People often ask me how I got into ERISA/retirement plan law and I tell them the truth: it’s because it’s the first job I got.
The person that gave me that first job was an ERISA attorney named Harvey Berman. I’m sad to report that Harvey passed away a few weeks back at age 77.
Harvey Berman was a top notch ERISA attorney before even ERISA was enacted. He was a partner of a New York city law firm and was involved in a third party administrator that kept on merging and changing its name. Names includes Ibex and Mobius Tech, before Harvey and his partners sold that business which became CBIZ Retirement Services Inc.
I’d be lying to say that Harvey and I were close. As with every employer-employee relationship, there was always going to be tension but Harvey would never hold a grudge even though I would.
The job I got from him starting as an ERISA attorney was from a newspaper ad that actually showed up on that fairly new thing called the word wide web. Harvey was looking for an ERISA attorney he could train to replace the paralegal that did all of his legal work named Marge Tracy. The job paid $35,000 to start and based on what Marge and Harvey taught me, I really should have paid him. If my career is a building, working for Harvey Berman was the foundation.
When CBIZ decided to jettison their daily 401(k) administration business, my time working for Harvey was going to come to an end. I decided to leave early for another job working for a third party administration firm because I didn’t have the heart to be there when the doors were going to close. Hervey was upset at me and he told me that whoever I was going to work for down the line wouldn’t treat me as well as he did. I thought he was being arrogant, but for the 12 years I worked for other businesses and law firms, he was probably right. I never had to fight Harvey for a salary increase and Harvey game me the only Christmas bonus I got ($300 just after three months of working).
People who were heavyweights in the retirement plan business aren’t like sports heroes, celebrities, and politicians because people forget those who were there before and left the scene. Harvey Berman needs to be remembered as one of the heavyweights in the retirement plan business and he needs to be remembered for being a decent and honorable man. In the 18 years I’ve been in business, I’ve met some unsavory people including someone sitting in Federal prison. Harvey was a good man and if he didn’t take a chance on an inexperienced ERISA attorney, you wouldn’t be reading this article right now.
Harvey Berman, Rest In Peace.