Renaker Scott LLP represents same-sex couples and transgender persons in employee benefits matters, including advice, negotiation, and litigation. Teresa Renaker is a nationally recognized expert on same-sex spouse, domestic partner, and transgender employee benefits issues. She has been a frequent speaker and writer on these evolving issues since 2005, including speaking to the American Bar Association Sections of Labor and Employment Law, Taxation, and Individual Rights and Responsibilities. She authors the employee benefits chapter of California Domestic Partnerships and Same-Sex Marriage (CEB).
Teresa has represented clients on diverse issues in this area:
- Surviving spouse pension benefit for widow of California registered domestic partnership (Reed v. KRON/IBEW Local 45 Pension Plan, – Fed. Appx. –, 2019 WL 2145652 (9th Cir. 2019))
- Surviving spouse benefit for widow of same-sex marriage under profit-sharing plan (Cozen O’Connor P.C. v. Tobits, 2013 WL 3878688 (E.D. Pa. July 29, 2013))
- Enrollment for same-sex spouse under union health plan
- Survivor pension for widow of same-sex domestic partnership under Taft-Hartley pension plan
- Survivor pension and retiree health benefit for surviving registered domestic partner under CalPERS
- Plan’s delay in recognizing domestic partner beneficiary designation
- Counseling and negotiation for retirees making retroactive pension elections after United States v. Windsor
- Counseling and advocacy for transgender employees and dependents on health plan benefits