Christopher Scott Sears

Law School:
Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington
Graduated in 1994

Admitted to Practice:
Indiana
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States District Court - Northern District of Indiana
United States District Court - Southern District of Indiana
The Supreme Court of Indiana

Mini Biography:
Chris Sears' practice focuses in the health care world. Chris assists clients design and maintain health and retirement plans and other employee benefits. He also works with clients in their efforts to protect the privacy of health information pursuant to HIPAA and to share information through regional health information networks.

Full Biography:
Chris Sears concentrates his practice in the field of health care and employee benefits. He works with public and private employees including hospitals and other tax-exempt organizations. Chris helps clients design employer-sponsored health plans and other benefits such as cafeteria plans, tuition reimbursement plans, long and short term disability plans, health reimbursement accounts, health savings accounts, and life insurance plans. He also helps them comply with the myriad of laws that regulate these plans such as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

Chris also concentrates on laws regulating the privacy of health information. In particular, Chris works closely with both health plans and health care providers in their efforts to comply with the complex privacy rules of HIPAA, as well as state privacy laws. He works closely with the nationally-known regional health information sharing network, the Indianapolis Network for Patient Care, and other cross-institutional health data sharing networks. He has served as a Technical Advisor to the Steering Committee for the National Project of Best Practices for State-Level Regional Health Information Organizations, conducted by the AHIMA Foundation. In addition, Chris chaired the legal task force of Indiana's Health Information Security Privacy Collaboration (HISPC), funded by the National Governors Association. Most recently, Chris has served on the Data Use and Reciprocal Support Agreement Team for the National Health Information Network since 2007.

Chris also consults with clients to adopt, maintain, and terminate their employee pension and retirement plans in compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA. In doing so, he assists clients with their 401(k) plans, tax-sheltered annuities, non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, and other qualified and non-qualified plans.

He is admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana.

Services:
401(k) Plans
403(b) Plans
457 Plans
Benefit Compliance and Correction Programs
Benefits Communications
Church Benefit Plans
Colleges and Universities Benefit Plans
Compliance with Privacy Laws and Regulations
Employee Benefits
ERISA
Health and Fringe Benefit Plans
Health Care
Health Care Reform
Health Plans and Benefit Consulting
HIPAA
Privacy and Information Law
Retirement Plan Administration
Retirement Plans

Industry Experience:
401(k) Plans
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
403(b) Plans
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
457 Plans
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Benefit Compliance and Correction Programs
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Benefits Communications
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Compliance with Privacy Laws and Regulations
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Employee Benefits
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
ERISA
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Health and Fringe Benefit Plans
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Health Care
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Health Plans and Benefit Consulting
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
HIPAA
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Privacy and Information Law
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit
Retirement Plan Administration
  Colleges and Universities
Retirement Plans
  Colleges and Universities
  Health Care
  Life Sciences
  Nonprofit

Professional Associations:
Vice Chair of the ABA Health Law Section's Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Interest Group

Member of the Joint Committee on Employee Benefits of the American Bar Association

Member of the American Bar Association

Member of the Health Law Section of the American Bar Association

Member of the American Health Lawyers Association

Awards and Recognitions:
Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2009 and 2010 lists in employee benefits law.
Named as a Nightingale's 2007 "Outstanding Young Healthcare Lawyer"

Published In:
"Is There a Doctor In the House?" (article on employer on-site health clinics), Indianapolis Business Journal (February 4, 2008)

"The Indiana Network for Patient Care: A Case Study of a Successful Healthcare Data Sharing Agreement" (with Victoria M Prescott and Clement J. McDonald, M.D), American Bar Association Health Law Section eSource (September 2005)

"HIPAA is Here: Has Your County Started Yet?" (with Stephanie Alden Smithey), Indiana News 92 (March/April 2003)

"USERRA - Protecting Employees' Rights" (with Mary Beth Braitman), The Wyoming Banker (January 2002).

"USERRA - Protecting Employees' Rights" (with Mary Beth Braitman), Hoosier Banker (November 2002).

Speaking Engagements:
"Retirement Incentives and Related Issues" -- Indiana Association of Cities and Towns MMI Conference, May 21, 2009 (Indianapolis, IN)

"Breast Cancer Legal Advocacy Workshop" -- ABA Health Law Section Council Annual Meeting (in conjunction with the Louisville Bar Association), April 23, 2009 (Louisville, KY)

"Using Deferred Compensation to Incent On-Call Coverage" -- ABA Health Law Section Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference, February 18-20, 2009 (Orlando, FL)

"Breast Cancer Legal Advocacy Workshop" -- ABA Health Law Section Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference, February 18-20, 2009 (Orlando, FL)

"Welfare Plan Hot Topics" -- Central Indiana Certified Employee Benefits Specialists Conference, October 29, 2008 (Indianapolis, IN)

"Breast Cancer Legal Advocacy Workshop" and "What Employers Need to Know About Implementing Employee Wellness Plans" and "New EEOC Regulations on Age Discrimination in Retiree Health Care" -- Health Law Section Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference, February 20-22, 2008 (San Diego, CA)

"What Employers Need to Know About Implementing Employee Wellness Plans" -- Health Law Section Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Interest Group Webinar, January 15, 2008

"The Pension Protection Act and Defined Contribution Plans -- What You Need To Do Now" -- Health Law Section Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Interest Group Webinar, April 26, 2007

"The Pension Protection Act and Defined Contribution Plans -- What You Need To Do Now (in 25 Minutes or Less)" -- Health Law Section Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference, February 21-23, 2007 (Orlando, FL)

"How Do Complex and Detailed Regulations Impact Benefits?" -- Moderator, ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits and American Law Institute on Certified Public Accounts, 2006 Government Invitational Conference, March 29-31, 2006 (Baltimore, MD)

"Medicare Part D: Where We Are So Far" -- ABA Health Law Section Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference, February 22-24, 2006 (Tucson, AZ)

"How Do Complex and Detailed Regulations Impact Benefits?" -- Moderator, ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits and American Law Institute on Certified Public Accounts, 2006 Government Invitational Conference, March 29-31, 2006 (Baltimore, MD)

"Indiana: At the HIE Crossroads of America" Regenstrief Institute, Foundation for eHealth Initiative, and the Indiana Health Information Exchange (November 16-17, 2005)

"Human Resource Association of Central Indiana Legislative Update" (February 17, 2005)

"The Perfect Storm of Legal Issues from the Interoperable Electronic Health Record" American Health Lawyers Association National Teleconference (December 16, 2004).

"HIPAA Privacy Update and Security Rule for Employers and Health Plans" Indiana Benefits Conference, Indianapolis, IN (September 14, 2004).

"Defined Contribution Alphabet Soup - HSAs, HRAs, FSAs & MSAs" and "Welfare Plan Roundtable" Church Plan Workshop, Scottsdale, AZ (April 19-21, 2004).

"HIPAA Privacy: The Final Days Before Compliance" American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits National Teleconference/Live Audio Webcast (March 2, 2004).

"Welfare Plan Hot Topics: HIPAA, Domestic Partners, Subrogation & COBRA Notices" Employee Benefits Seminar, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis, IN (January 29, 2004).

"What's New With COBRA?" American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits National Teleconference/Live Audio Webcast (October 16, 2003).

"HIPAA - Where are We Now?" 48th Annual Employee Benefits Conference, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Toronto, Ontario (September 21-22, 2002).

"Overview of ERISA and General Compliance for Health Plans for Employers" Indiana Health Care Conference, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis, IN (September 17, 2002).

"The Ice Miller HIPAA Series Phase II: Paving the Way for Privacy Officers" Ice Miller, Indianapolis, IN (August 28, 2002).

"Bradford-Scott/Ice Miller HIPAA Seminar" Bradford-Scott Data Corporation/Ice Miller (October 18, 2002 & August 21, 2002).

"The Ice Miller HIPAA Series Phase I: Compliance Roadmap" Ice Miller, Indianapolis, IN (June 28, 2002).

"HIPAA and Medical Record Privacy: Are You Ready for the New Rules?" Medical Educational Service, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (February 15, 2002).

Community Involvement:
Chair of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Perinatal Network, Inc.

Reported and Representative Cases:
Spangler, Jennings & Dougherty v. Indiana Insurance, 729 N.E.2d 117 (Ind. 2000)

Wine-Settergren v. Lamey, 716 N.E.2d 381 (Ind. 1999)

Bar Committees:
Vice Chair -- American Bar Association Health Law Section Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Interest Group