Lennine Occhino

Lennine Occhino is senior counsel in Mayer Brown's Fund Formation & Investment Management group and a member of the ERISA practice. Since joining the firm in 1988, Lennine has concentrated exclusively in the pension investment area, advising on the structuring and offering of alternative investment vehicles of all types to ERISA and government plans and other institutional investors, including alternative investment funds for defined contribution plans, onshore and offshore hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds, infrastructure funds, group trusts, bank collective trusts and insurance company separate accounts. Lennine’s work in the development of alternative investment vehicles for 401(k) plans was “highly commended” by the Financial Times in its 2015 North America Innovative Lawyers Report, and awarded the 2016 Commercial Real Estate Award in the “Outstanding Service” category by the National Real Estate Investor. Lennine was also recognized by peers in The Best Lawyers in America (2011-2021) and Chambers USA (2012-2021) for Employee Benefits Law. In Chambers USA, sources report "she's a superstar," “she is practical, easy to work with and comes up with creative solutions,” adding that "she's always willing to sit down and think about the difficult issues and is extremely patient." Additionally, "she is hailed as ‘phenomenally talented’ by sources, who note that she is ‘timely in her response, knowledgeable about the issues and able to apply the legal analysis to come up with practical solutions and examples of how others in the industry have handled the matter." Another source exclaims that “she is an ERISA expert, there is no one better to go to, she gives great advice.”

Lennine also advises plan sponsors, trustees, investment managers, and other fiduciaries with respect to their fiduciary obligations and compliance procedures. She has extensive experience representing clients in connection with Department of Labor prohibited transaction exemption and advisory opinion requests, as well as audits and enforcement actions brought by the Department of Labor.

Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Lennine was an Assistant Dean and Lecturer at DePaul University College of Law (1985-1988) and a research attorney at the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility (1982-1984).

• University of Wisconsin, BA, with honors and distinction in major
• DePaul University, JD, with honors
  DePaul Law Review, Lead Articles Editor
• Yale Law School, LLM
  Associate Editor, Yale Journal of International Law

• Illinois

• Pension Real Estate Association, Defined Contribution Plans Affinity Group and Governmental Affairs Committee
• Defined Contribution Real Estate Council
• Defined Contribution Institutional Investors Association
• Defined Contribution Alternatives Association
• National Association of Public Pension Attorneys