Overview
Alden J. Bianchi is an experienced Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation lawyer who advises corporate, not-for-profit, governmental and individual clients on a broad range of executive compensation and employee benefits matters, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans.
Alden represented the Romney Administration in connection with the historic 2006 Massachusetts health care reform act, and he testified before the Senate Finance Committee in the lead-up to the Affordable Care Act. His published works include the Bloomberg/Bureau of National Affairs Health Care Reform Advisor (T.M. 335), a comprehensive study of the impact of the Affordable Care Act on employers and employer-sponsored group health plans. Alden is a past chair of the Bloomberg Tax Compensation Planning Journal Advisory Board, and he was awarded the 2023 Bloomberg Tax Leonard L. Silverstein Award for Distinguished Service in Tax.
Results
- Served as counsel to a global staffing company on the US regulatory aspects of all of its worldwide stock compensation arrangements. Also advised the company on all US tax-qualified and non-qualified pension plans, welfare arrangements, and fringe benefit programs*
- Obtained favorable Department of Labor advisory opinions for Dunkin’ Donuts and Ace Hardware (Ad. Ops. 2005-20A and 2019-01A) relating to captive-funded, multiple employer welfare arrangements*
- Advised CitiGroup on all its US employee welfare benefits programs, including compliance with the Affordable Care Act and a top-to-bottom review of their retiree health benefit plans*
- Served as outside benefits counsel to a nationwide pharmacy benefit manager on all matters relating to their benefit and compensation programs, in addition to representing the company in investigations before government agencies*
- Prepared comments for, and testified before the Treasury Department with respect to, the ERISA Industry Committee on proposed regulations issued under the Affordable Care Act’s employer shared responsibility rules*
- Retained by Robert Half International to write a comprehensive explanation of the Affordable Care Act for its clients and prospects*
- Served as outside benefits counsel to the American Staffing Association on benefits and employment matters*
- Routinely advises national and regional benefits consulting firms on various client-facing benefits-related issues*
- Represented a state Blue Cross Blue Shield organization on a top-to-bottom re-write of their ASO agreements for ERISA-covered plans*
*Matter handled prior to joining McDermott.
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers in America, Lawyer of the Year in Boston: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, 2025
- Best Lawyers in America, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, 1995-2025
- Chambers USA, Band 1 in Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, 2006-2024
- Legal 500 US, Employee Benefits and Retirement Plans, 2018 and 2020-2024
- JD Supra, Readers’ Choice Awards, Top Author in Insurance, 2025
- Bloomberg Tax, Leonard L. Silverstein Award for Distinguished Service in Tax, 2024
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers, Employee Benefits/ERISA List, 2006-2020
- JD Supra Top Author, Affordable Care Act, 2017
- Who’s Who Legal, Labor, Employment & Benefits, 2016
- Bloomberg BNA, Federal Tax Contributor of the Year, “Information Reporting Under the Affordable Care Act: I.R.C. §6055 and §6056,” featured in the Compensation Planning Journal, 2015
Community
Credentials
Education
Boston University, LLM, Taxation, 1984
Georgetown University, LLM, 1981
Suffolk University Law School, JD, 1979
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, BS, 1974
Admissions
Massachusetts
District of Columbia
Illinois
Courts/Agencies
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
