Given the importance of compensation in attracting key management and executives—and the labyrinth of rules applicable to compensation arrangements—our Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice is an integral part of the Firm’s corporate practices. We provide sophisticated advice on such arrangements and other related issues to acquirers, sellers, boards of directors and their compensation committees, as well as individual executives—in strategic and private equity transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, initial public offerings and corporate restructurings.
Working collaboratively with our colleagues across the Corporate and Tax Practices, our team excels at the strategic structuring, negotiation and complex compliance aspects of:
- Cash and equity compensation programs for employees at all levels, with an emphasis on sensitive executive employment and separation arrangements;
- Employee benefit plans, including retirement, profit-sharing, welfare benefit and severance arrangements, with a focus on the implications of and to such plans in connection with public and private corporate transactions; and
- The increased regulation and taxation of compensation arrangements in today’s “pay-for-performance” and “say-on-pay” environment, where it is increasingly important to align management incentives with shareholder interests.
Recognizing that pension plan assets are key sources of capital, our executive compensation lawyers also advise on the structuring of investment funds as a critical complement to our market-leading Private Funds Practice.