Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP 401(k) Review & Grade
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Retirement and Savings Plan
Los Angeles, CAProfessional, Scientific & Technical Services1,806 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$12,863Employer $ per active participant
$16,064Employee $ saved per active participant
0.05%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$911.6MNet plan assets, end of year
$422,440Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity47.5 / 5095th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost21.8 / 2587th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.9 / 1592th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score86 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services plans with 500–2,499 active participants (1,469 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 95th |
| Lower admin cost | 87th |
| Employee saving | 92th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 48% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP put in about $12,863 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,082). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $23,236,566 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $29,019,690 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $8,574,981 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $436,755 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $100,476 |
| Other admin expenses | $168,635 |
| Benefits paid out | $61,083,894 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $795.1M / $911.6M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,797 / 1,816 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,158 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Lucas Horsfall Murphy & Pindroh,llp |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| T Rowe Price RPS Inc | $156,894 reported compensation |
| Fiducient Advisors | $100,476 reported compensation |
| Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors | $72,587 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013124241NAL0000606291001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 95-1463164, plan #002, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.