Podcast: Discussing and Demystifying the IRS News Release on ESOPs
(A)ESOP's Fables - The Income and Estate Tax-Free ESOP
Investment Management Update – Exit Strategies
ESOPs: A Path to Bank Independence
On behalf of the ESOPs, Benefits & Compensation team, we hope your Summer is off to a great start. In the time of family vacations and out-of-office replies, the pace of employee benefits changes—both large and small—remains...more
All qualified retirement plans are subject to a myriad of requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA). The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is charged with enforcing the...more
Owners of closely held businesses, particularly first-generation owners, often have a difficult time finding a suitable succession plan. These owners are faced not only with phasing out of their labor of love, but choosing a...more
As part of the comprehensive “SECURE 2.0” retirement plan legislation enacted in December 2022, Congress directed the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to issue a long delayed and much needed regulation defining the term...more
On behalf of the ESOPs & Employee Benefits team, we hope you’re enjoying the first days of Spring, when the longer days allow more time to ponder the ever-changing landscape of employee benefits compliance. Please find below...more
Since their establishment in 1974, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (“ESOPs”) have become a popular and effective mechanism for private companies (both C corporations and S corporations) to provide employees an opportunity to...more
On November 28, three participants in Central States Manufacturing, Inc.’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) filed a complaint on their own behalf and on behalf of other ESOP participants against the company, its board of...more
As summer turns to fall, the employee benefits landscape continues to evolve. A few of our thoughts on recent updates are below. Also be on the lookout over the coming weeks for a separate guide to SECURE 2.0 provisions that...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued IR-2023-144 (the Notice), warning stakeholders of compliance issues associated with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) related to the tax liability of high-income...more
On August 9, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued a new notice (IR-2023-144, the “Notice”) cautioning employers “to be alert to a range of compliance issues that can be associated with Employee Stock Ownership...more
As part of SECURE 2.0, Congress directed the Department of Labor to develop an employee ownership initiative to encourage and incentivize employee ownership in the companies they work for. Last month, the Department of Labor...more
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), their sponsors and participants, and other industry players will welcome the news announced by the ESOP Association on April 14, 2023, that the Department of Labor (DOL) has committed...more
Welcome to Spring! We hope the new season finds you ready for the upcoming benefits changes that 2023 has in store. ...more
The Secure Act 2.0 of 2022, enacted in the closing days of 2022, makes a substantial number of changes to tax-qualified retirement plans, most of which are intended to increase plan coverage and retirement savings. Although...more
The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE Act 2.0) makes far-reaching changes to the US retirement plan system. Our initial SECURE Act 2.0 LawFlash provided a general overview of its significant provisions. This blog post—one in our...more
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS - SBA Adjusts Economic Disadvantage Thresholds for 8(a) and EDWOSB Programs and Monetary-Based Size Standards - Per an interim final rule published on November 17, 2022, the Small Business...more
Happy Fall from the K&C ESOPs & Employee Benefits practice group. We’ve compiled a short list of employee benefits updates from the third quarter of 2022....more
On July 27, 2022, Faegre Drinker filed an amicus brief on behalf of The ESOP Association in the pending Ninth Circuit appeal in Walsh v. Bowers, et al. The brief supports an award of attorneys’ fees and costs against the...more
Happy Summer from the K&C ESOPs & Employee Benefits practice group. We’ve compiled a short list of employee benefits updates from the second quarter of 2022....more
Happy Spring from the K&C ESOPs & Employee Benefits practice group. We’ve compiled a short list of employee benefits updates from the first quarter of 2022....more
In Pizzella v. Vinoskey, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129579, the US Department of Labor (DOL) brought a case against an independent transactional ESOP trustee (the trustee), but also named the seller of stock to an employee stock...more
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has provided relief to a defendant who sold shares of company stock to an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) by rejecting the district court’s legal conclusion concerning the...more
A recent Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision serves as a warning to policyholders: read your entire policy, understand each provision and confirm that the policy language accurately reflects your understanding of the...more
The Federal District Court for Hawaii recently determined that no violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) were established by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) in a breach of...more
Mergers & Acquisitions And Paycheck Protection Program: Proceed With Caution - In Spring 2020, Congress adopted the CARES Act, which authorized $350 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). With an additional...more