Joel E. Horowitz | McCarter & English, LLP

Public, private, tax-exempt, and nonprofit entities rely on Joel’s decades of experience and sound business judgment to find creative solutions for their executive compensation, employee benefits, nonprofit corporation, and tax exemption issues.

Joel Horowitz has delivered excellent results for employers and executives for more than 30 years. He advises on equity-based compensation, incentive pay, and employment, retention, and severance agreements. He has extensive experience in the design and operation of compensation and benefit arrangements. Joel also brings a unique combination of legal and business acumen to help tax-exempt and nonprofit organizations in their state and federal tax exemption matters as well as fundraising compliance and nonprofit corporation issues.

With a deep understanding of ERISA issues, Joel works alongside venture capital funds, investment advisers, and mutual funds on fiduciary responsibility, prohibited transactions, and regulatory compliance for tax-qualified plans and IRAs as well as plan-asset issues and transactions that may be restricted under ERISA. He assists clients with equity-based compensation and incentive pay and provides comprehensive guidance on tax-qualified plans, deferred compensation arrangements, and noncash benefits.

Joel assists public and private companies with the full spectrum of employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) transactions. He has acted as trustee’s counsel, lender’s counsel, and special corporate counsel in employee stock ownership plan transactions ranging up to $800 million. He also brings extensive experience in navigating the reforms and guidance issued by government agencies and how they impact employers’ business operations. He has represented clients before the IRS, US Department of Labor, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and secured the first-ever IRS approval of health plan debit cards.

Joel frequently speaks on trending topics in the employee compensation and benefits legal landscape, including the latest in health plan design, workplace benefits, and executive compensation plans. He has also served as an adjunct professor in the Villanova University School of Law Graduate Tax Program for more than 35 years.

Represented Transfix, a digital freight management and logistics company, in the sale of its freight brokerage business to strategic buyer NFI Industries. Transfix will now operate as a technology developer and supplier offering its proprietary transportation management system and other logistics software.

Represented Cream-O-Land Dairies, LLC in the acquisition of the business and assets of Clover Farms Dairy of Reading, PA, a producer of dairy and tea products sold throughout Eastern Pennsylvania under the Clover Farms and Icy Tea labels. In addition to corporate and financing issues, we handled complex employee matters including significant multiemployer pension liability issues.

Represented The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts, Inc., a not-for-profit based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, in its acquisition of New Jersey Youth Chorus, another not-for-profit based in Chatham, New Jersey. Wharton sponsors the Paterson Music Project (music instruction in underprivileged public schools), the New Jersey Youth Symphony, and the Performing Arts School, and NJYC sponsors youth ensembles in choral music.

Represented LaRose Industries, LLC, d/b/a Cra-Z-Art, a prime manufacturer and global leader in classic toy, arts and crafts kits, puzzles, and school supplies, in the acquisition of the Arts, Crafts, Stationery (AST) business from Mattel.

Represented PFM’s financial advisory business in connection with U.S. Bank’s entry into a definitive agreement to purchase PFM’s asset management business. PFM is a Philadelphia-based firm that focuses on asset management, financial advisory, and consulting services.

Represented REACH Riverside Development Corporation in connection with the multifaceted redevelopment—modeled on the holistic community redevelopment principles of the nationally renowned Purpose Built Communities network—of Northeast Wilmington, Delaware’s Riverside neighborhood.