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Richards, Layton & Finger P.A. Retirement & Savings Plan
Richards, Layton & Finger P.A. Retirement & Savings Plan is the tax-qualified retirement vehicle for the attorneys and staff of Richards, Layton & Finger, the...
Richards, Layton & Finger P.A. Retirement & Savings Plan
Richards, Layton & Finger P.A. Retirement & Savings Plan is the tax-qualified retirement vehicle for the attorneys and staff of Richards, Layton & Finger, the Wilmington law firm that serves as registered agent for more than half of all Fortune 500 companies. The plan is a defined-contribution structure, meaning participants direct their own investments among a menu of options rather than relying on a centrally managed pension pool. Administration is outsourced to Prudential Retirement, a common architecture for mid-sized professional-services retirement plans. The plan's investment menu is constructed around mutual funds and common/collective trusts, the standard building blocks for 401(k)-style defined-contribution plans. As of 2018 the plan held approximately $182 million in aggregate participant assets (per 2018 Form 5500 filing). The plan does not make direct investments in private companies, venture funds, or real estate — it operates as a conventional corporate retirement platform rather than an institutional limited partner. Participant investment options span equity, fixed-income, and target-date strategies typical of a professionally administered plan of this size. No dedicated internal investment staff has been publicly identified; plan oversight is handled through the firm's administrative governance structures. Prudential Retirement serves as recordkeeper and administrator, a relationship consistent with the Delaware legal community's preference for established institutional service providers. The plan sponsor — Richards, Layton & Finger itself — is deeply embedded in Delaware's corporate ecosystem, with directors serving in leadership roles at the Delaware Bankers Association and providing pro bono services to The Ministry of Caring Inc. The firm is the exclusive Delaware member of Lex Mundi, the global network of independent law firms. This plan's structural differentiator is its relationship to the law firm that sponsors it: Richards, Layton & Finger occupies a near-monopoly position in Delaware corporate law, handling incorporations and governance for a substantial share of U.S. public companies. That nexus gives plan fiduciaries unusual proximity to corporate legal and governance expertise — though the plan itself operates as an arms-length administrative construct run by Prudential, not as an internally managed investment office. The retirement plan does not co-invest alongside the law firm's clients or participate in any of the professional networks or philanthropic vehicles in which the firm's directors are active.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Wilmington
Corporate office
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Principals
Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.
Plan Sponsor and Administrator
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who is the plan sponsor and what is their relationship to the administrator?
The plan is sponsored by the Delaware law firm Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. for its employees. Prudential Retirement serves as the third-party recordkeeper and administrator, handling the plan's operational and investment recordkeeping functions. The firm itself does not directly manage the plan's assets, which are invested through Prudential's platform.
What is the investment structure of the retirement plan?
The plan is a participant-directed defined contribution plan, with assets held in mutual funds and common/collective trusts. As of 2018, plan assets totaled approximately $182 million (Altss estimate). The specific fund menu is not publicly listed, but the structure is standard for a professional services firm of this size, providing a range of investment options to employees.
Is this a multi-employer plan or a single-employer plan?
It is a single-employer defined contribution plan, sponsored exclusively by Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. for the benefit of its employees and partners. There are no participating non-affiliated employers.
Does the firm's litigation or corporate practice influence how the plan is governed?
The plan is governed by standard ERISA fiduciary rules, administered independently by Prudential. However, the law firm's partners include authors of Delaware corporate law treatises and drafters of the state's business statutes, creating an environment where fiduciary governance and legal architecture are deeply intertwined — though this does not alter the plan's regulatory status.
How can an allocator or GP engage with the plan regarding investment options?
The plan does not publicly solicit or review external investment proposals, as its investment menu is managed through Prudential Retirement's platform. Any engagement would need to go through Prudential's institutional channels. There is no dedicated investment staff or CIO publicly named for the plan itself.
What is the plan's philanthropic or community context?
While the retirement plan has no direct philanthropic mandate, its sponsor, Richards, Layton & Finger, is deeply involved in Delaware community organizations. Firm directors serve on boards of the University of Delaware's Delaware First campaign, the Ministry of Caring Inc, the Music School of Delaware, OperaDelaware, and Padua Academy, among others.
Is the firm planning to convert the plan to a pooled employer plan or make structural changes?
No public announcements have indicated a conversion to a pooled employer plan or other structural changes. The plan continues to operate as a single-employer defined contribution plan with Prudential as its recordkeeper, with the latest public updates focusing on the law firm's professional accolades, not retirement plan restructuring.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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