David Foster, Partner at Nixon Peabody. After clerking for Judge Archie O. Dawson in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, David Foster was an associate with Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, gaining broad experience, particularly in the area of taxation, including pension and employee benefits and international taxation. David served in the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. from 1972 to 1977 as the chief Treasury Department spokesman for the pension legislation which became the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Then, as International Tax Counsel, he was the chief administration spokesman for international tax policy. He received the Exceptional Service Medal from the U.S. Treasury Department in 1977. Mr. Foster has extensive experience with ERISA and other employee benefits and executive compensation matters, including executive compensation, (stock option, restricted stock, and severance plans and agreements, employment contracts, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, and change in control programs), pension plans (profit-sharing, 401(k) and defined benefit pension plans and ESOPs), health and welfare benefits, and employee benefits issues in connection with corporate transactions.