# Tucker Ellis LLP Retirement Savings Plan

Tucker Ellis LLP Retirement Savings Plan is a Pension Fund based in Cleveland, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Pension Fund
- **Headquarters:** Cleveland, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Cleveland, OH, United States
- **Founded:** 2003
- **Assets under management:** $100–$150 million (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** www.tuckerellis.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/tucker-ellis-llp

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Tucker Ellis LLP Retirement Savings Plan was established in 2003 alongside the law firm it serves, a national litigation and business-focused practice headquartered in Cleveland. Joseph J. Morford, the firm's managing partner from 2010 through 2025, presided over the plan for the majority of its existence. Incoming managing partner James W. Mizgala, who assumed the role January 1, 2026, now inherits fiduciary oversight alongside a partnership that includes ERISA specialist Scott Joseph Stitt, signaling in-house attention to the plan's regulatory integrity. The plan's investment structure reflects a defined contribution design, deploying participant assets across several asset classes. Reported holdings include registered investment companies, common and collective trusts, corporate debt instruments, and U.S. government securities. No direct real estate, private equity, or infrastructure allocations have been publicly identified. The geographic focus mirrors the firm's own presence, centered in the U.S. with offices in Cleveland and Chicago. With an estimated $118 million in assets, the plan remains modest relative to large corporate plans but meaningful for a law firm of Tucker Ellis's scale. The firm maintains professional affiliations with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute, though no evidence suggests these networks directly influence the plan's manager selection or investment committee process. January 2024: James W. Mizgala was named incoming managing partner effective January 1, 2026, signaling a planned leadership transition that includes oversight of the firm's retirement plan. The plan's most notable structural feature is its status as a law firm retirement plan — a narrow category where participants are legal professionals and administrative staff rather than industrial or manufacturing workforces. This produces a participant base with higher average compensation and longer vesting horizons, which in turn shapes the plan's liquidity needs and fund menu design. The plan's conservative, fund-of-funds posture contrasts with the direct-investment model seen at some large corporate plan sponsors, reflecting both scale constraints and fiduciary caution.

## Sectors

- Private Credit
- Hedge Funds

## People

- James W. Mizgala — Managing Partner (effective January 1, 2026)
- Joseph J. Morford — Former Managing Partner (2010–2025)
- Scott Joseph Stitt — Partner, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation

## Questions

### Who oversees the Tucker Ellis LLP Retirement Savings Plan?

The plan falls under the fiduciary oversight of Tucker Ellis LLP's partnership. James W. Mizgala, the firm's managing partner effective January 1, 2026, now holds ultimate responsibility. The partnership also includes Scott Joseph Stitt, a partner in Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, whose practice provides in-house ERISA expertise relevant to the plan's administration and compliance.

### What is the plan's known investment posture?

The plan takes a conservative, fund-of-funds approach through registered investment companies and common/collective trusts, supplemented by direct holdings in corporate debt and U.S. government securities. This structure prioritizes liquidity and fiduciary simplicity over tactical or alternative exposures. No direct allocations to private equity, venture capital, or real estate have been publicly identified.

### How large is the Tucker Ellis retirement plan compared to other law firm plans?

With an estimated $118 million in assets, the plan is modest relative to plans at the largest global law firms but substantial for a firm of Tucker Ellis's size. Comparable single-office or regional law firm plans frequently fall in the $50–$200 million range, placing this plan within the typical band for mid-market legal partnerships. The participant base, composed of attorneys and staff, tends toward higher per-participant balances than industrial-sector plans of similar total assets.

### How does the plan's structure differ from a typical corporate 401(k)?

The Tucker Ellis plan is a defined contribution plan, functionally similar to a corporate 401(k), but it serves a professional-services partnership rather than a publicly traded corporation. This means plan governance rests with the partnership rather than a board of directors, and the participant base is concentrated among legal professionals with higher average compensation, which can influence contribution rates, nondiscrimination testing, and the fund menu's sophistication.

## Related profiles

- [Davis Foundations](https://altss.com/profile/davis-foundations)
- [Widener University](https://altss.com/profile/widener-university)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

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