Alan D. Pauw

Alan D. Pauw is a member of McBrayer PLLC in Louisville, Kentucky, whose primary practice is Employee Benefits Law. His broader work includes business and corporate law, estate planning and administration, health care law, and taxation. Alan functions primarily as a business and tax attorney, representing small family-owned corporations in sale transactions and assisting physicians with buy-ins, health care compliance, employment issues, and other contractual matters.

Alan earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1990. He also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California, an M.A. from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. with honors from Calvin College. This multidisciplinary education supports a practice that often combines legal, tax, benefits, and business considerations, particularly when advising employers, professional practices, closely held companies, and families on planning or compliance matters.

His employee-benefits work includes public pension plans and ERISA retirement plans, Tax Code compliance, fiduciary-liability concerns, and nonqualified deferred compensation. Alan created McBrayer’s prototype plan document, an IRS pre-approved retirement plan document used by many employer clients of the firm. He also advises on corporate sales, physician contracting, estate planning, and probate matters, allowing him to address issues that can overlap between business ownership, compensation, taxes, health care, and long-term planning.

Alan D. Pauw has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law from 2005 through 2026. He is active in bar, benefits, estate-planning, and health-law organizations. His practice is especially useful when a client’s legal problem crosses traditional subject areas, such as a business transaction with tax and benefits consequences or an estate plan connected to closely held ownership. He focuses on practical structures, compliance, and coordinated planning.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, McBrayer PLLC
• Member, Kentucky Bar Association
• Member, Louisville Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, American Health Lawyers Association
• Member, Louisville Benefits Council
• Member, Louisville Estate Planning Council
• Member, Toastmasters International
• Member, Louisville Employee Benefits Council
• Member, Deferred Compensation Practitioners
• Member, Louisville Forum
• Session Elder, Crescent Hill Presbyterian Church
• Member, Social Security Payee

Licensed State

• Kentucky

Education

• Boston College Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Southern California
  Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• University of Michigan
  Master of Arts (MA)
• Calvin College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges