Robert F. Schatz

West Hartford, CT

Rob Schatz is a founding partner of Schatz Brown Glassman LLP, a boutique ESOP law firm located in Hartford, CT, Rochester, NY and Columbus OH. ESOP Plus received international recognition and M&A awards as, “Best Boutique ESOP Law Firm in the U.S.” in 2015 and for “Excellence in ESOP Transaction Planning” in 2016. Rob has been practicing corporate and finance law for more than 39 years and, since 1984, has concentrated his practice in structuring and documenting acquisitions and divestitures involving ESOPs, qualified and non-qualified equity compensation and synthetic equity plans, ESOP financing transactions and advising Boards of Directors, management, stockholders and ERISA fiduciaries on general corporate finance, corporate responsibility and corporate (and ERISA) fiduciary matters. Rob is a Trustee of the Employee Ownership Foundation.

Prior to founding his firm, Schatz Law Offices, LLC in 1996 and Schatz Brown Glassman LLP in 2010 with ACEBC Fellow, Rob Brown (and subsequently, ACEBC Fellow, Tim Jochim,) Rob had been a partner in Kelley, Drye & Warren (1995-1996, based in their Stamford, Connecticut office) and Schatz & Schatz, Ribicoff & Kotkin (1977-1995).

Rob earned his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Suffolk University School of Law and his Bachelors Degree from Cornell University. He is a member of the Connecticut and US District Courts.

Fiduciary/Other Title I Issues

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP); Fiduciary duties and responsibilities in connection with the establishment, maintenance and termination of ESOPs (including Fiduciary approval of initial and ongoing valuation of ESOP shares)and stock acquisition/disposition transactions involving ESOPs.