Julie LaVille Hamlet

Julie is an experienced attorney with over a decade of practice focused on employee benefits and retirement plan compliance. She advises employers, plan sponsors, and fiduciaries on the design, operation, and governance of employee benefit plans, providing practical guidance that ensures compliance with complex legal requirements while accommodating operational realities and business objectives. Julie also counsels healthcare providers on select regulatory and compliance matters and related contractual arrangements.

Her experience includes:

• Advising on the design, administration, and compliance of qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and defined benefit pension plans;
• Drafting and reviewing retirement and welfare plan documents, amendments, and employee communications;
• Correcting plan errors and implementing Internal Revenue Service correction programs;
• Advising on plan design and transition strategies in mergers and acquisitions;
• Assisting with Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor audits, voluntary corrections, and reporting obligations;
• Supporting governmental and municipal employers with plan design, implementation, and compliance matters, including experience with the Michigan Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS);
• Counseling on Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) compliance, Affordable Care Act employer mandate requirements, cafeteria plan rules, eligibility determinations, and retiree medical benefit structures; and
• Advising plan sponsors and healthcare providers on compliance with applicable federal and state privacy rules related to employee benefit and healthcare programs.

Julie earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Notre Dame and received a full tuition scholarship to attend Saint Louis University School of Law. While in law school, she served as managing editor of the Saint Louis University Law Journal and completed a judicial externship with the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Best Lawyers® in America "One to Watch", Health Care Law, 2021-2025

Legal Affiliations:

• State Bar of Michigan
  • Health Care Law Section

Industry & Professional Associations

• American Health Lawyers Association
• American Benefits Council

Community Activities

• Girls on the Run of Kent and Muskegon Counties, Board Member
• Junior League of Grand Rapids