Overview

Vicki Hood was a senior employee benefits attorney at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. While Vicki advised clients on a full range of employee benefits matters, she had extensive experience representing debtors in complex restructuring cases related to the successful negotiation, reduction and discharge of employee benefits liabilities. Vicki represented many debtors before the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation as part of this process. Vicki's practice also focused on the complex benefits issues in large business transactions and compliance matters before the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor. A few of Vicki's recent matters are:

Japan Airlines Corporation. Kirkland handled all U.S. employee benefits issues for this case under a Chapter 15 bankruptcy proceeding in the U.S.

Chemtura Corporation. Kirkland completed the successful restructuring of one of the largest publicly traded specialty chemical companies. As part of that restructuring, Kirkland advised the debtor regarding single employer pension, multiemployer and 401(k) plans.

Visteon Corporation. Kirkland represented Visteon in its Chapter 11 reorganization. Visteon sponsored several single employer pension plans, contributed to multiemployer pension plans and had significant retiree medical benefit programs.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P). Kirkland represented A&P in its Chapter 11 cases which commenced in December, 2010.

Friendly Ice Cream Corporation. Kirkland represented Friendly's, a well-known restaurant chain in the northeast, with respect to its restructuring, sale of assets and assumption of its pension plan by the PBGC.

United Air Lines. United was one of the largest cases at the time where pension plans were assumed by the PBGC, and Kirkland represented United throughout the entire process.

Corus Bankshares. Kirkland completed a restructuring of Corus Bankshares, holding company of the former Corus Bank, including the assumption of the pension plan by the PBGC.

More

Thought Leadership

Seminars

Institutional Investor Seminar on Trustee Fiduciary Duty — 1997, 1998, 1999

American Bankers Association Employee Benefits School — 1998, 1999

Recognition

Recognized in Best Lawyers, Spring 2017 Business Edition, “Women In The Law” for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2005–2017

Recognized in The Legal 500 U.S., 2010–2015

Selected as an "Illinois Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers magazine, 2007–2014

Cited as one of the top 50 leading women business lawyers in Illinois by Leading Lawyers Network, 2006

Featured as a leading employee benefits lawyer in Who's Who Legal: Illinois, 2008

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • 1977, Illinois (retired)

Education

  • Northwestern Pritzker School of LawJ.D.cum laude1977
  • Northwestern University Kellogg School of ManagementM.B.A.cum laude1977
  • Northwestern UniversityB.A.1974