Sheldon focuses his practice on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), employee benefits and executive compensation.

He guides companies through every phase of the ESOP lifecycle, from initial formation and plan design to ongoing compliance and, when the time comes, plan termination

Sheldon is known for being highly responsive and for providing concise, practical advice that clients can act on immediately. He stays on top of a constantly evolving regulatory landscape so that his clients don't have to, and he tailors his guidance to each company's specific circumstances, recognizing that a Fortune 500 enterprise and a family-owned business require very different approaches.

Above all, Sheldon treats his clients’ issues as his own, taking responsibility for their matters and ensuring they can move forward with confidence and as little administrative burden as possible.

Employee Stock Ownership Plans
Whether representing the selling shareholders or the ESOP trustee, Sheldon works closely with with clients to make a highly technical process accessible and straightforward, drawing on his deep understanding of the industries these companies operate in.

Sheldon drafts and designs employee stock ownership plans develops distribution policies, and prepares all participant-facing communications, including summary plan descriptions and summaries of material modifications. He advises ESOP companies on regulatory and legal changes, handles ongoing compliance matters, and supports transactional due diligence for companies buying or selling ESOP-owned businesses.

Retirement Plans and Benefits
Sheldon also brings significant experience in the broader retirement plan arena. He regularly assists clients through IRS audits and helps them achieve favorable resolutions, and he is well versed in correcting plan operational errors through the IRS's Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), including both voluntary correction program submissions and self-correction. He also works with the Department of Labor's Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP) to address fiduciary issues.

Beyond compliance, Sheldon drafts retirement plan documents, plan amendments, advises on controlled group and affiliated service group testing, counsels clients on prohibited transaction rules — including those arising from self-directed IRAs invested in real estate or closely held businesses — and provides due diligence support in mergers and acquisitions for the firm's corporate colleagues.

Executive Compensation
In the executive compensation area, Sheldon designs and advises on equity award programs, including stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and profits interests.

He counsels clients on nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements and the complex requirements of Internal Revenue Code Sections 409A and 162(m) and supports M&A due diligence for executive compensation matters.