Thomas C. Farnam

Thomas C. Farnam, a talented employee benefits attorney with a focus on small businesses, passed away in 2017 at age 72. A valued speaker and contributor to improvements in employee benefits, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel (the “College”) in 2006.

Tom received his undergraduate degree in business from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN in 1966 and his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington (renamed the Michael Maurer School of Law in 2008) in 1970. He then earned a Master of Law degree in taxation at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC in 1973.

Tom spent his legal career as an employee benefits and tax practitioner in Missouri and Virginia practicing out of his own small firm, usually as a solo practitioner. He often represented small employers with under 1,000 employees.

Active in both business and legal organizations, Tom was often recognized for his knowledge and participation. He served on the board of the Small Business Council of America (“SBCA”) which sought favorable tax and employee benefits laws for small businesses. He won the SBCA’s Connie Murdoch Award in 2004 for outstanding leadership, dedication, and achievement on behalf of the SBCA.

He actively participated in the Tax and the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Sections of the American Bar Association (“ABA”). In the latter, Tom took an active role in moving for the adoption of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s (“PBGC’s”) missing participant program for terminated individual account plans, including gathering data regarding the missing participant problem and helping to submit comments in 2013 and 2014.

Tom spoke frequently on employee benefits for programs put on by American Law Institute-American Bar Association (“ALI-ABA”), the ABA itself, and other groups.

Former colleagues describe Tom as welcoming and fun to work with. He actively contributed his insightful ideas and seemingly boundless energy to the education of the ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) community. Tom willingly contributed his time, and could be depended on for stellar ERISA educational materials. An enthusiastic mentor, he encouraged and provided opportunities for young lawyers, including some who became College Fellows, to share their ideas and talents with the wider community.

He was passionate about and actively engaged with many groups and charitable organizations. He authored a blog, “Walking Tom,” about his racewalking to raise funds for leukemia and lymphoma research.

Photo Source: The Decade Book, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel 2000-2010