Greg regularly assists business owners with their succession plans, particularly to their employees through the formation of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), employee ownership trusts (EOTs), and other equity compensation arrangements. Greg’s background in ERISA and executive compensation provides a foundation for advising clients with these matters and many other employee benefit and executive compensation matters. He represents publicly traded and privately held companies, tax-exempt organizations, and boards of directors, compensation committees, and management teams for these entities.

Employer-Based Executive Compensation and ERISA Experience
Greg’s executive compensation and employee benefits experience consists of assisting employers with design, implementation, and compliance issues related to qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, cash balance pension plans, and 403(b) and 457 plans. Greg also advises clients on appropriate stock and non-stock based incentive programs, profits interests plans in limited liability companies, and employment and severance arrangements. He also provides advice related to ERISA fiduciary and 409A compliance and strategic planning, including issues that arise connection with mergers, acquisitions and spinoffs. Greg also assists employers with benefit plan correction programs offered by the Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service.

Management Team Executive Compensation Experience
Besides advising employers, Greg advises boards of directors and compensation committees on their fiduciary roles with respect to these plans. Greg also has advised management teams in transactions involving sales to strategic buyers and to private equity. He helps them understand and negotiate their compensation arrangements, including rollover equity, to help them preserve and grow the value that they helped to create, while mitigating risk.

ESOP and EOT Experience
Greg’s ESOP experience consists of assisting companies with the design and implementation of ESOPs and representing companies in stock purchase transactions involving the company, sellers and the ESOP. Greg also assists companies and lenders in connection with loans made to ESOP-owned companies. He provides ongoing counsel to ESOP-owned companies, assisting with ERISA fiduciary questions and with the implementation of incentive compensation arrangements that facilitate an employee ownership culture. Greg also works with Porter Wright’s trust and estate planning attorneys to help business owners transition their businesses to an EOT and work through related tax issues.