Douglas W. Ell

District of Columbia

Groom Law Group
1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006-5811
United States

Tel: 202-861-6623

Email: dell@groom.com
Web: www.groom.com

Professional Biography

Doug enjoys solving problems relating to employee benefits, and his willingness to tackle the field’s most difficult challenges has led to many achievements; for example, drafting the first 401(k) plan in professional sports.

In recent years, his practice has focused on representing prominent multiemployer retirement and health plans on a variety of issues, including plan design, legislation, fiduciary liability, disability claims processing, Department of Labor and IRS audits, and compliance. As a litigator he has represented clients successfully, persuading Congress to make important changes in employee benefits laws.

Education

  • University of Connecticut School of Law(JD, magna cum laude)
  • University of Maryland(MS)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology(BS)

Bar & Court Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Honors, Awards & Recognition

  • Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (1995-2025)
  • Listed, Super Lawyers, Employee Benefits (2008-2021)
  • Washingtonian‘s Best Lawyers in D.C.

As thought leaders, Groom attorneys share and maintain a unique, global understanding of the benefits, health care, and retirement legal landscapes. As industry experts, we apply this comprehensive perspective to formulate in-depth, innovative solutions for each and every client. Groom attorneys are committed to sharing ideas and strategies across practice groups regardless of specialization, and handle a wide range of complex benefits and tax matters for clients in industry, finance, and the public sector.

Areas of focus:

  • Retirement Programs
  • Executive Compensation Programs
  • Fiduciary & Plan Governance
  • Health & Welfare Programs
  • Fringe Benefits & Payroll
  • Employer & Sponsor Advocacy
  • Employer & Sponsor Litigation

Groom offers practical experience and thoughtful advice for employers of all sizes across a diverse range of industries to assist with workplace and personnel issues, benefit design, plan funding and restructuring, executive compensation arrangements, litigation, advocacy, and more.

Groom Law Group, Chartered is widely recognized as the leading benefits law firm in the United States with over 90 attorneys dedicated solely to the practice of employee benefits, health and retirement law. From our one office strategically located in Washington, DC, we maintain a national practice with a focus on novel, cutting edge solutions for our clients.

Since our inception in 1975, we have focused on employee benefits, ERISA, health and retirement issues, including plan drafting and advice, administrative practice before governmental agencies, litigation of benefit matters in federal and state court nationwide, and advice and drafting of legislation. Our client base is diverse and includes more than 100 plan sponsors and benefit service providers across the United States, many of whom are Fortune 100 companies, as well as associations, insurers, state and local retirement systems, and tax-exempt organizations.

Whether creating state-of-the-art benefit plans, advising financial institutions about their products, or litigating disputes at all levels of the judicial system, Groom’s attorneys are consummate technicians of employee benefits law, offering clients a depth of knowledge that is simply not found in any other firm in the country.

“Groom Law Group is a boutique employee benefits firm celebrated for its breadth, advising on the full panoply of employee benefits and compensation issues including health and welfare, ERISA Title I fiduciary responsibility matters, multiemployer plans and executive compensation arrangements.”
Chambers & Partners