Laura L. Ferguson

Laura advises public and private companies on all aspects of compliance with respect to retirement plans, welfare plans, equity plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, and executive compensation arrangements. She regularly advises clients on M&A transactions on employee benefits, executive compensation, and privacy and cybersecurity issues, including negotiating purchase agreements, navigating diligence issues (such as Code Sections 409A and 280G issues), drafting transition services agreements, and assisting with a variety of compensation agreements (e.g., transaction bonus, equity, employment, and retention agreements). Laura also assists clients with employee benefit plan controversy and correction issues, including voluntary corrections for retirement plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, defending audits by the IRS and DOL related to retirement or welfare plans, and ERISA litigation.

As an IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US), Laura provides clients with guidance on privacy and cybersecurity-related issues under applicable federal and state laws, including developing and implementing comprehensive policies, incident response plans, and drafting and negotiating vendor contracts. She also assists clients with responding to data breaches by conducting the required legal and regulatory analysis, preparing required notifications to affected individuals and various governmental agencies, responding to follow-up inquiries from regulators, and coordinating responses to customers, law enforcement, regulators, and the public.

From a health care privacy perspective, Laura also counsels clients concerning the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by preparing policies and procedures, negotiating business associate agreements with vendors, providing on-site training to staff, and assisting with data breach responses required by the Breach Notification Rule. She also assists clients with responding to inquiries or investigations by the Office for Civil Rights related to potential violations of HIPAA.

• Advised Risk Administration Services, a South Dakota-based risk management advisor and workers’ compensation insurance writer, on the employee benefits, executive compensation, and privacy aspects of the sale of its service and operating companies to Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company.
• Represented Tailwater Capital LLC, an energy and infrastructure private equity firm, on employee benefits and data privacy considerations, in its acquisition of a majority interest in Central Midstream Partners, LLC.
• Advised AmTrust Financial Services, Inc., a multinational insurance holding company, as a plan sponsor on ERISA and employee benefits aspects of a Rule 144A catastrophe bond transaction, which provided Technology Insurance Company, Inc, an AmTrust subsidiary, with $150 million in reinsurance protection for losses from named storm events occurring in the Northeast for three years.
• Represented Agile Growth Equity, LLC, and its affiliates on employee benefits, executive compensation, and privacy-related issues in the sale of Kobus Inc. and Kobus Services Limited, the global leader in gas and water pipe pulling technology, to Dresser Utility Solutions, a portfolio company of First Reserve and the leading provider of global infrastructure technology to water and gas utility and industrial customers.
• Advised Mutual Capital Group, Inc., parent company of Mutual Capital Holdings, Inc., on employee benefits and executive compensation matters in connection with its acquisition of ICC Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Illinois Casualty Company.
• Represented Innovative Driven, a data management, eDiscovery, cybersecurity, and recruiting services company for law firms, corporations, and government agencies, on data privacy, information governance, and cybersecurity compliance issues in relation to its acquisition of DLS Discovery LLC, a Delaware-based litigation support provider.
• Advised an investor group comprised of leading energy service executives on employee benefits and management compensation issues in a majority investment and growth equity commitment in Nighthawk Completion Services, a leading provider of proprietary chemicals and fluid systems for oil and gas well completions and production clean-outs.
• Represented Imperative Chemical Partners, Inc., a Midland, TX-based solutions provider for upstream and midstream oil, gas, and water customers, on data privacy and information security matters in its acquisition of Performance Chemical Company, a specialty chemicals solutions provider supporting the oil and gas industry.
• Advised Summit Midstream Corporation, a value-driven corporation focused on developing, owning, and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets, on employee benefits, executive compensation, and data privacy components in its definitive agreement to acquire Tall Oak Midstream III, in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $425 million with $25 million contingent consideration.
• Represented ARB Midstream, a privately held energy company that provides crude oil and gas liquids midstream and marketing/logistics solutions in North America, in connection with employee benefits and executive compensation aspects of its a merger to create a premier growth-oriented Denver-Julesburg midstream company.

• Best Lawyers in America®: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2025-2026)
• Chambers USA, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation (2019-2025)
• Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2026) – independently rated lawyers
• Corporate Growth Houston, Midstream Transaction of the Year (2020)
• Legal 500 USA, Next Generation Lawyer for Cyber Law (including Data Privacy and Data Protection) (2019)