Ms. Rafiq focuses her practice on executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of mergers and acquisitions, ESOP transactions, as well as routine executive compensation matters for companies and executives.

Ms. Rafiq represents public and private commercial companies, investment funds, and executives in structuring and implementing executive compensation packages, broad-based equity and incentive compensation arrangements, and identifying related compliance and reporting requirements. Ms. Rafiq counsels buyers, sellers, management and lenders on the benefits and tax issues that arise in corporate transactions. She helps clients understand and comply with the various tax laws affecting executive and equity compensation and is experienced in structuring, implementing and maintaining retirement and deferred compensation plans.

Additionally, Ms. Rafiq works with clients to implement and maintain ESOPs, representing companies, selling shareholders, internal ESOP trustees, external ESOP trustees, and lenders in transactions, and provides advice to employee-owned companies regarding ongoing compliance matters.

Her employee benefits experience includes advising clients with regard to ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance for retirement and welfare plans. She regularly assists with U.S. Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service correction programs.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Rafiq represented employers and multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) benefit funds, including defined benefit, defined contribution, health and welfare, and training funds, in various compliance areas including ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code. She advised clients on fiduciary responsibilities including prohibited transactions, conflicts of interest, plan investments and plan service provider contracts, and she represented multiemployer funds in ERISA litigation.

Ms. Rafiq’s pro bono practice includes asylum and other immigrations-related cases. She spearheaded the firm’s involvement in an asylum task force created to assist female Afghan soldiers evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021, and secured asylum for each soldier and their families. 

Ms. Rafiq received her law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law. She is proficient in Urdu and Hindi.