|
Leena
Bhakta graduated cum laude
from the University of
California, Irvine in 1998
where she obtained Bachelor of
Arts degrees in Economics and
Criminology. She received her
Juris Doctor, with honors,
from the University of Texas
School of Law in 2001.
Leena
began her legal career at
Vinson & Elkins LLP as an
associate in the Employee
Benefits and Executive
Compensation Group. At V&E,
Leena represented publicly
held corporations in all
aspects of employee benefit
matters, including designing
and drafting qualified and
nonqualified plans,
comprehensive welfare benefit
plans and cafeteria plans.
She also assisted clients with
regulatory compliance issues
under COBRA, USERRA, FMLA and
HIPAA and worked on various
benefit matters in connection
with mergers and
acquisitions. Leena also
represented companies before
the IRS and DOL in connection
with plan audits and voluntary
correction requests.
In 2005,
Leena joined Halliburton
Company to be the primary
counsel in charge of legal
compliance for Halliburton’s
qualified plans, welfare
benefit plans, the master
trust and offshore retirement
plans. Leena worked closely
with the Global Benefits
Department to ensure
compliance with PPA, COBRA,
USERRA, FMLA, HIPAA and PPACA.
She regularly negotiated third
party administrative services
contracts pertaining to
benefit plans and drafted
investment management
agreements, summary plan
descriptions and various other
employee communications
regarding employee benefits.
Leena also provided advice
with respect to ERISA
compliance and fiduciary
responsibilities to members of
the Benefits and Investment
Committees.
After
working at Halliburton Company
until 2010, Leena moved back
to California and took a year
off to raise her two young
children. Leena joined
Montage Legal Group in the
fall of 2011 and is currently
working as a freelance
attorney. In addition to her
legal career, Leena is a
volunteer Court Appointed
Special Advocate mentoring and
advocating in court on behalf
abused and neglected children. |
