Theresa (Tess) S. Gee

Washington, DC

Tess Gee is the Legal Director for the Pension Rights Center, a nonprofit consumer organization committed to protecting and promoting retirement security. She provides legal guidance and counseling on a broad range of ERISA and pension issues for the Center. Formerly, she was in private practice where she specialized in litigating and counseling clients on ERISA matters, including defending ERISA class actions, responding to regulatory investigations, and advising on ERISA compliance issues related to fiduciary process and structure and prohibited transactions concerning defined benefit and defined contribution plans. Tess also served for nearly 15 years in DOL's Office of the Solicitor, most recently as Deputy Associate Solicitor in the division responsible for ERISA litigation and advice. While with DOL, she represented the government in investigations and cases involving breaches of fiduciary duty and prohibited transactions in connection with the value of company stock, corporate fraud, excessive fees, health plans and plan investments, as well as funding and other issues under Title IV of ERISA.

Since leaving the government and in private practice, Tess utilized her extensive past experience to assist clients in responding to DOL fiduciary investigations and inquiries and advising on plan design, fiduciary processes, disclosures and compliance with ERISA's prohibited transaction provisions. She has successfully defended major corporations, directors and officers in class actions alleging fiduciary breaches, obtaining dismissal, nonmonetary settlement and favorable summary judgment rulings in various matters.

Tess is the author of ERISA: Department of Labor Investigations and Litigation (Practicing Law Institute), an authoritative guide to the Department of Labor's (DOL) regulations and guidance, enforcement priorities, litigation positions, and views advocated through its amicus curiae briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeals.

EDUCATION
J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
A.B., University of California at Berkeley