Episode One: Corporate Divorce – Preventing and Managing the Break-Up of a Business Partnership
Episode 21 | Where There's A Will, There's A Way
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Buy-Sell Agreements: A Conversation With Expert and Author Paul Hood
Buy-Sell Agreements and Their Place in an Asset Protection Plan
Most business owners spend their time focused on the operation of their business, and the next steps in its growth. How can we exceed revenue targets, improve market share, hire the right people, reduce operational costs,...more
Both corporate legal work and estate planning may play key roles, but different ones, in the long-term success of construction and real estate companies. Originally published in the Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce -...more
What is business succession planning, and why is this an important and essential component of forming any new entity or protecting an existing business interest? Business succession planning protects everything you’re...more
Why should every business owner consider or revisit business succession planning at this time of year? The simple answer: Business succession planning protects owner and company alike. It protects all of the hard work and...more
For generations, Wisconsin cranberry farms, like potato farms, have been more than businesses—they’ve been legacies. Passed down through families, these farms are rooted in tradition, hard work, and deep community ties. But...more
Balancing numbers and relationships when business and family intersect. Family-owned businesses occupy a unique and vital space in the economy. They combine entrepreneurial drive with deep personal commitment and long-term...more
For restaurant owners, divorce isn’t just about dividing assets—it’s about protecting the legacy you’ve built and ensuring the future of your business remains secure. Amidst the emotional and financial challenges of a...more
Running a restaurant in New York City is demanding, but planning for the future is just as crucial as daily operations. Without a solid estate plan, a restaurant owner risks legal disputes, unnecessary taxes, and business...more
For restaurant owners, business succession planning is crucial to ensuring a smooth transition of ownership while protecting the legacy of their establishment. Whether the goal is to pass the restaurant to family, sell to a...more
Divorce can be one of the most challenging experiences a person faces—emotionally, personally, and financially. For restaurant owners, the complications extend beyond personal matters and into the heart of the business...more
You’ve put the proverbial blood, sweat and tears into building your business. You’ve navigated its challenges and celebrated its growth. You may even have plans for what’s next — but are you planning for when you’re no longer...more
Experienced trusts and estates attorneys consistently observe how proper planning can mean the difference between a thriving legacy and a fragmented enterprise. For family-owned life insurance businesses, the stakes are...more
Corporate lawyers and estate planning lawyers both play key, but different, roles in the success of business clients. Corporate attorneys typically help businesses choose the proper legal structure, navigate the complexities...more
Across all industries, private companies, family offices, and their owners and management teams face rapidly evolving challenges, opportunities, and risks in the dynamic environment that is 2025. Here are 11 issues that...more
The best way to be sure that your thoughtful estate planning will work as anticipated when the time comes is to walk through it with your planning attorney, from the viewpoint of a person beginning the task of administrating...more
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Connelly v. United States, that the valuation of a decedent’s shares in a closely held corporation for federal estate tax purposes must include insurance proceeds received...more
Most people take steps to maintain good health, including scheduling annual checkups with their doctors to confirm there are no immediate or long-term health concerns. This checkup could include a stress test, which lets you...more
The US Supreme Court recently issued a significant decision, impacting many closely-held businesses with buy-sell agreements funded by life insurance policies, Connelly v. United States, 144 S. Ct. 1406 (2024). In a 9-0...more
How often do hopeful beneficiaries of a last will and testament expect to receive what they think will be a valuable bequest of a business interest, only to find their joy turn to despair when they discover the bequest...more
Most closely held businesses, whether organized as a C or S corporation, LLC or partnership, have (or should have) a buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement addresses what happens to an owner’s interest in the business when...more
Improperly structured buy-sell agreements for closely held businesses will lead to an unexpected increase in the estate tax imposed on the estate of the deceased owner. The Supreme Court decision emphasizes the need for a...more
Many small business owners mistakenly believe business succession planning and estate planning is for those with substantial wealth. This is simply a myth which does not reflect the nature of business or home ownership....more
On June 6, 2024, the Supreme Court held 9-to-0 in Connelly v. United States that company-owned life insurance increases the company’s fair market value for estate tax purposes, and the company’s obligation to redeem a...more
On June 6, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision in Connelly v. United States, affecting how life insurance proceeds are treated in buy-sell agreements for closely held corporations. The ruling states that...more
In the recent case, Connelly v. United States, 602 U.S. (2024) (slip op.) the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that life insurance proceeds received by a closely held corporation which is used to fund the redemption of a...more