Jeremy W. Hays

Jeremy provides advice and counsel to employers about all types of employee benefit plan issues. He assists clients with the design and administration of retirement, health, and welfare plans, helping employers establish and maintain their plans and limiting their exposure. He advises on compliance with federal and state laws governing benefit plans and plan sponsors, including the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, COBRA, ERISA, and the Internal Revenue Code. He assists clients with IRS, DOL, and internal audits as well as plan corrections.

Jeremy uses his extensive experience with benefits and employment litigation to counsel employers and plan administrators regarding benefits disputes and other controversies under ERISA and other benefits-related federal and state laws. He understands that every dispute is unique and requires a specifically tailored strategy. In keeping with this approach, he has won cases for clients at every stage of litigation and on appeal, and he has settled others on favorable terms.

In addition to his benefits practice, Jeremy has litigated complex cases through trial and on appeal. He has been on winning trial teams in cases ranging from an arbitration brought by a single employee to a lawsuit over the termination of a $30 billion merger. His appellate victories include Scott v. MEI, Inc., No. 21-10680 (5th Cir. 2022); Owens v. Neovia Logistics, L.L.C., 816 F. App’x 906 (5th Cir. 2020); Coates v. Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., 961 F.3d 1039 (8th Cir. 2020); and 20/20 Communications, Inc. v. Blevins, 930 F.3d 715 (5th Cir. 2019).

Before entering private practice, Jeremy was a law clerk for Judge David C. Godbey of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He earned his law degree, cum laude, from the New York University School of Law. He also holds degrees from Yale University and Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Jeremy was an attorney at Vinson & Elkins LLP.