Jim Cowles is an Employee Benefits Consultant in King & Spalding’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Practice with over 19 years experience with corporations and law firms in employee benefits and executive compensation. His status as a “consultant” is the highest status at the firm for a non-lawyer and is the equivalent of “counsel” status for a lawyer.
Mr. Cowles has extensive experience in qualified plan administrative compliance, plan design and development, plan mergers, participant recordkeeping, favorable determination letter applications and employee benefit plan transition issues related to business transactions. He also advises clients on day-to-day plan administration and operational procedures, non-discrimination testing, reporting and disclosure requirements, administrative contracts and trust agreements. Additionally, he has successfully negotiated closing agreements with the IRS as part of the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System and advised clients on resolution of DOL audits and inquires by the PBGC.
Mr. Cowles holds the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, a Paralegal Certificate from The Philadelphia Institute of Employee Benefits (ABA approved) and a B. A. from the University of Pittsburgh in Economics. Mr. Cowles is also a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
