Partner, Bryan Cave in St. Louis, MO
- 1985, Valparaiso University School of Law
- 1982, B.S.W., highest distinction, Valparaiso University
- Leader of the firm's Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group

Ms. Van Fleet serves as leader of the firm's Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. She counsels clients, including tax-exempt organizations, with respect to qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, welfare and fringe benefit plans, and deferred and equity-based compensation. She has designed and implemented strategies for integration of employee benefit plans in mergers, acquisitions and similar corporate transactions. Ms. Van Fleet has defended clients in connection with Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor audits of employee benefit plans and represented clients seeking rulings and
exemptions from their national offices.

In addition, Ms. Van Fleet is a member of the firm’s Tax Advice and Controversy Client Service Group and works closely with the Hedge Fund Client Service Group, counseling clients on complex ERISA regulatory compliance matters, including the plan asset rules, fiduciary duties and prohibited transactions.

Ms. Van Fleet is a frequent speaker and writer on employee benefit and tax-related topics and is often quoted in professional journals and business publications. She has served for many years as an adjunct professor of law at Saint Louis University School of Law teaching employee benefits courses.

Areas of Concentration:
Qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, executive compensation, deferred compensation, equity based compensation, welfare benefit plans, compensation and benefit plans for tax-exempt organizations, multiemployer plans, plan asset vehicles, fiduciary duties, prohibited transactions, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA and employee benefits in corporate transactions.

Speaking Engagements:

• "Section 409A in a Nutshell," Sponsored by the Estate Planning Institute St. Louis, Missouri, April 2008
• "409A and Other Compelling Executive Compensation Issues," Sponsored by CBIZ Annual Tax Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, June 2008
• "Designing and Administering Stock Plans after 409A," Sponsored by the National Association of Stock Professionals, San Francisco, California, October 2007
• "Section 409A," Sponsored by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, June 21, 2007
• "Pension Protection Act - What You Need to Know Now," Sponsored by the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
• "Effective ESOP Strategies," Sponsored by The President's Forum, St. Louis, Missouri, February 2007
• "Benefits for Religious Organizations," Sponsored by the Legal Resource Center for Religious Organizations, St. Louis, Missouri, February 2007
• "Best Practices for Designing and Maintaining Successful Benefit Programs," The Employee Benefits Legal Leadership Conference, Sponsored by Reed Logic, 2006
• "Protecting Executive Compensation," Sponsored by the Maricopa County Arizona Bar Association, Phoenix, Arizona, 2006
• "Current Developments in Executive Compensation" Sponsored as a Forum for Public Companies, St. Louis, Missouri, September 2006
• "Hedge Funds – Implications of Accepting Investments From ERISA Plans," Sponsored by Hedge Funds Regulation and Compliance, New York, New York, May 2006
• "Executive Compensation: New Rules – High Stakes," Sponsored by Roth Capital, Laguna Beach, California, February 2006
• "409A Compliance," Sponsored by the National Association of Stock Professionals, Chicago, Illinois, October 2005
• "Nonqualified Deferred Compensation," Sponsored by Hedge Funds Regulation and Compliance, New York, New York, 2005
• "Deferred Compensation after the Jobs Act," Sponsored by the Fourth Annual Effective Hedge Fund, Tax Practices, New York, New York, 2005

Publications

• "Correcting 409A Violations," St. Louis Bar Journal, 2009
• "Reminder: New Federal Regulations Regarding Anti-Discrimination on the Basis of Genetic Information," Privacy and Data Security Law Journal, 2008
• "Designing and Administering Stock Plans under the Final Section 409A Regulations,"
• Pension Planning and Compliance, September, 2007
• "Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions," The Best in Mergers and Acquisitions, 1999
• "Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions," The Banking Law Journal, 1996

Education
J.D., Valparaiso University, 1985
B.S.W., highest distinction, Valparaiso University, 1982

Professional Associations
American Bar Association
Missouri Bar Association
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis – Secretary of the Employee Benefits Section
Employee Benefits Association of St. Louis
Workers in Employee Benefits (WEB) – Program Committee

LEAF was established by attorney, Kim E. Ferraro to empower Indiana citizens with legal resources needed to fight polluting industry and complicit regulatory agencies.

Before earning her JD from Valparaiso University School of Law, Ms. Ferraro was a litigation paralegal for  20 years and was inspired by attorneys  who were able to achieve social justice by forcing powerful corporate and government entities to answer for their action in a court of law. As an environmental activist, she recognized that these same entities can and should be held accountable for causing and allowing ever increasing toxic pollution to degrade our air, land and water with serious implications for human health.  

During law school, she received several scholarships and awards including the Dean W. Kohlhoff Memorial Award for Excellence in Environmental Law, the Corpus Juris Secundum Award, and the Charles R. Gromley Scholarship that was given to one member of the class of 2007 for outstanding academic achievement and community service. Also while in law school, Ms. Ferraro clerked for the U.S. EPA Region 5 Office of Regional Counsel, the City of South Bend Legal Department and Lake County Superior Court Judge, John Pera. Finally, Ms. Ferraro was an elected officer of the Valparaiso Environmental Law Society, a teaching assistant in the law school’s legal writing program and graduated in the top quarter of her class.

Counsel and Policy Director, Governor Mitch Daniels, Jr.
- 2007 - Valparaiso University School of Law,  Accelerated J.D.
- 2003 - Carnegie Mellon University, B.S.
- 2002 - University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Sebastian serves on the Governor's staff and counsels him on a multitude of legal issues as well as policy related topics pertaining specifically to gaming and public safety matters.   The agencies under his purview are: Indiana Gaming Commission, Horse Racing Commission, Criminal Justice Institute, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana War Memorials, Law Enforcement Academy, Department of Corrections, Indiana Integrated Public Safety Commission, and the Indiana Parole Board.  He advises, directs and liaisons between these agencies and the Governor’s office.

Sebastian began an externship within the Office of the Governor for Valparaiso students in May, 2007. He clerked for the Governor’s General Counsel from May until his early graduation from law school in December.  Sebastian became an official part of the Governor’s team while studying for and successfully taking the Indiana Bar.  He progressed from law clerk to overseeing more than ten government agencies or organizations for the Governor.   Under the Governor’s leadership and guidance, a part of Sebastian’s functions include working with his agencies to provide the best service available to the citizenry while capturing efficiencies and cost-effective manners of governing.