In the wake of the sorrowful passing of our former colleague and long tenured principal, Ian Lanoff, on September 29, 2024, Groom principals Michael Kreps and Lou Mazawey spoke with PLANSPONSOR to reflect on the impactful life and legacy that he left behind. In the PLANSPONSOR article, “ERISA Attorney Ian Lanoff Remembered as ‘Icon’ in Retirement Industry,” Kreps and Mazawey highlighted Lanoff’s monumental influences as a pioneer in the ERISA space and beyond.
According to PLANSPONSOR, Kreps said that “Lanoff had a ‘truly remarkable life.’”
“But Ian’s professional achievements pale in comparison to the impact he had on the lives of his friends and colleagues,” Kreps continued. “Ian loved working with young lawyers and had a knack for seeing the potential in people. He always wanted to make sure the people coming up behind him had opportunities. Ian played a major role in my life and the lives of hundreds of other people. His memory will live on.”
PLANSPONSOR further reported that Mazawey noted that “Lanoff’s career was multi-dimensional, as he started on the labor side, working on Capitol Hill, and then later working in benefits law.” According to the platform, Mazawey added that “Lanoff was the main architect of the basic prudence regulation that now requires fiduciaries to make prudent decisions, follow the right processes and seek the right advice—a regulation that is long-standing and continues to be foundational today.”
“He had a great practice with Taft-Hartley plans, union plans, public plans… He was the chief adviser to the board of some larger governmental plans in the country, [and] he had participated in the boards of various public interest groups,” Mazawey said. “I think it’s unique… that he had influence in all those areas.”
To read the article, click here.