Donna Blanton Speaks at NAPEO Legal & Legislative Conference
Shareholder Donna E. Blanton spoke at the annual Legal and Legislative Conference of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations ("NAPEO") on May 20, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Ms. Blanton and Tess Ferrera of Thompson Hine, LLP in Washington presented an advanced seminar concerning the federal and state regulatory issues surrounding PEOs and their ability to receive commissions on insurance products. Ms. Blanton’s presentation covered state insurance law issues, while Ms. Ferrara discussed the prohibited transaction and fiduciary issues presented by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA"). PEOs, which operate under a variety of models, generally serve as human resources outsourcing organizations for businesses. PEOs provide an array of benefits to their client companies, often including many insurance products. Questions as to whether the PEOs can receive the commissions on those products pose complicated questions under both federal and state regulatory schemes.