Russell E. Greenblatt

Chicago, IL

Russell E. Greenblatt concentrates his practice in employee benefits. Before joining the firm in 1980, Mr. Greenblatt served as an Attorney Advisor with the Employee Plans and Exempt Organizations Division of the Office of Chief Counsel to the IRS (Washington, D.C.), during which time he was the principal author of the IRS regulations on VEBAs.
Mr. Greenblatt is a frequent author and lecturer on the subject of welfare benefit plans and VEBAs, including for the American Bar Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York University Tax Institute, University of Southern California Tax Institute, Taxes, Taxation for Lawyers, The Journal of Taxation and Benefits Law Journal. He has testified before the Ways and Means Committee and the IRS on pending benefits legislation and regulations, and served for many years on the Editorial Advisory board of Benefits Law Journal, for which he authored the quarterly column "Federal Benefits Developments." Mr. Greenblatt has also served as adjunct faculty instructor at John Marshall Law School's LL.M. in Employee Benefits Program and is a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. Mr. Greenblatt has been listed in Illinois Super Lawyers (2007-2018) and The Best Lawyers in America (2011-2024).
Because of Mr. Greenblatt's particular experience with respect to welfare benefit programs, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP serves as special-benefits counsel to many Fortune 500 companies. This work ranges from the design, documentation and implementation of employee welfare trusts to the representation of employers/trusts before the IRS and DOL on audits, ruling requests and litigation.
Mr. Greenblatt's academic achievements include an accounting degree, magna cum laude, from Indiana University, a law degree, cum laude, from Northwestern University, and post-graduate coursework from Georgetown University Law Center and the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Greenblatt's practice is limited exclusively to employee welfare benefit plans, with particular emphasis on Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Associations ("VEBAs").

Health and Welfare Plans

Russell E. Greenblatt is available to serve as mediator and expert witness, and has already served as expert in three cases in federal district courts and one in New Jersey State court.