Sue Conway concentrates her practice in employee benefits, specifically health and welfare benefits. She has counseled employers for more than 20 years in the design and administration of group health, disability, Section 125 cafeteria and other health and fringe benefit plans, including consumer engaged health plans such as health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), health savings accounts (HSAs) and employer-sponsored wellness programs. She also works with companies on compliance with COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA and similar employee benefit laws and serves on the Firm's HIPAA Task Force, helping clients comply with the HIPAA privacy rules. She is a member of the Firm's Health Care Reform Task Force and participates in Health Care Reform Webinars and presentations.

Sue has served on the Firm's Management Committee and is currently the Firm's Marketing and Client Development Partner.

Representative Experience

• Helped companies implement cost-saving high deductible health plans with health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs)
• Developed flexible benefits programs for over 100 employers
• Worked with third-party administrators and health plans to design and prepare consumer-engaged health plan (HRA and HSA) program documents for their clients
• Designed innovative wellness programs, including HIPAA-compliant wellness plans
• Adviser to employers and benefit providers on complex COBRA issues
• Frequent speaker at seminars and employer meetings statewide on consumer-directed health plans, COBRA, Medicare Prescription Drug coverage, wellness programs and other benefit matters
• Handled health and welfare benefit issues for companies in numerous merger and acquisition transactions
• Designed and prepared wrap-around benefit plans to simplify ERISA reporting and disclosure requirements for clients

Honors and Awards

• Named by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as One of the Leading "Women in the Law"
• Named among the "50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan" by The Grand Rapids Business Journal
• Best Lawyers in America, Employee Benefits Law, 2006-2011
• Named as one of the Top 50 Women Michigan Super Lawyers 2007-2009 
• Named to Michigan Super Lawyers 2007-2009
• Named to Inner Circle of West Michigan Executive Women by Inforum, a professional women's alliance

Bar Associations

Teaching and Lecturing

• Adjunct Faculty, Grand Valley State University Masters in Taxation Program (2000-Present)
•  "Wellness Programs," WNJ Human Resources Seminar, March 23, 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• "Employer of Choice - Meaningful Benefits" and "Time to Shape Up Your Cafeteria Plan," WNJ Human Resources Seminar, September 11, 2008, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• "Does Your Cafeteria Plan Need Updating?," January 9, 2008, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• International Society of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists (ISCEBS) West Michigan Chapter Annual Update (2008, 2007, 2006)
• "Strategies to Control Health Care Costs," WNJ Human Resources Seminar, May 10, 2007, Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Statewide Conference (2006)
• Michigan Colleges and University Professional Association for Human Resources (MiCUPA) Statewide Conference speaker (2006, 2005)

Publications

• Coauthor, "Division of Retirement Benefits," Michigan Family Law, Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education

• Grandfathering Rules and Patient Protection Rules
• Health Care Reform Update: The Latest Guidance Questions and Answers on Young Adult Coverage and Small Employer Tax Credit

Community Affiliations

• Inforum - a Professional Women's Alliance
  State Board of Directors (2009-Present)
  
• Leadership Grand Rapids
  Board Chair (2006-07); Executive Board (2000-08)
  
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation
  Social Venture Investors Leadership Team (2007-Present)
  
• Legal Aid of West Michigan
  Past Vice President; Board of Directors (1997-05)
  
• Vassar Club of Western Michigan
  President
  
• Visiting Nurse Foundation
  Board of Directors (2003-06)
  
• Women's Resource Center
  Past President
  

News

• Sue O. Conway Honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as One of the Leading "Women in the Law"
• Warner Norcross Launches Health Care Reform Task Force