Skadden 401(k) Plan

The Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Savings Plan is a single-employer 401(k) plan sponsored by the international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. As of the end of the 2024 plan year, the plan covered 4,608 participants with account balances and held total net assets of approximately $1.47 billion. The plan is recordkept by Empower, and its investment lineup is delivered through a combination of mutual funds, collective trusts, separate accounts under a group annuity contract, and a self-directed brokerage window. The plan provides employer contributions through fixed basic and additional basic contributions rather than a deferral-matching formula, and it added automatic enrollment for employees hired or rehired on or after May 1, 2024.

Participants: 4,764 Plan assets: $1,466,517,373 Plan number: 003 Form 5500 plan year: 2024 Last verified: May 28, 2026 View Form 5500
Employer match
No employer matching contribution disclosed in the 2024 filing; the firm makes fixed non-elective basic contributions instead.
Investment options
27
funds in the lineup
Auto-enrollment
Employees hired or rehired on or after May 1, 2024 (other than partners, of counsel, summer/winter associates, seasonal employees, or interns) are automatically enrolled at a 5% pre-tax rate, escalating 1% per plan year beginning about six

By Zac Murphy, CFA charterholder and CFP professional. Published May 28, 2026. Verified against Form 5500 plan year 2024.

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Answer 13 quick questions to find your risk profile and see which of five sample allocations fits.

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Fund lineup

Fund Asset Class Type
Dodge & Cox Stock Fund US Large Cap Active
PIMCO Investment Grade Corporate Bond Fund US Bonds Active
RBC Emerging Markets Equity Fund Emerging Markets Active
Vanguard Wellington Fund Balanced/Allocation Active
Vanguard Explorer Value Fund US Small Cap Active
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Admiral Fund US Small Cap Index
Vanguard Short-Term Federal Fund US Bonds Active
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Fund International Equity Index
Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund Money Market Other
Capital Group EuroPacific Growth Fund SA International Equity Active
JPMorgan Large Cap Growth US Large Cap Active
ClearBridge Small Cap Growth R2 CIT US Small Cap Active
Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2025 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2030 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2035 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2045 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2055 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2060 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2065 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Target Retirement 2070 Trust II Target-date Index
Vanguard Institutional 500 Index Trust US Large Cap Index
Vanguard Institutional Total Bond Market Index US Bonds Index
Vanguard Target Retirement Income Trust II Target-date Index
Self-directed brokerage accounts Other Other

Why our allocations use only index funds

The actively managed funds in this plan cost more per year than the plan's index funds, which run roughly 0.02% to 0.06%. Decades of research on long-term active fund performance do not support reliable outperformance net of fees, which is why the allocation ideas below may consider using only the low-cost index options.

Employer match

Match summary
No employer matching contribution disclosed in the 2024 filing; the firm makes fixed non-elective basic contributions instead.
Match cap --
Effective match rate --
Vesting Employee contributions and basic employer contributions vest immediately; additional basic employer contributions vest 100% after three years of service, with full vesting also at age 62, disability, or death while actively employed.
Waiting period Employees may elect to participate at any time following date of hire; employer basic contributions begin after completi

Sources

  • Plan metadata (employer, participants, assets, plan year): Form 5500 annual return/report, plan year 2024 -- view filing
  • Summary Plan Description (SPD) and fee disclosure (404a-5), where available from the plan administrator.

This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice, nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Information is drawn from public Form 5500 filings and plan documents and may be incomplete or out of date. You may consider consulting a qualified professional and confirming all details with your plan administrator before making decisions. Waterfall Planning is not affiliated with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Find your risk profile

Answer 13 questions to see which allocation fits your situation.

Question 1 of 13

Risk assessment methodology based on Grable, J. E., & Lytton, R. H. (1999). Financial risk tolerance revisited: The development of a risk assessment instrument. Financial Services Review, 8, 163-181.

Allocation ideas

Five sample mixes built from this plan's funds, from conservative to growth. Take the assessment above to see which one fits your risk profile.

Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Conservative
Conservative

Capital preservation with minimal market exposure, built from bonds and stable value.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
Vanguard Institutional Total Bond Market Index 70%
Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund 30%
0% stocks / 100% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Income & A Little Growth
Income & A Little Growth

Mostly bonds with a small stock sleeve for modest growth.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
Vanguard Institutional Total Bond Market Index 49%
Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund 21%
Vanguard Institutional 500 Index Trust 19%
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Fund 8%
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Admiral Fund 3%
30% stocks / 70% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Balanced
Balanced

A classic 60/40 split of stocks and bonds.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
Vanguard Institutional 500 Index Trust 39%
Vanguard Institutional Total Bond Market Index 28%
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Fund 15%
Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund 12%
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Admiral Fund 6%
60% stocks / 40% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Growth & Income
Growth & Income

Stock-heavy with a bond cushion for a long horizon.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
Vanguard Institutional 500 Index Trust 52%
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Fund 20%
Vanguard Institutional Total Bond Market Index 14%
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Admiral Fund 8%
Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund 6%
80% stocks / 20% bonds
Recommended for you (based on your risk profile)
Growth
Growth

All stocks for maximum long-term growth potential, with higher short-term volatility.

US equity   International   Bonds   Stable value
Vanguard Institutional 500 Index Trust 65%
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Fund 25%
Vanguard Small-Cap Index Admiral Fund 10%
100% stocks / 0% bonds
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These allocation ideas are educational illustrations built from this plan's available funds and a standard risk-tolerance assessment. They are not personalized investment advice or a recommendation, and risk tolerance is only one factor in an investment decision. You may consider consulting a qualified professional before making changes to your account.