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Memberships

Dianne is a member of the Illinois Bar, the Pennsylvania Bar, and the New Jersey Bar. Dianne is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the Northern District of Indiana. She is a Certified Mediator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, and is an Arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County. Dianne is also a FINRA arbitrator.

Dianne is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Appellate Lawyers Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association-National, the National Employment Lawyers Association-Illinois, and the National Pension Lawyers.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”sidebar”]

Presentations

Dianne has spoken before various groups, including the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (CEBS), the Advanced Foot & Ankle Association, and the Atlanta Bar Association. Representative topics include multiemployer plans vs. single-employer plans, HIPAA & Employment Law, DOL regulations, privacy issues, COBRA, and other matters.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]

About Dianne M. Onichimowski

Principal & Owner of DMO Law Firm

Dianne M. Onichimowski graduated with an LL.M. in Taxation from Temple University School of Law. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Widener University School of Law. At Widener, Dianne was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. Dianne received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, where she was on the Dean’s List. Dianne also received a Mediation Certificate from DePaul University School of Law, and a Certificate of Mediation in Family Law from DePaul University.

Employee Benefits Experience: Dianne has extensive experience in ERISA, including all aspects of ERISA with every type of plan. During the course of her career, which includes being Counsel to the plan clients of major law firms, consulting firms and accounting firms as well as currently, Dianne has been the ERISA Counsel to literally thousands of plans, handling every type of issue arising under ERISA. Dianne has drafted all types of plans, and has been counsel to the plans up to, including and after the IRS determination letter process. Dianne has also drafted related plan documents, such as summary plan descriptions, summaries of material modifications, qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs), QDRO procedures, hardship distribution procedures, loan procedures, etc. Dianne has also represented plans before the U.S. Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service.

Dianne also handles every type of employee benefit issue with plans in the public funds, such as representing individuals before pension boards regarding obtaining benefits, and appealing the denial of benefits.

Dianne also appears before boards of trustees and Hearing Panels in the pre-litigation stage. Dianne regularly appears in both Federal and State Court.

Disability Applications and Appeals: Dianne handles disability issues, from the initial application process, through the appeal process (if the application is denied) before the appropriate hearing board and in court. It is very important for the appeal process to be handled properly, so that hopefully, the appeal is granted, but if it is not, the person seeking the benefits has the best chance possible to receive the benefits if it goes to court. Dianne advises that someone seeking benefits should contact her as soon as they know they are seeking benefits. This gives the person seeking benefits the best possible chance of success.

Division of Retirement Benefits: Dianne has extensive experience with respect to the division of retirement assets in a divorce. Retirement assets are divided through a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) with private plans and companies, and through a qualified Illinois domestic relations order or QILDRO with public employers and public pension funds in Illinois. Dianne drafts the QDRO’s and QILDRO’s, presents them in court, and negotiates exactly how much is to be divided, when and under what method. These issues can get complicated, so Dianne advises contacting her as soon as division of retirement assets is considered.

Contract Review and Negotiation: Dianne negotiates, reviews and drafts severance agreements, employment contracts, and other related contracts.

Discrimination: (next time)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]