Kristy L. Buckley, Advisor

Kristy L. Buckley

Buckley Maxwell Dixon Dolezal PC
2419 W. Main Street, Suite 3
Bozeman, Montana 59718
(406) 404-3842

Expertise

Kristy regularly advises clients about laws that impact self-funded health insurance plans, welfare benefit plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, profit sharing plans, cafeteria plans, health reimbursement arrangements, supplemental executive retirement plans, and executive bonus plans. She provides plan design and compliance assistance under the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and the state Insurance Code. When plan errors arise, Kristy helps employers navigate corrective programs with the IRS and the U.S. Dept. of Labor to avoid audits. She further provides advice regarding plan reporting and disclosures (e.g., Form 5500, Form M-1, Montana MEWA Annual Statement, Medicare Part D, and Form 5310-A) and compliance with plan disclosure requirements (e.g., Summary Plan Descriptions, Summary of Material Modifications, QDIA Notices, Safe Harbor Notices, and Summary Annual Reports). She is a member of the TE/GE Council and serves on the Council for the State Bar of Montana Health Law Section and is responsible for updating the Montana Lawyer articles for health care reform as it develops. She is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell and received the Montana State Bar Frank Haswell Award for her work on the Affordable Care Act.

Education

2006 – LL.M., University of Miami School of Law
2005 – J.D., University of Miami School of Law
2002 – Master of Professional Accountancy, Montana State University
2001 – B.S. in Business and Accounting, Montana State University
2001 – B.S. in Sociology /Legal Studies, Montana State University

Bar Admissions

Montana
Wyoming
Florida
U.S. District Court, District of Montana
U.S. Tax Court

Professional Affiliations

National TE/GE Council in D.C (Pacific Coast Representative)
Pacific Coast Area TE/GE Council, Vice President (MT Representative)
ABA, Tax Section Member, Employee Benefits Committee
ABA, Health Law Section Member, Employee Benefits Group
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
American Society for Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA)
American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)