Kristin Smith
Pensions, Employment Benefits and Executive Compensation
I practice almost exclusively in the area of pensions, employee benefits and executive compensation law, with a significant overlap with employment law. I advise clients with both federally and provincially regulated pension and benefits plans in such areas as plan administration, governance and compliance, as well as plan wind-ups, fiduciary responsibilities and related employment concerns. I also counsel clients on the implications that mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate transactions, may have on pension, employee benefit and incentive plans. Further, I work with clients on a variety of executive compensation issues such as executive employment agreements, change of control concerns and employee incentive plans.
Between 2009 and 2010, I was seconded to a major energy company for approximately nine months, where I assumed the role of in-house legal advisor to its Human Resources Department. In that role, I worked with internal clients on diverse and varied Human Resources issues including, but not limited to, Canadian, US and foreign incentive plans, foreign assignments to the US, the EU and Latin America, pension and benefits issues and an array of employment concerns.
I am currently the Chair of the Canadian Pensions and Benefits Institute - Southern Alberta Regional Council, and I am also a member of the Regional Council for the Association of Canadian Pension Management.
Upon completing my law degree in 2000, I had the privilege of clerking at the Federal Court of Canada - Trial Division in Ottawa. Since the conclusion of my clerkship in 2001, I have practiced in Calgary in the area of pensions, employee benefits and executive compensation law with two leading national law firms. I was honoured to again be recognized by The Best Lawyers in Canada in its 2012 edition in the area of Employee Benefits Law.
