Lesley A. Russo

Lesley Russo focuses her practice on Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). She practices from the firm’s Charleston, West Virginia office.

With more than 30 years of experience, Lesley provides strategic, practical counsel to organizations of all sizes, including closely held businesses, large employers, governmental entities, and nonprofit organizations. Her practice encompasses qualified retirement plans, governmental and non-profit plans, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, and health and welfare benefit plans, including self-insured arrangements, cafeteria plans, and severance programs.

Lesley has significant and long-standing experience advising governmental plans on compliance requirements.  This work involves navigating the unique statutory and regulatory frameworks applicable to public sector plans, as well as governance, administration, and compliance at a system-wide level.

She also has extensive experience with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and combined 401(k)/ESOPs (KSOPs), advising on both ongoing compliance and transactional matters, including plan design, financing structures, and issues arising in corporate transactions.

A substantial portion of Lesley’s practice involves advising on employee benefits and executive compensation issues in mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions. She regularly counsels buyers, sellers, and lenders on due diligence, plan liabilities, transition strategies, and post-closing compliance, as well as identifying and resolving complex compliance issues that can impact deal value and timing.

Lesley regularly advises plan sponsors and fiduciaries on ERISA fiduciary duties, the establishment and operation of fiduciary committees, and the development of governance procedures and policies designed to mitigate risk and enhance compliance. She also advises clients on reporting and disclosure obligations under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code, as well as related regulatory requirements.

She works closely with plan sponsors and fiduciaries to address operational and documentation failures, including corrections under IRS and Department of Labor programs, and is highly experienced in designing practical, cost-effective solutions to bring plans back into compliance while minimizing risk and disruption.

Lesley also advises clients on the negotiation and review of administrative services agreements and other vendor arrangements, helping ensure alignment with fiduciary obligations and operational best practices. She regularly provides guidance on evolving federal laws and regulatory developments affecting retirement and welfare plans, helping clients stay current with changing compliance requirements.

In addition to her benefits practice, Lesley has extensive experience representing tax-exempt organizations, advising on §501(c)(3) compliance, unrelated business income tax matters, private foundation and public charity requirements, governance, and complex organizational structures, including joint ventures and affiliated entities.

Drawing on her experience in overseeing and administering her firm’s own retirement plans, Lesley brings a practical, business-oriented perspective to helping clients navigate the increasingly complex regulatory landscape while managing risk and controlling costs.

Lesley is admitted to practice in West Virginia.

• Leader of Bowles Rice Benefits Team
• Bowles Rice LLP 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan, In-House General Counsel

• West Virginia Bar Association