Elliot Saavedra is a senior benefits consultant in the Ropes & Gray benefits consulting group, where he advises for-profit and tax-exempt employers on complex employee benefits matters. Elliot provides strategic counsel on the design, implementation, and administration of retirement plans—including 401(k) and 403(b) plans—as well as health and welfare programs and voluntary benefits offerings. He regularly supports employers navigating ERISA compliance, fiduciary governance, and plan administration challenges, including matters involving ERISA litigation exposure and defense of retirement plan class actions.
Elliot plays a key role in advising employers on pooled employer plans (PEPs), helping clients evaluate plan structure, assess fiduciary responsibilities, mitigate exposure to fiduciary risk, and capitalize on the administrative streamlining that PEPs offer. He also assists clients in strengthening their vendor oversight frameworks, leading Request for Proposal (RFP) processes for third-party service providers across all benefit plans, and optimizing the employer/vendor relationship to drive accountability and performance.
Elliot has contributed to firm thought leadership addressing emerging issues in ERISA litigation trends, 401(k) and 403(b) fee litigation, voluntary benefits compliance, and the evolving regulatory landscape for pooled employer plans.