Education

Michael Heffernan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University in 1993. Michael received his Juris Doctor degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1998. He was selected as a member of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution. While in law school, Michael served as a law clerk for the Honorable John Holschuh of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Work Experience

After graduating from law school, Michael worked as an attorney for a firm in Columbus, Ohio for over eight years, concentrating primarily on ERISA, including representation of employee benefit plans and benefits litigation. While there, he prosecuted a plaintiff’s case to verdict in excess of $20,000,000 and developed plan to preserve that verdict, successfully arguing for a change in the law of Ohio before the Supreme Court of Ohio in Harvey v. Hwang, 103 Ohio St.3d 16 (2004). Michael has extensive experience litigating ERISA benefits and delinquent contribution matters in various federal district and appellate courts throughout the Fourth, Sixth and Seventh Circuits.  Michael joined Allotta | Farley Co., L.P.A. in February of 2007.  Michael is the Senior Partner and majority shareholder of Allotta | Farley Co., LPA.  Michael has broad experience over the past nineteen years, representing Taft-Hartley funds in all matters, including, but not limited to, plan design, amendments, participant notices, ERISA compliance consultation, IRS compliance consultation, IRS plan submission and qualification, delinquent employer litigation, DOL and IRS audit assistance, voluntary compliance submissions, and prohibited transaction issues.   Michael also oversees the entire Taft-Hartley Practice Group and is responsible for making sure all client needs are being met. Michael has been designated as a Rising Star in Employee Benefits by Super Lawyers.

Areas of Practice:
  • ERISA Multiemployer and Single Benefit Plans
  • Plan Design
  • Trustee Counseling
  • IRS Submissions and Qualifications of Plan Documents
  • Employee Benefits
  • ERISA Benefits and Delinquent Employer Litigation
  • General Civil Litigation.
Bar Admissions:
  • Ohio Supreme Court, 1998
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2000
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 2000
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, 2001
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, 1999
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 2002
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, 2001
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, 2001
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, 2001
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, 2000
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2000
  • United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, 2000
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2002
Professional Memberships:
  • International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans
  • American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits
  • Toledo Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association