Perkins Coie Adds Seasoned Employee Benefits Partner to Dallas Office

DALLAS (July 25, 2019) – Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that former JCPenney director April Goff has joined the firm as a partner in its Tax, Benefits & Compensation practice. April joins the firm in Dallas after serving as Senior Counsel at J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. where she oversaw all employee and executive compensation matters as well as cybersecurity and data privacy issues.

April's move to Perkins Coie follows that of three prominent labor and employment partners – Richard B. Hankins, Seth H. Borden and Brennan W. Bolt. Richard and Brennan are also based in Dallas, while Seth is based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

For nearly two decades, April has advised executive leadership teams on issues relating to employee benefits, corporate restructuring, executive and associate compensation, cybersecurity risk, financials, and budgeting and cost containment strategies. She is also routinely involved in executive employment agreements and counsels clients on complex labor and employment matters.

"Large employers increasingly need legal counsel with deep knowledge of employee benefits and compensation who can advise on the design and management of complex health and welfare plans," said Bob Mahon, Chair of Perkins Coie's Tax, Benefits & Compensation practice. "Major corporations require attorneys who understand how these plans are developed and contribute to their financial health to help them stay competitive. April is a tremendous hire for us, and we're confident her addition will allow us to strengthen and expand our client relationships."

"As the Dallas economy continues to flourish, our clients' businesses require top talent to meet their evolving needs," said Dean Harvey, Managing Partner of Perkins Coie's Dallas office. "Employee benefits law is a highly specialized area that demands a particular set of skills that April has acquired throughout her career. Her industry leadership roles and entrepreneurial spirit further demonstrate that she is well-positioned to be a great addition to our office."

April served at JCPenney for three years after holding prior roles as an employee benefits attorney with several AmLaw 100 firms. She has been recognized by the Association of Corporate Counsel as one of the "Top 10 30 Something In-House Lawyers for 2019", is actively involved in the legal community, and holds leadership positions within local and national professional organizations.

She serves as chair of the Fiduciary Responsibility, Administration and Litigation Committee for the American Bar Association Section of Real Property Trusts and Estate Law and will be taking over as vice chair of the Employee Plans and Executive Compensation Group with the new bar year. She also serves as chair of the ACC Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter's Women's Leadership Committee and is vice chair of the ACC Employment and Labor Law Network.

April was also recently appointed to the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council to represent the interests of employer plans under the Tax Exempt/Government Entities division.

April earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from St. Thomas University School of Law B.A. and her M.B.A. from Baylor University. She graduated with a B.A., magna cum laude, from Tarleton State University.

Attorneys in Perkins Coie's Tax, Benefits & Compensation practice focus on advising publicly traded, privately held and tax-exempt entities on a broad range of international, federal, state and local tax matters and on all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation matters. The firm regularly assist clients with a variety of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies, restructurings, financings, real estate transactions, ERISA plan asset investments, workforce reductions and securities disclosures. Perkins Coie's integrated approach to serving the tax, benefits and compensation needs of its clients also extends to practitioners in many other disciplines, such as corporate, securities, employment and litigation.