Christopher K. Buch has a multidisciplinary practice that focuses on a variety of employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), executive compensation and employee benefits matters. He leverages a seasoned perspective to clients’ business challenges and the development of business strategies.
Chris represents plan sponsors, ESOP trustees, selling shareholders, ESOP committees, lending institutions, private equity firms and other fiduciaries in connection with all types of ESOP matters. He has been involved in hundreds of transactions and is frequently called upon to assist his clients with ownership succession transactions, going-private transactions, management buyouts, corporate conversions, releveragings, ESOP company sales and transactions involving private equity. Because of his experience providing advice and counsel to plan sponsors, trustees, lending institutions, selling shareholders and other stakeholders in different ESOP matters, not only is he able to identify issues or challenges that his clients may face but he is also able to anticipate and propose efficient solutions that a counterparty may find to be acceptable. Chris also routinely represents his clients in connection with governmental investigations, participant claims and responding to private actions relating to ESOPs.
In addition, Chris assists his clients with a number of other executive compensation and employee benefit issues, helping clients design and draft compensation and equity arrangements, negotiate employment agreements, comply with tax laws related to compensation and benefits, evaluate mergers and acquisitions and establish and maintain qualified plans and health and welfare arrangements.
Chris regularly speaks at various organizations on ESOP and executive compensation matters and he has authored and co-authored chapters and articles pertaining to various ESOP-related topics for a number of publications. He also serves as an appointed member of the Advisory Committee for the Employee Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA). In addition, he has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America® in the Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law category since 2024. In 2025, Chris was also recognized by Leading Lawyers in the Employee Benefits Law category.