Overview

The Wagner Law Group is a nationally recognized practice in the areas of ERISA and employee benefits, which includes the distinct areas of Fiduciary Compliance, Retirement Plans, ESOPs, Executive Compensation & Nonqualified Plans, Welfare Benefit Plans, PBGC and Retiree Medical Trusts™, as well as Employment, Labor & Human Resources, Investment Management, Trusts & Estates, Litigation and Family Law. Established in 1996 by Marcia S. Wagner, The Wagner Law Group is dedicated to the highest standards of integrity, excellence and thought leadership and is considered to be amongst the nation's premier ERISA and employee benefits law firms. The firm has offices across the country, providing unparalleled legal advice to its clients, including large, small and nonprofit corporations as well as individuals and government entities worldwide.

The firm primarily focuses in the pension, compensation and employee benefits (ERISA) realms with recognized expertise in such areas as defined benefit pension plans, profit sharing plans, 401(k) plans, ESOPs, prototype plans, VEBAs, "cafeteria" plans, group medical and health plans (including the areas of COBRA and HIPAA), qualified domestic relations orders, qualified medical child support orders, qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation programs, stock option programs and other such compensation arrangements. The firm also provide service with respect to a variety of other fringe benefit matters.

The Wagner Law Group has also developed a particular expertise in governmental audits (Department of Labor, Internal Revenue Service and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation) and helping resolve issues concerning troubled plans, such as prohibited transactions and plan disqualification defects.

Members of the firm also serve as expert witnesses in several areas of ERISA, employee benefits, executive compensation and investment management law. They have regularly represented clients with distinction in cases relating to plan design, benefit administration, financial issues, fiduciary matters, best practices and evolving industry standards.

The Wagner Law Group's attorneys, senior benefits consultant and paralegals combine many years of experience in their fields of practice with a variety of backgrounds. Its attorneys include those who are AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, Fellows of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, an invitation-only organization of nationally recognized employee benefits lawyers as well as those who have been named to the prestigious Super Lawyers lists, which highlight outstanding lawyers based on a rigorous selection process. Our firm is distinguished by the U.S. News & World Report's Best Law Firms as a Tier-1 ERISA and employee benefits law firm. The Wagner Law Group is also certified as a woman-owned and operated business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

Founded:
1996
Magnifying glass with star icon
Practice Areas:
19
Person outline with Best Lawyers logo
Best Lawyers Recognized:
14

Rankings

National

Tier
1
National Ranking
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Regional

Boston

Tier
1
Boston
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier
1
Boston
Litigation - Labor and Employment

Chicago

Tier
2
Chicago
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier
3
Chicago
Labor Law - Management

New York City

Tier
1
New York City
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

St. Louis

Tier
1
St. Louis
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Firm Leadership

About Our Clients

The firm has a comfortably large clientele base, ranging in variety from large, publicly-traded, multinational corporations to small, closely-held corporations. Our clients includes, but is by no means limited to, administrators, trustees, broker-dealers, major U.S. financial institutions, government instrumentalities, professional and trade associations, investment groups, and prominent individuals, along with investment advisors and managers of employee benefit plans in connection with their investment activities in securities transactions, limited partnerships, joint ventures and real estate investments. We also provide expertise in tax-exempt organizations, especially hospitals and physician organizations and their affiliates. The firm represents clients across the Unites States and in several foreign countries.

Rankings

National

Tier
1
National Ranking
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Regional

Boston

Tier
1
Boston
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier
1
Boston
Litigation - Labor and Employment

Chicago

Tier
2
Chicago
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Tier
3
Chicago
Labor Law - Management

New York City

Tier
1
New York City
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

St. Louis

Tier
1
St. Louis
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Tampa

Tier
1
Tampa
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Washington, D.C.

Tier
1
Washington, D.C.
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Practice Areas

The Wagner Law Group has been ranked by Best Law Firms for excellence in 3 specialties, reflecting the firm's commitment to delivering outstanding legal services.
Additionally, the firm provides services in these practice areas:
  • Banking and Finance Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Employment Law - Individuals
  • Employment Law - Management
  • ERISA
  • ESOPS
  • Executive Compensation
  • Family Law
  • Fiduciary Responsibility
  • Financial Services Regulation Law
  • Labor Law - Management
  • Litigation - ERISA
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Pension, Health and Welfare
  • Qualified Plans
  • Securities Regulation
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®

The Wagner Law Group proudly has 14 lawyers recognized for their outstanding professional performance in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. This peer-reviewed honor highlights individual excellence and directly qualifies the firm for consideration in the prestigious Best Law Firms rankings. For over four decades, Best Lawyers has been the gold standard for recognizing top legal talent, serving as the cornerstone for Best Law Firms awards. Learn more about our rigorous Best Lawyers research and selection process.
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Awards

The Wagner Law Group is honored to be recognized for excellence by Best Law Firms and other leading legal industry organizations. Our rankings and awards reflect the dedication, skill, and results our attorneys deliver across a wide range of practice areas. In addition to our Best Law Firms awards, The Wagner Law Group has earned accolades from respected national and regional publications for outstanding legal service and professional achievement. Explore our awards below to learn more about how The Wagner Law Group continues to set the standard for quality legal representation.
The firms attorneys include those who are AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, Fellows of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, an invitation-only organization of nationally recognized employee benefits lawyers as well as those who have been named

Offices & Contacts

Boston, MA
125 High Street
Oliver Street Tower, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
United States
San Diego, CA
8677 Villa La Jolla Drive, Suite 888
San Diego, CA 92037
United States
San Francisco, CA
Washington, DC
1015 18th Street, N.W., Suite 801
Washington, DC 20036
United States
Boynton Beach, FL
1880 North Congress Avenue, Suite 200
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
United States
Tampa, FL
101 East Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 2140
Tampa, FL 33602
United States
Chicago, IL
150 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60603
United States
Lincoln, MA
St. Louis, MO
439 South Kirkwood Road, Suite 215
St. Louis, MO 63122
United States
New York, NY

Significant Matters

The Wagner Law Group is a nationally recognized practice in the areas of ERISA and employee benefits, which includes the distinct areas of Fiduciary Compliance, Retirement Plans, ESOPs, Executive Compensation & Nonqualified Plans, Welfare Benefit Plans and PBGC, as well as Employment, Labor & Human Resources, Investment Management, Trusts & Estates, Litigation, Immigration, Family, Municipal, Corporate & Commercial and Real Estate Law.
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