Overview
Dana counsels employers, trustees, plan fiduciaries, and service providers on a wide range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, with a focus on ERISA compliance.
She advises clients on qualified retirement plans, non-qualified plans, fringe and welfare benefits, and executive compensation issues. Dana works closely with clients to design, implement, and administer employee benefit plans that align with business goals while meeting regulatory requirements.
Dana regularly guides clients through planning and evaluating benefit programs, monitoring legal compliance, resolving complex compliance issues, and managing benefit-related aspects of corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and severance programs. She also advises on employee stock ownership plans, incentive programs, and the resolution of plan issues before the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Her approach emphasizes clear, practical solutions that help clients navigate the evolving landscape of benefits law.
Dana is active in professional organizations and frequently speaks at educational conferences on employee benefit plan topics. Before joining Constangy, she practiced law with Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C., where she developed her broad experience serving a diverse client base in the employee benefits field.
Honors & Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Employee Benefits - ERISA Law (1995-2022, 2024-2026)
- Chambers USA Guide®
- Mid-South Super Lawyers® (2008-2017)
-
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent®
About Me
Dana enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family, including her three daughters and one son.
Credentials
Education
Cumberland School of Law of Samford University
- J.D., summa cum laude, 1989
- Editor - Cumberland Law Review; Curia Honoris; Cordell Hull Fellow
University of North Alabama
- B.S.W., summa cum laude, 1986
- Keller Key for Highest Academic Average in Graduating Class; Phi Alpha Delta Honorary
Media
News
Events
Legal Analysis
Professional & Civic Associations
Professional
- Alabama State Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- Birmingham Bar Association
Industries
Admissions
- Alabama, 1989
- District of Columbia, 1991
“Clients value a lawyer's ability to understand not just the question presented but the true issues of significance and implications of all available options. To be an effective advisor and to successfully and efficiently assist clients, I strive to fully understand all the facts involved and to present all possibilities to the client to help the client choose the most effective strategy. As Thomas J. Watson, former president of IBM, stated, ‘The ability to ask the right question is more than half the battle of finding the answer.’”
Dana Thrasher, Employee Benefits Lawyer
