Alice in Wonderland: Does Federal Law Apply to Cannabis Employees and Contractors? Most legal issues with cannabis companies have been on central business issues: Consumer health and safety regulations, continued black market activity, dispensary compliance, banking access, taxation, interstate transportation, and the ongoing conflict between the federal status of cannabis (a Schedule 1 drug, like heroin and meth) and the … Read More
When is not vested equity not not vested?
Takeaway: Broader legal concepts may override the technical details of performance-based equity grants. My 13-year-old daughter is learning in her 7th grade math class about computations with negative numbers. This is one of the topics on the path from PEMDAS to Calculus that is predictably difficult for students. (I coach elementary and middle school math students so I speak … Read More
The Real Risk of Working at a Startup
When we think of working at a startup, we might imagine a lower base salary, no annual bonus, sparse benefits, and lots of equity – usually stock options. Most realize that equity is a highly risky form of compensation and few startups ever make it to the IPO, another small number get acquired (at a much lower multiple than … Read More
Compensation Integrity: What the Heck is Going On?
Fred Whittlesey Compensation Venture Group, SPC An update on this continuing theme. Disney will pay $38 million in back wages after feds allege wage and hour violations Wouldn’t it be better to have competent compensation professionals who have the “spine” to stand up to senior management and ensure compliance? It shouldn’t take a judge to know the right thing to do. Conscious … Read More
Microsoft battles decision on “joint employer” status
Back in March 2015 I blogged about Microsoft’s new policy of requiring its US suppliers to provide their employees with 15 days of paid time off. I took issue with this approach to changing compensation practices in the name of “corporate social responsibility” as I don’t agree that a company should be telling its suppliers how to compensate their employees. … Read More
Our Law Firm Client Experience
Ball Janik – Portland, OR Barg Coffin Lewis & Trapp – San Francisco, CA Blank Rome – Cherry Hill, NJ Davis Graham & Stubbs – Denver, CO Davis Wright Tremaine – Seattle WA Dorsey & Whitney – Seattle WA Goss & Goss – Modesto, CA Jolley Urga Wirth Woodbury & Standish – Las Vegas, NV Kelley Drye & Warren … Read More
Compensation Litigation in the News – 13 June 2014
Former Goldman Trader Sues to Get $20 Million in Bonuses Bloomberg News A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) trader who helped lead the firm’s bets against subprime mortgages before the financial crisis asked a court to throw out an arbitration ruling denying him more than $20 million in unpaid compensation. Litigation Over Executive and Director Compensation Takes Another … Read More
Welcome to the Compensation Expert Witness Blog
Expert Witness Services Compensation Venture Group, SPC Fred Whittlesey Fred Whittlesey, Principal Consultant of Compensation Venture Group, SPC has been providing expert witness and litigation support services for over 25 years. His globally-recognized expertise in executive compensation, incentive compensation, equity compensation, and employment agreements has provided valuable support in a variety of legal cases. The highly technical and complex nature … Read More
