Articles

For many partners at top law firms, their earnings represent the first time in that person’s family history that such has been generated. With this first-generation creation comes certain challenges and many opportunities. As a partner in a law firm, they now have additional financial and tax responsibilities that they may not be fully aware of. Many focus on financial planning and investment advice but often do not spend enough time thinking about how to efficiently transfer newl

High-level employees and executives at publicly traded companies often accumulate substantial tied up in company stock through RSUs, stock options, or ESPPs. These holdings can quietly grow to represent 20%, 30%, or more of their liquid net worth over time. While this concentration signals success, it creates unique portfolio risks, particularly when a single company’s stock dominates retirement plans and net worth. Diversifying away from a concentrated position, especially one with sign

Golden parachutes are often in the headlines when high level executives exit a company, especially during mergers and acquisitions. A golden parachute is a contractual agreement that provides a significant financial benefit to top executives if they are terminated following a merger, acquisition, or other change in corporate control. These agreements often include a lump sum cash payout, usually 1-3x the executive’s base salary and bonus, along with accelerated vesting of st

If your company offers an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), you might be leaving free money on the table or taking on more risk than you realize. ESPPs can be one of the most powerful return enhancers available to employees, but only when used intentionally and as part of a broader plan. This blog will break down how ESPPs work, how to make the most of them, and how to avoid the tax traps that trip up many professionals. How Do ESPPs Work? ESPPs allow you to buy your company’s stock through

IRC Section 1202 provides one of the most powerful tax benefits in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to entrepreneurs and investors. Section 1202 provides an exclusion from taxation to a qualified investor of up to $10-15 million of capital gain or 10 times the stockholder’s adjusted cost basis, whichever is greater, upon the sale of Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). Why is the range of potentially excluded capital gain between $10-15 million? A look back at past and more recent legisla

Section 1202 – An Overview In a previous post, we discussed the historical context, investor/corporate qualification requirements, and common investor issues faced by holders of Section 1202 stock, more popularly referred to as Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS). IRC Section 1202 allows qualified investors to exclude from federal income tax the greater of: $10-15 million of realized capital gain, or 10 times the stockholder’s adjusted cost basis, upon the sale of QSBS in a calendar year, dep