New Benefits Law Manual Helps Companies Identify Key Issues Facing Employers

Ogletree Deakins’ User-Friendly Handbook Published Nationally By American Chamber of Commerce Resources to Help Companies Navigate Complex Benefits Laws in 2007

GREENVILLE – December 11, 2006 – American Chamber of Commerce Resources today released Employee Benefits-An Employer’s Guide, a plain-English benefits guide written by seven top benefits lawyers at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, and Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Ogletree Deakins is one of the nation’s largest labor and employment law firms. The handbook is designed to help companies learn to navigate complex federal employee benefits laws in the new year.

“Most of the books and articles on employees benefits are too detailed and complex to be useful to many employers,” said Tom Christina, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Greenville office and one of the book’s authors. “We wanted to write a manual that would fill a gap in the resources available to employers and human resources professionals who want to learn more about this significant topic.”

“We are very enthusiastic about making this handbook available nationally,” said Brad Apland, President of American Chamber of Commerce Resources. “The lawyers at Ogletree Deakins had such a natural feel for how to explain complex subjects in non-technical language that the book required almost no editing on our part. This is a great opportunity for company officials to get a clear, easy-to-read overview of the principal laws that can affect the benefits an employer provides for its employees.”

The handbook covers such topics as new rules applicable to 401(k) plans under the Pension Protection Act of 2006; cost-containment under self-insured medical plans; deferred compensation under Code Section 409A; fiduciary duties under ERISA. Employee Benefits – An Employer’s Guide includes a detailed table of contents, informative topic headings within each chapter, and a thoroughly cross-referenced index.

To order this book, please contact the American Chamber of Commerce Resources at 866-439-2227. The cost is $47 for Chamber members and $59 for the general public.

About Ogletree Deakins

For more than 25 years Ogletree Deakins has offered clients national representation in every aspect of labor and employment laws, including business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law, setting them apart as experts in labor and employment law. To learn more about the firm, visit: www.ogletreedeakins.com.

About American Chamber of Commerce Resources

American Chamber of Commerce Resources has worked with State Chambers of Commerce/Associations of Business and Industry across the country over 30 years. Their goal is to provide employers and HR professionals with the resources they need to stay in compliance with the rapidly changing world of employment laws and regulations. These resources are designed to help employers understand what to do, how to do it, and a little bit of why. www.accr.biz.