Executive compensation

The best executive compensation packages and employment agreements must incentivize loyalty, accountability and innovation. They also help manage expectations regarding the end of the employment relationship, including severance and non-competition obligations. In addition, compensation programs for executives are viewed as important motivational tools to help improve stockholder value. Consequently, the impact of an employer’s decisions on its nonqualified deferred compensation plans and executive compensation programs are critical issues. At Porter Wright, we develop executive compensation and employment contracts that work for our clients and their executives at both the beginning and end of employment.

Our approach is comprehensive. We not only tackle the tax and employment implications of compensation arrangements, but also take the time to understand what features of a compensation package are most important and achievable within a company. We help our clients to develop an effective compensation package and counsel on the full-range of benefit options, including nonqualified retirement plans, supplemental executive retirement plans, deferred compensation arrangements, excess benefit plans, short-term bonus programs, long-term incentive programs, incentive stock option plans, nonqualified stock option plans and other executive-level benefits.

We work with our clients to integrate non-compete, non-solicitation, non-recruitment and non-disclosure agreements as needed. Our team considers each client's company culture and past practices to ensure the terms in new employee agreements do not conflict with agreements already in place. We also can help them to determine how much flexibility their company needs when severing employment relationships with executives.