Linda A. Wilkins works with both public and privately held companies and their boards of directors to design and draft executive compensation plans to recruit and retain key executives. She also represents executives in negotiating their employment and severance agreements. Linda has considerable experience in all aspects of employee benefits and compensation, including 401(k) plan compliance and correction matters, deferred compensation (section 409A) compliance and correction, stock incentive plans, and employee benefit and benefits and compensation aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
Linda frequently acts as an expert witness in ERISA, executive compensation and employee benefit plan litigation.
Linda has been Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for over 35 years. She has been listed as a Texas Super Lawyer in Employee Benefits/ERISA Law, 2003-2021 (a service of Thomson Reuters, Inc.); and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America 2006-2022 (a service of Woodward White, Inc.). D Magazine named Linda one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” in ERISA for 2015-2020. Linda was listed in the Best Lawyers’ 2016 Women in the Law in Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (a service of Woodward White, Inc.).
Previous Law Firm Experience
- Partner, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP and its predecessor firms, 1984-October 2009.
- Partner, Wilkins Finston Friedman Law Group LLP, 2011-October 2021
Education
- LL.M., Taxation, Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1985
- J.D., with honors, University of Oklahoma College of Law, 1977
- Editor-in-Chief, Oklahoma Law Review
- B.A., English, Oklahoma State University, 1974
Bar Admissions & Affiliations
- State Bar of Texas
- Dallas Bar Association
- Former President, Southwest Benefits Association
- Former Adjunct Professor, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
- National Association of Stock Plan Professionals