Practice Areas
Admissions
- Missouri
- Illinois
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Education
J.D., Washington University School of Law, magna cum laude, 2011, Order of the Coif
M.S. in Education, Mercy College, 2006, with distinction
B.A., Wake Forest University, summa cum laude, 2001, Phi Beta Kappa
Profile
Heather Mehta’s experience in both employee benefits litigation and compliance counseling gives her a broad perspective on the issues all types of employers face when administering benefit plans. She works with clients large and small, as well as tax-exempt organizations such as religiously affiliated hospitals.
When clients have questions about how to administer retirement, welfare, cafeteria or executive compensation plans — whether it’s a larger issue resulting from a merger or acquisition or specific to one employee — Heather reviews the plan and the law to determine the correct course. She also helps employers with ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance, including the correction of plan operational failures. Heather frequently assists religious employers with benefit questions, including the application of ERISA’s “church plan” exemption.
Her benefits litigation experience includes individual benefit claims and ERISA class actions. Heather has defended plan sponsors in suits involving “church plans,” forum selection clauses, and ERISA pre-emption. Heather has experience with ERISA appellate work in several federal circuit courts and the United States Supreme Court.
While attending Washington University School of Law, Heather served as an executive articles editor for the Journal of Law & Policy and a member of the Jessup International Moot Court team. She interned with Judge Raymond Gruender of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Employee Benefits Section, chair
Community/Civic Activities
- Washington Place Improvement Association, co-president
Honors & Awards
Honors & Awards
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Employee Benefits, 2017-21
- The Best Lawyers in America, "Ones to Watch," 2021-2022
Experience
Representative Matters
- Represented Advocate Health Care Network before the U.S. Supreme Court in Advocate Health Care Network et al. v. Stapleton et al., a high-profile case involving the interpretation of ERISA’s “church plan” definition. The case resulted in a unanimous June 5, 2017, decision in favor of Advocate and two other religiously affiliated hospitals.
News & Insights
News
- Jacksonville Journal-Courier, December 12, 2022
- Bloomberg Law, August 23, 2022
- Law360, May 13, 2022
- August 19, 2021
- August 20, 2020
- February 2020
- Bloomberg Law, July 23, 2019
- November 2018
- July 2018
- Bloomberg Law, June 25, 2018
- Bloomberg Law, May 22, 2018
- Law360, May 18, 2018
- Bloomberg Law Benefits & Executive Compensation News, May 10, 2018
- Jacksonville (Ill.) Journal Courier, June 11, 2017
- June 5, 2017
- May 1, 2017
- Bloomberg BNA Daily Tax Report, December 11, 2015
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
- Governmental Plans Continuing Education Seminar, November 17, 2022
- “What Overturning Roe v. Wade Means for Employee Benefits"Association of Corporate Counsel St. Louis Chapter, July 19, 2022
- "Transversing the Law: The Variety of Laws Impacting Decisions on Medical Coverage for Gender Dysphoria"American Society for Health Care Human Resources Administration, April 27, 2022
- "Controlled Group and Successor Liability for Defined Benefit Pension Plan Liabilities: Best Practices and Potential Pitfalls for M&A Lawyers”Strafford, February 9, 2022
- ASHHRA 54th Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 16, 2018
- "Contingent Workers and Legal Risks to Employer Benefit Plans"Bloomberg BNA Webinar, November 6, 2013
- "Before You Hit Send: Practical Application of DOL and IRS Electronic Disclosure Rules"Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, December 2012
Publications
Blog Posts
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, August 21, 2019
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, July 19, 2019
- Health Care Today | Health Law Blog, July 19, 2019
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, June 28, 2019
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, June 14, 2019
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, May 28, 2019
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, April 23, 2019
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, August 2, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, July 26, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, July 25, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, June 11, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, May 30, 2018
- SimplyHR | Employment & Labor Blog , May 21, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, May 21, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, May 7, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, January 24, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, January 18, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, January 8, 2018
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, October 24, 2017
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, August 22, 2017
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, August 4, 2017
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, May 11, 2017
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, January 18, 2017
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, August 4, 2016
- Plans, Perks & Pay | Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog, May 23, 2016
- SimplyHR | Employment & Labor Blog , July 7, 2014