Direct: 314.480.1609
Fax: 314.480.1505

Ruth Hays

Partner

Ruth represents public and private businesses, government entities, trustees of public retirement plans and trustees of Taft-Hartley pension and welfare plans in a broad range of employee benefit matters.

Ruth assists clients with plan design, documentation and administration of pension and profit sharing plans, including 401(k), 403(b) and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). She advises clients in the design and administration of self-funded health benefit plans, cafeteria plans, medical reimbursement plans and insured benefit plans. She also advises clients concerning compliance with Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor laws and regulations applicable to employee benefit plans, including COBRA and HIPAA and the fiduciary responsibilities of employers and trustees of employee benefit plans.

Ruth also has considerable experience with employee benefit issues that arise in the context of mergers and acquisitions for both public and privately held companies. She has represented employers, plan fiduciaries and selling shareholders in a number of ESOP transactions.

Awards & Recognitions

  • The Best Lawyers In America, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, 1995-2012
  • Who's Who in America
  • Who's Who in American Law

Professional Associations & Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • The Missouri Bar

Civic Involvement

  • Childhaven, Former Trustee and Past President, Board of Directors; now part of Edgewood Children's Center
  • Grace Hill Settlement House, Board of Directors 
  • The Saint Louis Forum

Clerkships

  • The Hon. Roy L. Stephenson, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1978-1980
  • The Hon. Gerald W. Heaney, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1978-1980