’s former “top cop” and primary federal regulator, Brad provides his clients with insight and knowledge across a broad range of ERISA-plan related issues. He provides employee benefits advice to financial service providers and plan sponsors, particularly in relation to ERISA Title I issues, including fiduciary conduct and prohibited transactions. A prominent voice in the debate over the Department of Labor fiduciary regulation, Brad testified before four Congressional committees regarding the effects of the regulation, and provides clients with strategic and legal advice related to the final rule.
In addition to working with financial service and plan sponsor clients on compliance with the new fiduciary rule, recent activities for clients included advising on the development of a collective investment trust, creating fiduciary training programs for plan officials, granted individual prohibited transaction exemptions, and successfully resolving several DOL and IRS investigations and audits of large service providers and plan sponsors. He also serves as an expert witness in ERISA litigation.
Prior to serving as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits, Brad held a number of other senior positions in the government, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employee Benefits, Senior Legislative Officer for the Department of Labor, Legislative Director for then‐Congressman Ernest Fletcher, and Senior Legislative Assistant for then‐Congressman, later SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.
In addition to counseling financial service providers and plan sponsors in ERISA compliance, Brad has an active regulatory practice, assisting clients in and analyzing and offering comments on significant regulations. During his years in government, Brad played a key role in the significant ERISA retirement and health reforms of the prior decade, and his regulatory and policy decisions had a fundamental impact on the structure and operation of ERISA plans.
Brad is a contributor to Drinker Biddle’s Broker-Dealer Law Blog, which provides practical insights on litigation, regulatory, compliance and fiduciary issues impacting broker-dealers.