Sally Nielsen is a Partner in the Savannah office.  Ms. Nielsen is in the Firm's ERISA Practice Group where she specializes in employee benefits and executive compensation. She advises public, private, government and tax-exempt entities on benefits issues related to the design, adoption, communication and administration of benefits plans and related funding vehicles. A significant part of her practice involves executive compensation arrangements including equity and performance-based compensation as well as nonqualified deferred compensation agreements and rabbi trusts. Ms. Nielsen has extensive experience in identifying and resolving employee benefit issues in corporate transactions as well as advising clients on welfare benefit plan issues and human resource operations. She has represented employers in disputes with the IRS, the DOL, and the PBGC as well as with private parties.

Ms. Nielsen received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Albion College in 1973 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her J.D. degree, with distinction, in 1982 from Emory University School of Law where she was Executive Articles Editor of the Emory Law Journal and a member of the Order of the Coif. She is a member of the Southern Employee Benefits Conference, an interdisciplinary educational organization for employee benefit professionals, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, and the District of Columbia Bar Association. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Nielsen was a partner with King & Spalding LLP and Kilpatrick Stockton LLP in their Atlanta offices. Before attending law school, she worked for Avon Products, Inc. in their Atlanta regional headquarters in various management positions.

• Professional Affiliations and Awards

  • American Bar Association
    
  • Best Lawyers in America: (Employee Benefits Law) 2008, 2009 & 2010
    
  • District of Columbia Bar Association
    
  • Southern Employee Benefits Conference
    
  • State Bar of Georgia