Our Executive Compensation attorneys have earned a nationwide reputation for developing and negotiating compensation, severance, and termination packages for senior level executives, particularly in the securities industry. Clients rely on our deep understanding of the market, sound judgment, and practical business sense to design and structure arrangements that reflect their skills, experience, and contribution to the success of their employers while anticipating and resolving legal and business challenges as they arise
Securities Industry
We have extensive experience drafting and negotiating offer letters and employment agreements for securities industry CEOs, CFOs, partners, managing directors, traders, bankers, portfolio managers, and hedge fund managers, leveraging the industry knowledge of the entire firm – and our broad-based experience in Securities Law – to obtain the best possible deal for our clients.
In addition, our attorneys excel at negotiating exit packages that maximize the value of our client’s contribution, including if necessary enforcing the terms of those agreements through litigation.
Corporate Executives
More broadly, we routinely help senior level executives of public, private, emerging, and other companies negotiate and achieve their compensation objectives. Recent clients have included the CEOs of several publicly traded firms, including Fortune 100 companies, and employees working outside the United States for U.S. corporations.
Tax Analysis
The Executive Compensation attorneys at Zukerman Gore regularly call upon our tax professionals to counsel clients on the specific tax implications and issues involved in their compensation arrangements – including, for example, stock option plans, variable compensation plans, and other forms of incentive compensation – with a keen eye toward minimizing tax liability.
Dispute Resolution
When disputes over compensation and benefits arise, we defend the interests of our clients in mediations, arbitrations, and litigation. We have resolved on behalf of both senior executives and employers compensation-related claims and disputes involving unpaid bonus and commissions, forfeited equity plan awards, discrimination, breach of contract, wrongful termination, and other employment related issues.
Compensation Plans
We also work with companies in developing executive compensation plans designed to attract and retain top executives and other employees while ensuring compliance with tax and regulatory requirements, including equity-based, nonqualified deferred compensation, incentive bonus, profit-sharing, golden parachutes and handcuffs, and retirement plans.