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Attorney
By
Attorney
Career Profiles of the Profession
Who?
Name:
Elizabeth R. Lishner
Erisaace@aol.com
What?
Primary Practice Area & Subspecialty Fields:
ERISA Litigation-representing participants.
When?
In Practice Area:
Since 1979.
In the Legal Profession:
Since 1979.
Where?
Employer:
Law Offices of Elizabeth R. Lishner
City/State:
Santa Monica, CA
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Law School:
California Western School of Law
Undergraduate School/Degree:
UC Santa Barbara-Bachelor of Arts in Law & Society
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Why?
Pluses/Challenges of Practice Area:
I believe that practicing in this area affords me an opportunity to work in an interesting although sometimes exasperating area of law and to provide assistance to participants who would otherwise not have access to the legal system.
Core Skills/Key Knowledge Needed in Your Practice Area:
A basic understanding of ERISA and some tax law; litigation experience; knowledge of general trusts and insurance law.
Advice to Lawyers and Law Students Interested in Your Practice Area:
Start by enrolling in a general ERISA course. Many of them are invaluable and the networking at the on-site programs provides resources well beyond the actual course materials. There is no substitute for the one-on-one discourse that the seminars provide.
How?
Career Path to Current Position:
I began working in a Union side labor law firm, initially doing trust fund enforcement work for Taft-Hartley trusts. I then began to attend trust meetings and gradually was moved into more complex litigation (representing the trust funds as plaintiff and/or defendant). I opened my own office in 1989 and began representing participants.
Influences and Mentors:
Lionel Richman, Esq.
Suggested Reading About Your Practice Area:
Employee Benefits Law, (BNA).
Bar Affiliations and Activities:
ABA: Labor and Employment Law Section, Committee on Employee Benefits;Plaintiff’s Co-Chair, Benefit Claims Subcommittee of Employee Benefits Committee;Charter Fellow, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel; California State Bar; Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Recent Professional Publications:
Contributing Author and Supplement Chapter Editor, "Employee Benefits Law", BNA (2000).
Recent Professional Presentations:
ERISA BASICS, May 2001 (Dallas);
ERISA LITIGATION, November 2000 (Chicago);
ERISA BASICS, May and June 2000 (Dallas and New York);
WESTERN PENSION BENEFITS CONFERENCE, August 2000 (Los Angeles).
Memorable Career Moment:
Opening my own office.
Intriguing Interests:
Horseback riding; country western dancing.
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