New Legal Issues Seminar

Managing the Modern Trust: A Primer for Trustees and Those Who Advise Them - Mark Edwards
The laws governing the administration of trusts have changed substantially in the last twenty-five years, and so have the duties of the trustee. We will look at these changes and see how the trustee (and the advisors to the trustee) can cope with them. We will look at how the trust should be drafted initially, how the trustee must plan both for investment of the assets and for distributions to the beneficiaries, how the beneficiaries can be made partners in the process, and how the advisor must be an active participant in the process.

Succession Planning for the Family-Owned Business: A Holistic Approach - Meg Goldstein and Frank Bryant
As professionals, we often concentrate on the income, gift and estate tax issues, and ignore, to the detriment of the family, the practical, emotional and financial implications of succession planning for our clients who own closely-held businesses. Through a case study approach, we will address a multitude of non-tax issues that impact, and various techniques to implement, a successful succession plan for a family-owned business.

Preparing a Small to Mid-Cap Company for Sale - Paul Porter
Whether a sale of a business is contemplated in five years, five months or five weeks, we will discuss practical steps that business owners should take to properly prepare for such a sale. Lower than expected purchase price and dead deal costs are common results when business owners fail to properly prepare a company for sale. This presentation will address what these business owners and their professional advisors should be considering to maximize the purchase price while minimizing their after-closing liability exposure.

Recent Trends in Employment Law - Robert Meyer
With ever-increasing numbers of employment related charges and lawsuits being filed each year, employers are perhaps facing more legal challenges to their employment actions than ever before. Therefore, knowledge of the emerging trends in this area of the law is critical to avoiding potential liability. This discussion will focus on some of the developments that have taken place in the employment law arena over the past year, including topics such as retaliation, harassment, gender discrimination, and constructive discharge.

Section 409A: How Will Your Clients Be Affected? - Nancy Brower

All deferred compensation, bonus and severance arrangements must be operated and documented in accordance with Section 409A to avoid the imposition of an additional 20% income tax and a nasty interest assessment. We’ll discuss the broad reach of Section 409A and the steps your clients should be taking to insure compliance with the new Section 409A rules.

2005 Bankruptcy Law Changes, and a Fun Way to Learn It - Deborah Crowder

The changes to the bankruptcy law have placed new burdens on attorneys as to what information they must disclose to clients who file bankruptcy. We will discuss the important changes to the law that you need to know in order to educate your business and consumer clients about the implications of the new law. We will also discuss the general topics of actions your clients can take when they deal with an insolvent entity including reclamation and the new administrative priority for sales within 20 days of bankruptcy. We will also discuss a general overview of preference law and the changes that have been incorporated by the new law.

Fast Talk with Poyner & Spruill -

30 Business Tips in 30 Minutes

Join us for a panel discussion with Poyner & Spruill attorneys. In a fast-paced fashion, they will share 30 tips for you to use with your clients concerning best business practices and mistakes we see clients make.

Special Guest Speaker from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond - Raymond E. Owens

Update on the U.S. Economy

Raymond E. Owens, Vice President and Senior Economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, leads the Bank’s Regional Economics Department, and is a member of their monetary policy group. He actively researches and has published academic articles in fields as diverse as monetary policy, financial markets, and economic development policy. However, he spends most of his time analyzing national and regional economic conditions. In this role, Ray maintains close contact with the business community and public. Ray is a frequent speaker on current economic developments and is regularly quoted in the financial press. Additionally, he teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University, is on the Board of the Virginia Association of Economists, and is a member of the Richmond Association of Business Economists and the National Association of Business Economists.

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