Israel Goldowitz is uniquely qualified to advise on single- and multiemployer defined benefit pension plans in mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and bankruptcy. Israel has more than 40 years of experience in these areas, including 30 years with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) and ten years as PBGC’s Chief Counsel.

Israel has helped establish several key precedents in the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals. Among them are decisions upholding mandatory arbitration of withdrawal liability claims, defining the rules for terminating single-employer plans and distributing their assets, and confirming the application of ERISA in pension disputes in bankruptcy. He has extensive experience in federal courts at all levels, including amicus briefs in the Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeals. He often provides expert guidance to litigation counsel and has rendered several expert opinions on pension issues.

Israel began his career with the United Mine Workers of America Health & Retirement Funds, a pioneering group of multiemployer plans. He was the lead PBGC attorney on multiemployer transactions, rulings, and advice for many years, and later oversaw that work as PBGC's Deputy General Counsel for Program Law and Policy. That included the development of regulations and other guidance for the PBGC single-employer and multiemployer insurance programs and advising Congress on legislative proposals affecting those programs, including rescue of the multiemployer system.

Israel is well known in the ERISA and bankruptcy communities and to leaders in government, business, labor, and academia. He is a frequent speaker and has written book chapters, articles, and continuing legal education materials on both employee benefits and bankruptcy topics.

Israel served as a member of the Board of Governors of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and is active in the International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association. He served on the Labor and Benefits Advisory Committee to the American Bankruptcy Institute's Chapter 11 Reform Commission and co-wrote the report of the pension subcommittee. He taught Employee Benefits for more than 20 years in the Georgetown University Law Center Masters of Law program and is a frequent guest lecturer at New York-area law schools.