Craig A. Bitman provides clients with a range of knowledge and skills in all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation law, and he also practices in the firm’s institutional investor and private investment funds practices. Craig leads the firm’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice, has served as a member of the firm’s Advisory Board, and currently co-leads the firm’s Disability Awareness Lawyers Network.
Craig brings more than 25 years of experience to his practice, advising clients on all aspects of benefit plan design, implementation, and administration. Specifically, he counsels clients in the context of day-to-day administration, plan investments, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and ongoing compliance. His advice extends to matters involving qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation plans, health and welfare benefit plans, equity compensation, and other types of arrangements. Craig’s representations include both ongoing benefits advice and transactional matters.
His client roster includes a diverse mix of businesses, trusts, and individuals, including financial services companies, public pension plans, life insurance companies, transportation and logistics providers, entertainment companies, and multiemployer trust funds. He spends a significant percentage of his time devoted to assisting these entities and individuals in complying with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s (ERISA) complex fiduciary duties.
A member of the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys, Craig often speaks and writes on topics affecting plan sponsors and service providers. His experience in the space has earned him recognition by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Best Lawyers, PLC, Legal 500 and others.
Ranked, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, New York, Chambers USA (2014–2016, 2022–2024)
Recommended, Labor and employment: Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design, The Legal 500 US (2019–2024)
Recommended, Labor and employment: Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional, The US Legal 500 (2010, 2017–2021, 2023)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, New York (2010–2025)
Recognized, Leading US Corporate Employment Lawyer, Lawdragon 500 (2022)
Recognized, Employee Benefits and Pensions, PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook (2008)
Member, Benefits Editorial Advisory Board, Law360 (2023, 2024)
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Benefits, Law360 (2022)
Member, Law Firm of the Year, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Chambers USA (2019)
Member, Law Firm of the Year, Employee Benefits (ERISA Law), US News/Best Lawyers – Best Law Firms (2019)