Course1

I Want Out, Too: Russian Roulette/Stand-off & Tag-along Rights in Business Transactions

$79.00

A client investment in an operating business, particularly a minority stake, is only as good as its liquidity.  If a client cannot readily sell his or her ownership stake at fair market value, it has little real value. The key to ensuring liquidity is contractually creating a private market for the ownership stake.  This market can come in the form of requiring other stakeholders, including the majority owner, to buy the minority stake at a mutually agreeable price, or creating other mechanisms for selling the stake to third parties. Without these contract rights, a stakeholder has no liquidity and is stuck. This program will provide you with a practical to planning and drafting contractual liquidity rights in closely held companies.     Planning and drafting liquidity rights in closely held companies  Counseling clients about the limitations and risks of liquidity in closely held companies   Framework of alternatives for determining most appropriate liquidity rights   “Texas standoff” or “Russian roulette” – opportunities, risks and tradeoffs  Drafting “tag-along” and “drag-along” rights – practical uses and drawbacks  How to think about valuing closely held ownership stakes     Speaker:   Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years’ experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm’s private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.  Mr. Ciatto earned his B.A., cum laude, at Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. 

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 11/21/2025
    Presented
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Course1

I Want Out, Too: Russian Roulette/Stand-off & Tag-along Rights in Business Transactions

$79.00

A client investment in an operating business, particularly a minority stake, is only as good as its liquidity.  If a client cannot readily sell his or her ownership stake at fair market value, it has little real value. The key to ensuring liquidity is contractually creating a private market for the ownership stake.  This market can come in the form of requiring other stakeholders, including the majority owner, to buy the minority stake at a mutually agreeable price, or creating other mechanisms for selling the stake to third parties. Without these contract rights, a stakeholder has no liquidity and is stuck. This program will provide you with a practical to planning and drafting contractual liquidity rights in closely held companies.     Planning and drafting liquidity rights in closely held companies  Counseling clients about the limitations and risks of liquidity in closely held companies   Framework of alternatives for determining most appropriate liquidity rights   “Texas standoff” or “Russian roulette” – opportunities, risks and tradeoffs  Drafting “tag-along” and “drag-along” rights – practical uses and drawbacks  How to think about valuing closely held ownership stakes     Speaker:   Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years’ experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm’s private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.  Mr. Ciatto earned his B.A., cum laude, at Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. 

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 11/21/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Business Torts: How Transactions Spawn Litigation, Part 1

$79.00

Business and commercial transactions are fraught with potential tort liability for attorneys and their clients. Whether out of disappointment at losing a deal or as a negotiating tactic or legitimate belief, counter-parties, competitors and third parties can easily allege tortious interference with existing or prospective business relationships.  There is also the risk of breaching the duty of good faith and fair dealing in transactions or misusing proprietary information obtained in negotiations in a failed deal. This program will you with a practical framework for understanding the range of business torts and real-world defenses. Day 1: Intentional interference with an existing contractual relationship – and the “business privilege” of competitors Interference with a prospective contract or transaction – what’s an “expectancy”? Fraudulent misrepresentations – how does an attorney spot “intent”? Negligent misrepresentation, including contributory negligence and the economic loss rule   Day 2: Implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing – what it means for contract negotiations Contract terms involving discretion v. explicit terms Misdeeds by clients in contract negotiations Misappropriation of trade secrets disclosed in contract negotiations Usurpation of business opportunities and the organizational opportunity doctrine Torts in recruiting and hiring key employees away from competitors   Speakers: William J. Kelly, III is a founding member of Kelly & Walker LLC and has more than 25 years’ experience in the areas of employment and commercial litigation.  In the area of employment law, he litigates trade secret, non-compete, infringement and discrimination claims in federal and state courts nationwide and has advised Fortune 50 companies on workplace policies and practices.  In the area of commercial litigation, his experience includes class action litigation, breach of contract and indemnity, mass-claim complex insurance litigation, construction litigation and trade secrets.  Earlier in career, he founded 15 Minutes Music, an independent music production company.   Shannon M. Bell is a member with Kelly & Walker, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues.  Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen.  She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions.  She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics. 

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 11/29/2025
    Avail. Until
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Course1

Business Torts: How Transactions Spawn Litigation, Part 2

$79.00

Business and commercial transactions are fraught with potential tort liability for attorneys and their clients. Whether out of disappointment at losing a deal or as a negotiating tactic or legitimate belief, counter-parties, competitors and third parties can easily allege tortious interference with existing or prospective business relationships.  There is also the risk of breaching the duty of good faith and fair dealing in transactions or misusing proprietary information obtained in negotiations in a failed deal. This program will you with a practical framework for understanding the range of business torts and real-world defenses. Day 1: Intentional interference with an existing contractual relationship – and the “business privilege” of competitors Interference with a prospective contract or transaction – what’s an “expectancy”? Fraudulent misrepresentations – how does an attorney spot “intent”? Negligent misrepresentation, including contributory negligence and the economic loss rule   Day 2: Implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing – what it means for contract negotiations Contract terms involving discretion v. explicit terms Misdeeds by clients in contract negotiations Misappropriation of trade secrets disclosed in contract negotiations Usurpation of business opportunities and the organizational opportunity doctrine Torts in recruiting and hiring key employees away from competitors   Speakers: William J. Kelly, III is a founding member of Kelly & Walker LLC and has more than 25 years’ experience in the areas of employment and commercial litigation.  In the area of employment law, he litigates trade secret, non-compete, infringement and discrimination claims in federal and state courts nationwide and has advised Fortune 50 companies on workplace policies and practices.  In the area of commercial litigation, his experience includes class action litigation, breach of contract and indemnity, mass-claim complex insurance litigation, construction litigation and trade secrets.  Earlier in career, he founded 15 Minutes Music, an independent music production company.   Shannon M. Bell is a member with Kelly & Walker, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues.  Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen.  She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions.  She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics.     

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 11/30/2025
    Avail. Until
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Course1

Rescission in Business Transaction: How to fix Something That Has Gone Wrong

$79.00

Despite the best-laid plans and careful drafting, errors occur in transactions and their underlying documents. The parties may have had a misunderstanding of a crucial fact or the applicable law, leaving the parties with a practically or legally defective arrangement. Or a simple drafting error may have been made in one or more of the transaction’s underlying documents. This program provides you with a practical guide to using rescission, backdating, and other forms of modification to fix transactional errors, teach you about the best uses and limits of each technique, and discusses the tax and other consequences of using these techniques. • Types of temporal modification—rescission, backdated initial actions, backdated modification • Legitimate reasons for after-the-fact modification of transactions• Statutory and common law recognition of rescission• Permissibility of backdating certain transactions• Special use of rescission to save S corporation status• Tax consequences of rescission and other corrective measures   Speaker: C. Ben Huber is a partner in the Denver office of Greenburg Traurig, LLP, where he has a broad transactional practice encompassing mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and reorganizations, corporate finance, capital markets, venture funds, commercial transactions and general corporate law.  He also has substantial experience as counsel to high tech, biotech and software companies in the development, protection and licensing of intellectual property.  His clients include start-up companies, family- and other closely-held businesses, middle market business, Fortune 500 companies, venture funds and institutional investors. 

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/1/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Baskets and Escrow in Business Transactions

$79.00

Identifying and hedging the risk of the unknown is one of the biggest risks in business documentation.  If unknown liabilities arise – or known liabilities are greater than anticipated –parties want recourse to address the economic loss.  “Caps” and “baskets” are used to address this problem.  Caps are the the total amount for which one party may be liable to the other party post-closing. “Baskets” are the amount of loss one party must incur, if any, before seeking recourse to the other party. The variations and interplay between caps and baskets can be highly complex. This program will provide you with a practical guide to the uses, types, and drafting traps of caps and baskets in business transactions.   Types of “baskets” – “tipping baskets” v. “true deductibles” v. hybrids Negotiating “caps” – aggregates limits, specific carve-outs for fraud and other bad acts Intricate relationship between baskets and caps Drafting to reduce risk of dispute and enhance collectability of claims Use of escrow to ensure payment of indemnification claims   Speaker: Steven O. Weise is a partner in the Los Angeles office Proskauer Rose, LLP, where his practice encompasses all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in financings, particularly those secured by personal property.He also handles matters involving real property anti-deficiency laws, workouts, guarantees, sales of goods, letters of credit, commercial paper and checks, and investment securities.Mr. Weise formerly served as chair of the ABA Business Law Section. He has also served as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board of the UCC and as an Advisor to the UCC Code Article 9 Drafting Committee.

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/3/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Baskets and Escrow in Business Transactions

$79.00

Identifying and hedging the risk of the unknown is one of the biggest risks in business documentation.  If unknown liabilities arise – or known liabilities are greater than anticipated –parties want recourse to address the economic loss.  “Caps” and “baskets” are used to address this problem.  Caps are the the total amount for which one party may be liable to the other party post-closing. “Baskets” are the amount of loss one party must incur, if any, before seeking recourse to the other party. The variations and interplay between caps and baskets can be highly complex. This program will provide you with a practical guide to the uses, types, and drafting traps of caps and baskets in business transactions.   Types of “baskets” – “tipping baskets” v. “true deductibles” v. hybrids Negotiating “caps” – aggregates limits, specific carve-outs for fraud and other bad acts Intricate relationship between baskets and caps Drafting to reduce risk of dispute and enhance collectability of claims Use of escrow to ensure payment of indemnification claims   Speaker: Steven O. Weise is a partner in the Los Angeles office Proskauer Rose, LLP, where his practice encompasses all areas of commercial law. He has extensive experience in financings, particularly those secured by personal property.He also handles matters involving real property anti-deficiency laws, workouts, guarantees, sales of goods, letters of credit, commercial paper and checks, and investment securities.Mr. Weise formerly served as chair of the ABA Business Law Section. He has also served as a member of the Permanent Editorial Board of the UCC and as an Advisor to the UCC Code Article 9 Drafting Committee.

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/3/2025
    Presented
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Course1

Drafting LLC Operating Agreements, Part 1

$79.00

LLC operating agreements may be the most commonly document drafted, reviewed and negotiated by transactional counsel. These documents define the governance, information and liquidation rights of members, allocate economic rewards, sometimes establish restrictions on members or their interests, and can assign or alleviate liability.  The tax provisions, too, are highly complex, defining allocations of tax attributes and rights to cash and property distributions.  Fiduciary duties may also be modified in a way that is not possible in other types of entities. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements.   Day 1: Drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements Planning for different types of capital contributions – capital v. services, current contributions v. future capital calls Management provisions depending on whether the LLC is member-managed v. manger-managed LLCs Fiduciary duties of members, modifications, and the “LLC opportunity doctrine” Restrictions on transfers of capital and profits interests Relationship between tax allocation and property distribution provisions, including IRC Section 704(b) accounting   Day 2: Drafting allocation provisions for maximum tax benefit and to secure the safe harbor How “payments to member” (not distributions) are treated for financial v. tax purposes Drafting ordinary distributions, minimum tax distributions, waterfall distributions, liquidating distributions Rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, buy-sell provisions – understanding the alphabet soup of exit alternatives Liquidations of the entity and sale of an individual member’s interests   Speakers: Paul Kaplun is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP where he has an extensive corporate and business planning practice, and provides advisory services to emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. He formerly served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught business planning.  Before entering private practice, he was a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm, specializing in corporate and individual income tax planning and compliance.  

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/6/2025
    Avail. Until
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Course1

Drafting LLC Operating Agreements, Part 2

$79.00

LLC operating agreements may be the most commonly document drafted, reviewed and negotiated by transactional counsel. These documents define the governance, information and liquidation rights of members, allocate economic rewards, sometimes establish restrictions on members or their interests, and can assign or alleviate liability.  The tax provisions, too, are highly complex, defining allocations of tax attributes and rights to cash and property distributions.  Fiduciary duties may also be modified in a way that is not possible in other types of entities. This program will provide you with a practical guide to drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements.   Day 1: Drafting the most important provisions of LLC operating agreements Planning for different types of capital contributions – capital v. services, current contributions v. future capital calls Management provisions depending on whether the LLC is member-managed v. manger-managed LLCs Fiduciary duties of members, modifications, and the “LLC opportunity doctrine” Restrictions on transfers of capital and profits interests Relationship between tax allocation and property distribution provisions, including IRC Section 704(b) accounting   Day 2: Drafting allocation provisions for maximum tax benefit and to secure the safe harbor How “payments to member” (not distributions) are treated for financial v. tax purposes Drafting ordinary distributions, minimum tax distributions, waterfall distributions, liquidating distributions Rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, buy-sell provisions – understanding the alphabet soup of exit alternatives Liquidations of the entity and sale of an individual member’s interests   Speakers: Paul Kaplun is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP where he has an extensive corporate and business planning practice, and provides advisory services to emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. He formerly served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught business planning.  Before entering private practice, he was a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm, specializing in corporate and individual income tax planning and compliance.  

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/7/2025
    Avail. Until
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Piercing the Entity Veil: Individual Liability for Business Acts

$79.00

One of the bedrock principles of business law is limited liability. The individual owners of an entity – shareholders of a corporation or members of a limited liability company – cannot be held personally liable for the debts or liabilities of the entity.  But the doctrine is not absolute.  There are many common law fact patterns that allow courts to pierce the entity veil – co-mingling of funds, using an entity as an alter ego, among others – and reach an individual person’s assets. There are also several sources of statutory authority allowing veil piercing. This program will provide you with a practical guide to common law, equitable, and statutory theories of piercing entity veils.   Statutory and equitable principles to pierce the entity veil Fact pattern justifying piercing limited liability to reach an owner’s personal assets Statutory sources permitting breaching the entity veil Application of veil piercing to non-corporate entities Liability for improper distributions Piercing for withheld income and employment taxes, and sales/use taxes   Speakers: Allen Sparkman is a partner in the Houston and Denver offices of Sparkman Foote, LLP.  He has practiced law for over forty years in the areas of estate, tax, business, insurance, asset protection, and charitable giving.  He has written and lectured extensively on choice-of-entity, charitable giving and estate planning topics.  He is the Colorado reporter for the books "State Limited Partnership Laws" and "State Limited Liability Company Laws," both published by Aspen Law & Business.  He has also served as president of the Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council.

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/8/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Piercing the Entity Veil: Individual Liability for Business Acts

$79.00

One of the bedrock principles of business law is limited liability. The individual owners of an entity – shareholders of a corporation or members of a limited liability company – cannot be held personally liable for the debts or liabilities of the entity.  But the doctrine is not absolute.  There are many common law fact patterns that allow courts to pierce the entity veil – co-mingling of funds, using an entity as an alter ego, among others – and reach an individual person’s assets. There are also several sources of statutory authority allowing veil piercing. This program will provide you with a practical guide to common law, equitable, and statutory theories of piercing entity veils.   Statutory and equitable principles to pierce the entity veil Fact pattern justifying piercing limited liability to reach an owner’s personal assets Statutory sources permitting breaching the entity veil Application of veil piercing to non-corporate entities Liability for improper distributions Piercing for withheld income and employment taxes, and sales/use taxes   Speakers: Allen Sparkman is a partner in the Houston and Denver offices of Sparkman Foote, LLP.  He has practiced law for over forty years in the areas of estate, tax, business, insurance, asset protection, and charitable giving.  He has written and lectured extensively on choice-of-entity, charitable giving and estate planning topics.  He is the Colorado reporter for the books "State Limited Partnership Laws" and "State Limited Liability Company Laws," both published by Aspen Law & Business.  He has also served as president of the Rocky Mountain Estate Planning Council.

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/8/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Cloud Contracts: Drafting and Reviewing IT Sourcing Agreements

$79.00

Virtually every organization outsources it information technology (IT) functions to third-party vendors.  Electronic files of every time – data and documents, video and audio – are stored on servers owned and maintained by third parties and located at off-site locations.  Telecom services are also commonly outsourced. The idea behind outsourcing these increasingly complex systems is that costs might be controlled and the difficulty of maintaining them becomes someone else’s task. But getting to that point lies beyond reviewing and negotiating highly complex IT outsource agreements involving performance and reliability, data security and privacy breaches, and warranty and indemnity.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to negotiating and drafting IT agreements with third-party vendors.   Performance standards for IT vendors, reliability, and Service Level Agreements Essential warranty and indemnity provisions – and spotting red flags Understanding how “The Cloud” works for contractual purposes Important data security, privacy and related liability concerns Drafting the underlying equipment lease and/or software license Reviewing fee structures in IT outsourcing agreements   Speaker: Peter J. Kinsella is a partner in the Denver office of Perkins Coie, LLP, where he has an extensive technology law practice focusing on advising start-up, emerging and large companies on technology-related commercial and intellectual property transaction matters.  Prior to joining his firm, he worked for ten years in various legal capacities with Qwest Communications International, Inc. and Honeywell, Inc.  Mr. Kinsella has extensive experience structuring and negotiating data sharing agreements, complex procurement agreements, product distribution agreements, OEM agreements, marketing and advertising agreements, corporate sponsorship agreements, and various types of patent, trademark and copyright licenses.

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/19/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Cloud Contracts: Drafting and Reviewing IT Sourcing Agreements

$79.00

Virtually every organization outsources it information technology (IT) functions to third-party vendors.  Electronic files of every time – data and documents, video and audio – are stored on servers owned and maintained by third parties and located at off-site locations.  Telecom services are also commonly outsourced. The idea behind outsourcing these increasingly complex systems is that costs might be controlled and the difficulty of maintaining them becomes someone else’s task. But getting to that point lies beyond reviewing and negotiating highly complex IT outsource agreements involving performance and reliability, data security and privacy breaches, and warranty and indemnity.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to negotiating and drafting IT agreements with third-party vendors.   Performance standards for IT vendors, reliability, and Service Level Agreements Essential warranty and indemnity provisions – and spotting red flags Understanding how “The Cloud” works for contractual purposes Important data security, privacy and related liability concerns Drafting the underlying equipment lease and/or software license Reviewing fee structures in IT outsourcing agreements   Speaker: Peter J. Kinsella is a partner in the Denver office of Perkins Coie, LLP, where he has an extensive technology law practice focusing on advising start-up, emerging and large companies on technology-related commercial and intellectual property transaction matters.  Prior to joining his firm, he worked for ten years in various legal capacities with Qwest Communications International, Inc. and Honeywell, Inc.  Mr. Kinsella has extensive experience structuring and negotiating data sharing agreements, complex procurement agreements, product distribution agreements, OEM agreements, marketing and advertising agreements, corporate sponsorship agreements, and various types of patent, trademark and copyright licenses.

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/19/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Incentive Compensation Strategies for Business Growth, Part 1

$79.00

Companies of every type including incentivize compensation features in employee compensation packages. The range of incentive compensation tools and techniques available to these companies depends on the type of entity involved.  Corporate entities have stock options, restricted stock and other forms of profit or capital appreciation rights.  LLCs are even more flexible and can award a variety of forms of profit or capital rights.  These alternatives, together with voting and vesting restrictions, provide companies alternatives for virtually every circumstance.  But each alternative comes with tradeoffs – practical, tax and financial. This program will provide you with a real world guide to the incentive compensation alternatives in business entities.   Day 1: Framework of incentive compensation alternatives for corporate v. pass-through entity Advantages and drawbacks of stock options, restricted stock, and profit participation rights How IRC Section 83 impacts corporate stock options, the award of restricted stock and other rights Use of vesting to impact the tax consequences of incentive compensation Special incentive compensation issues in S Corps   Day 2: Use of profit interests and capital interest in LLCs, partnerships Exchanging incentive compensation for services Incentive compensation in single member LLCs Impact of IRC Section 409A and deferred compensation Employment tax considerations   Speaker: Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters.  He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions.  He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses.  

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/30/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Incentive Compensation Strategies for Business Growth, Part 1

$79.00

Companies of every type including incentivize compensation features in employee compensation packages. The range of incentive compensation tools and techniques available to these companies depends on the type of entity involved.  Corporate entities have stock options, restricted stock and other forms of profit or capital appreciation rights.  LLCs are even more flexible and can award a variety of forms of profit or capital rights.  These alternatives, together with voting and vesting restrictions, provide companies alternatives for virtually every circumstance.  But each alternative comes with tradeoffs – practical, tax and financial. This program will provide you with a real world guide to the incentive compensation alternatives in business entities.   Day 1: Framework of incentive compensation alternatives for corporate v. pass-through entity Advantages and drawbacks of stock options, restricted stock, and profit participation rights How IRC Section 83 impacts corporate stock options, the award of restricted stock and other rights Use of vesting to impact the tax consequences of incentive compensation Special incentive compensation issues in S Corps   Day 2: Use of profit interests and capital interest in LLCs, partnerships Exchanging incentive compensation for services Incentive compensation in single member LLCs Impact of IRC Section 409A and deferred compensation Employment tax considerations   Speaker: Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters.  He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions.  He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/30/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Incentive Compensation Strategies for Business Growth, Part 2

$79.00

Companies of every type including incentivize compensation features in employee compensation packages. The range of incentive compensation tools and techniques available to these companies depends on the type of entity involved.  Corporate entities have stock options, restricted stock and other forms of profit or capital appreciation rights.  LLCs are even more flexible and can award a variety of forms of profit or capital rights.  These alternatives, together with voting and vesting restrictions, provide companies alternatives for virtually every circumstance.  But each alternative comes with tradeoffs – practical, tax and financial. This program will provide you with a real world guide to the incentive compensation alternatives in business entities.   Day 1: Framework of incentive compensation alternatives for corporate v. pass-through entity Advantages and drawbacks of stock options, restricted stock, and profit participation rights How IRC Section 83 impacts corporate stock options, the award of restricted stock and other rights Use of vesting to impact the tax consequences of incentive compensation Special incentive compensation issues in S Corps   Day 2: Use of profit interests and capital interest in LLCs, partnerships Exchanging incentive compensation for services Incentive compensation in single member LLCs Impact of IRC Section 409A and deferred compensation Employment tax considerations   Speaker: Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters.  He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions.  He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses.  

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/31/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: Incentive Compensation Strategies for Business Growth, Part 2

$79.00

Companies of every type including incentivize compensation features in employee compensation packages. The range of incentive compensation tools and techniques available to these companies depends on the type of entity involved.  Corporate entities have stock options, restricted stock and other forms of profit or capital appreciation rights.  LLCs are even more flexible and can award a variety of forms of profit or capital rights.  These alternatives, together with voting and vesting restrictions, provide companies alternatives for virtually every circumstance.  But each alternative comes with tradeoffs – practical, tax and financial. This program will provide you with a real world guide to the incentive compensation alternatives in business entities.   Day 1: Framework of incentive compensation alternatives for corporate v. pass-through entity Advantages and drawbacks of stock options, restricted stock, and profit participation rights How IRC Section 83 impacts corporate stock options, the award of restricted stock and other rights Use of vesting to impact the tax consequences of incentive compensation Special incentive compensation issues in S Corps   Day 2: Use of profit interests and capital interest in LLCs, partnerships Exchanging incentive compensation for services Incentive compensation in single member LLCs Impact of IRC Section 409A and deferred compensation Employment tax considerations   Speaker: Norman Lencz is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where his practice focuses on a broad range of federal, state, local and international tax matters.  He advises clients on tax issues relating to corporations, partnerships, LLCs, joint ventures and real estate transactions.  He also has extensive experience with compensation planning in closely held businesses.  

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 12/31/2025
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: I Want Out, Too: Russian Roulette/Stand-off & Tag-along Rights in Business Transactions

$79.00

A client investment in an operating business, particularly a minority stake, is only as good as its liquidity.  If a client cannot readily sell his or her ownership stake at fair market value, it has little real value. The key to ensuring liquidity is contractually creating a private market for the ownership stake.  This market can come in the form of requiring other stakeholders, including the majority owner, to buy the minority stake at a mutually agreeable price, or creating other mechanisms for selling the stake to third parties. Without these contract rights, a stakeholder has no liquidity and is stuck. This program will provide you with a practical to planning and drafting contractual liquidity rights in closely held companies.     Planning and drafting liquidity rights in closely held companies  Counseling clients about the limitations and risks of liquidity in closely held companies   Framework of alternatives for determining most appropriate liquidity rights   “Texas standoff” or “Russian roulette” – opportunities, risks and tradeoffs  Drafting “tag-along” and “drag-along” rights – practical uses and drawbacks  How to think about valuing closely held ownership stakes     Speaker:   Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years’ experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm’s private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.  Mr. Ciatto earned his B.A., cum laude, at Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. 

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 1/5/2026
    Presented
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Course1

LIVE REPLAY: I Want Out, Too: Russian Roulette/Stand-off & Tag-along Rights in Business Transactions

$79.00

A client investment in an operating business, particularly a minority stake, is only as good as its liquidity.  If a client cannot readily sell his or her ownership stake at fair market value, it has little real value. The key to ensuring liquidity is contractually creating a private market for the ownership stake.  This market can come in the form of requiring other stakeholders, including the majority owner, to buy the minority stake at a mutually agreeable price, or creating other mechanisms for selling the stake to third parties. Without these contract rights, a stakeholder has no liquidity and is stuck. This program will provide you with a practical to planning and drafting contractual liquidity rights in closely held companies.     Planning and drafting liquidity rights in closely held companies  Counseling clients about the limitations and risks of liquidity in closely held companies   Framework of alternatives for determining most appropriate liquidity rights   “Texas standoff” or “Russian roulette” – opportunities, risks and tradeoffs  Drafting “tag-along” and “drag-along” rights – practical uses and drawbacks  How to think about valuing closely held ownership stakes     Speaker:   Frank Ciatto is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP, where he has 20 years’ experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, limited liability companies, tax and accounting issues, and corporate finance transactions.  He is a leader of his firm’s private equity and hedge fund groups and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and earlier in his career worked at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.  Mr. Ciatto earned his B.A., cum laude, at Georgetown University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. 

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 1/5/2026
    Presented
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Exit Rights in Business Agreements

$79.00

A client investment in an operating business, particularly a minority stake, is only as good as its liquidity rights. If a client cannot readily sell his or her ownership stake at fair market value, it has little real value. The key to ensuring liquidity is contractually creating a private market for the ownership stake. This market can come in the form of requiring other stakeholders, including the majority owner, to buy the minority stake at a mutually agreeable price, or creating other mechanisms for selling the stake to third parties. Without these contract rights, a stakeholder has no liquidity and is stuck. This program will provide you with a practical to planning and drafting contractual liquidity rights in closely held companies.   Planning and drafting liquidity rights in closely held companies Counseling clients about the limitations and risks of liquidity in closely held companies Framework of alternatives for determining most appropriate liquidity rights “Texas standoff” or “Russian roulette” – opportunities, risks and tradeoffs Drafting “tag-along” and “drag-along” rights – practical uses and drawbacks How to think about valuing closely held ownership stakes   Speaker: Michael Weiner is a partner in the Denver office of Dorsey & Whitney, where he is head of the firm’s corporate department.  His practice focuses on the representation of emerging growth companies in the areas of corporate formation, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and angel finance, public offerings, and securities regulation. He counsels boards of directors and management teams in the areas of equity compensation, corporate governance, Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulatory and disclosure matters. He also advises clients on intellectual property licensing and commercial contract matters.  Mr. Weiner earned his B.S. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, his B.A. in American history from the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts & Sciences, and J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 1/13/2026
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Exit Rights in Business Agreements

$79.00

Separation is inevitable—your documents should make it orderly, fast, and fair. We break down exit mechanics across LLC, partnership, and closely held corporate structures with a focus on valuation and dispute prevention. Leave with practical tools to negotiate terms that work when relationships don’t.   Compare tag-along, drag-along, and rights of first refusal. Design buy-sell triggers for death, disability, deadlock, and breach. Choose valuation methods, appraiser processes, and payment terms. Use covenants and release language to minimize post-exit litigation.   Speaker: Shannon M. Bell is a member with Kelly Law Partners, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues. Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen. She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions. She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics.

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 1/14/2026
    Presented
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Exit Rights in Business Agreements

$79.00

Separation is inevitable—your documents should make it orderly, fast, and fair. We break down exit mechanics across LLC, partnership, and closely held corporate structures with a focus on valuation and dispute prevention. Leave with practical tools to negotiate terms that work when relationships don’t.   Compare tag-along, drag-along, and rights of first refusal. Design buy-sell triggers for death, disability, deadlock, and breach. Choose valuation methods, appraiser processes, and payment terms. Use covenants and release language to minimize post-exit litigation.   Speaker: Shannon M. Bell is a member with Kelly Law Partners, LLC, where she litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues. Her construction experience extends from contract negotiations to defense of construction claims of owners, HOAs, contractors and tradesmen. She also represents clients in claims of shareholder and officer liability, piercing the corporate veil, and derivative actions. She writes and speaks on commercial litigation, employment, discovery and bankruptcy topics.

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 1/14/2026
    Presented
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Sophisticated Choice of Entity, Part 1

$79.00

Choosing the right entity for a closely held business is not only a choice in time but planning for long stretches of time and the likelihood of substantial change. Among those changes are changes in tax law, changes in the capital structure and ownership ranks of the company, and changes in business strategy. These and a multitude of other considerations often involve a sophisticated tradeoff of benefits and costs, balancing certainty with flexibility, in full knowledge that change is certain.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to sophisticated choice of entity considerations for closely held businesses.    Day 1: Impact of industry norms, investor expectations, and regulatory requirements Management and information rights, and the ability to restrict Fiduciary duties/liability of owners and managers, and the ability to modify these duties Economic rights – choosing among capital rights, income rights, tracking rights   Day 2: Anticipating liquidity events – sale of the company, liquidation of the company, new investors/members Planning for distributions of property Owner and employee fringe benefit considerations Impact of recent tax law changes, employment taxes, and SALT considerations   Speakers: Paul Kaplun is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP where he has an extensive corporate and business planning practice, and provides advisory services to emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. He formerly served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught business planning.  Before entering private practice, he was a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm, specializing in corporate and individual income tax planning and compliance.  Mr. Kaplun received his B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Christopher Davidson is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where he advises clients on a wide variety of federal and tax matters, including in the areas of corporate formations, financings, and transactions.  His focus is on foreign and domestic tax matters for partnerships, LLCs, and corporations. He is a frequent contributor to professional tax journals. Mr. Davidson received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Maryland, his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, and his LL.M. from New York University.

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 2/2/2026
    Avail. Until
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Sophisticated Choice of Entity, Part 2

$79.00

Choosing the right entity for a closely held business is not only a choice in time but planning for long stretches of time and the likelihood of substantial change. Among those changes are changes in tax law, changes in the capital structure and ownership ranks of the company, and changes in business strategy. These and a multitude of other considerations often involve a sophisticated tradeoff of benefits and costs, balancing certainty with flexibility, in full knowledge that change is certain.  This program will provide you with a practical guide to sophisticated choice of entity considerations for closely held businesses.    Day 1:  Impact of industry norms, investor expectations, and regulatory requirements Management and information rights, and the ability to restrict Fiduciary duties/liability of owners and managers, and the ability to modify these duties Economic rights – choosing among capital rights, income rights, tracking rights   Day 2:  Anticipating liquidity events – sale of the company, liquidation of the company, new investors/members Planning for distributions of property Owner and employee fringe benefit considerations Impact of recent tax law changes, employment taxes, and SALT considerations   Speakers: Paul Kaplun is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable, LLP where he has an extensive corporate and business planning practice, and provides advisory services to emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries. He formerly served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught business planning.  Before entering private practice, he was a Certified Public Accountant with a national accounting firm, specializing in corporate and individual income tax planning and compliance.  Mr. Kaplun received his B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Christopher Davidson is a partner in the Baltimore, Maryland office of Venable, LLP, where he advises clients on a wide variety of federal and tax matters, including in the areas of corporate formations, financings, and transactions.  His focus is on foreign and domestic tax matters for partnerships, LLCs, and corporations. He is a frequent contributor to professional tax journals. Mr. Davidson received his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Maryland, his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, and his LL.M. from New York University.

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 2/3/2026
    Avail. Until
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2026 AI Update

$79.00

Artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize legal practice at an unprecedented pace, creating both remarkable opportunities and complex ethical challenges for today's practitioners. This essential program provides comprehensive guidance on AI integration, regulatory developments, and professional responsibility considerations that every modern lawyer must understand. Stay ahead of the technological curve while maintaining the highest standards of professional competence and client service.   Master current AI applications transforming legal research, document review, and case analysis Navigate emerging regulatory frameworks governing AI use in legal practice Address ethical considerations including bias, transparency, and client confidentiality in AI systems Implement best practices for AI adoption while managing malpractice and security risks   Speaker: Sean Belding has experience drafting asset purchase and sale agreements, intellectual property licenses, service agreements, and distribution and reseller agreements. Sean also has experience drafting information security agreements, terms of use, and privacy policies, and advising clients regarding data privacy and security matters. He has also drafted complex settlement agreements, advised clients on best practices for intellectual property protection and management, and developed patent and commercial litigation strategies, including noninfringement positions, invalidity arguments, and motion practice.

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 2/3/2026
    Presented
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Course1

2026 AI Update

$79.00

Artificial intelligence continues to revolutionize legal practice at an unprecedented pace, creating both remarkable opportunities and complex ethical challenges for today's practitioners. This essential program provides comprehensive guidance on AI integration, regulatory developments, and professional responsibility considerations that every modern lawyer must understand. Stay ahead of the technological curve while maintaining the highest standards of professional competence and client service.   Master current AI applications transforming legal research, document review, and case analysis Navigate emerging regulatory frameworks governing AI use in legal practice Address ethical considerations including bias, transparency, and client confidentiality in AI systems Implement best practices for AI adoption while managing malpractice and security risks   Speaker: Sean Belding has experience drafting asset purchase and sale agreements, intellectual property licenses, service agreements, and distribution and reseller agreements. Sean also has experience drafting information security agreements, terms of use, and privacy policies, and advising clients regarding data privacy and security matters. He has also drafted complex settlement agreements, advised clients on best practices for intellectual property protection and management, and developed patent and commercial litigation strategies, including noninfringement positions, invalidity arguments, and motion practice.

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 2/3/2026
    Presented
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LIVE REPLAY: M&A with S Corps: Special Tax Issues

$79.00

Mergers and acquisitions involving S corporations present unique tax considerations that can be tricky to navigate. This session provides an in-depth look at these issues, offering guidance on structuring deals that minimize tax exposure while complying with IRS regulations. Gain insights into how to advise your clients effectively in this specialized area.   Highlights:   Key tax planning considerations for S corporation transactions. Strategies for minimizing tax liabilities during M&A. Understanding built-in gains tax and shareholder basis issues. Compliance with IRS regulations and avoiding common pitfalls. Practical examples of successful S corporation M&A transactions.   Speaker: TBD

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 2/4/2026
    Presented
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LIVE REPLAY: M&A with S Corps: Special Tax Issues

$79.00

Mergers and acquisitions involving S corporations present unique tax considerations that can be tricky to navigate. This session provides an in-depth look at these issues, offering guidance on structuring deals that minimize tax exposure while complying with IRS regulations. Gain insights into how to advise your clients effectively in this specialized area.   Highlights:   Key tax planning considerations for S corporation transactions. Strategies for minimizing tax liabilities during M&A. Understanding built-in gains tax and shareholder basis issues. Compliance with IRS regulations and avoiding common pitfalls. Practical examples of successful S corporation M&A transactions.   Speaker: TBD

  • Teleseminar
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 2/4/2026
    Presented
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Service Level Agreements in Technology Contracting

$79.00

In a world where every client depends on IT functions – web site hosting, e-commerce, telecom, storing files remotely in the Cloud, or on locally leased servers, e-mail and much more – and when most of these functions are outsourced or provided by vendors, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are of paramount importance. SLAs set benchmarks for these services – what uptime is expected and for how long, what happens when something goes down, how is service measured and reported?  The operation of every business and every law firm rests on the answer to these questions. This program will provide you a practical guide to reviewing, drafting and negotiating SLAs for client IT functions.    Purpose of SLAs – ensuring clients get benefit of bargain, incentivizing providers Types of services – locally installed v. the Cloud Service availability – uptime, guarantees, exclusions Service performance – minimum v. expected service, resolution time v. resolution goals Special considerations when drafting for the Cloud Common failures, damages, and remedies   Speaker: Peter J. Kinsella is a partner in the Denver office of Perkins Coie, LLP, where he has an extensive technology law practice focusing on advising start-up, emerging and large companies on technology-related commercial and intellectual property transaction matters.  Prior to joining his firm, he worked for ten years in various legal capacities with Qwest Communications International, Inc. and Honeywell, Inc.  Mr. Kinsella has extensive experience structuring and negotiating data sharing agreements, complex procurement agreements, product distribution agreements, OEM agreements, marketing and advertising agreements, corporate sponsorship agreements, and various types of patent, trademark and copyright licenses.  Mr. Kinsella received his B.S. from North Dakota State University and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

  • MP3 Download
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 3/1/2026
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Service Level Agreements in Technology Contracting

$79.00

Master the critical components of service level agreements that can make or break technology partnerships in our increasingly digital business environment. This program provides comprehensive guidance on drafting enforceable SLA provisions that balance client expectations with realistic performance standards while protecting against costly disputes. Learn to structure agreements that ensure accountability without creating impossible obligations for service providers.   Define measurable performance metrics and service availability standards that align with business needs Draft effective remedies and penalty structures for SLA breaches and service failures Address force majeure and excusable delay provisions specific to technology service interruptions Navigate complex issues involving third-party dependencies and cascading service level obligations   Speaker: Peter J. Kinsella is a partner in the Denver office of Perkins Coie, LLP, where he has an extensive technology law practice focusing on advising start-up, emerging and large companies on technology-related commercial and intellectual property transaction matters. Prior to joining his firm, he worked for ten years in various legal capacities with Qwest Communications International, Inc. and Honeywell, Inc. Mr. Kinsella has extensive experience structuring and negotiating data sharing agreements, complex procurement agreements, product distribution agreements, OEM agreements, marketing and advertising agreements, corporate sponsorship agreements, and various types of patent, trademark and copyright licenses. Mr. Kinsella received his B.S. from North Dakota State University and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

  • Audio Webcast
    Format
  • 60
    Minutes
  • 3/2/2026
    Presented
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