Latest blogs
280G and Performance Awards: Full Value, Time-Based Value, or Somewhere in Between?
A $1.2 million performance award can trigger two very different 280G outcomes: the full amount treated as contingent on the deal, or a smaller acceleration-only amount, depending on one fact most equity reports never capture. Here’s the distinction that decides which framework applies: whether the performance condition was certified before the transaction closed.
Improving the Time-Based RSU: The Case for the Price-Protected RSU
Traditional RSUs vest on schedule no matter what happens to the stock price. Our analysis of Russell 3000 IPOs found 41% of vesting events happened below the grant-date price — here’s the design fix we built to address it: the Price-Protected RSU.
When Does 280G Become a Problem in Transactions?
280G exposure rarely shows up where companies expect it. The risk often goes unidentified until a transaction is already underway, and by the time a buyer requests analysis or proxy disclosures are being drafted, the flexibility to address it has usually narrowed. Understanding why timing matters, and where growth-stage companies face outsized exposure, is what separates a manageable issue from a last-minute scramble.
The SpaceX ESPP Story Everyone Is Telling Is Half Right
The SpaceX IPO made headlines for turning welders and machinists into millionaires. But the coverage has largely mislabeled what happened. This is a broad-based ownership story, and understanding the difference matters if you’re a plan sponsor weighing what to do next.
RSU-to-Option Conversion Ratios: Why Context Is Everything
RSU-to-option conversion ratios aren’t wrong, they’re just built for public companies. For private companies, the 409A discount changes the math fundamentally. This article covers why private-company options are worth more than they appear, how the right ratio shifts with company stage, and what a defensible methodology actually requires.
Understanding Section 280G and Golden Parachute Rules in Change-in-Control Transactions
Section 280G and Golden Parachute Rules aren’t just a tax issue — they’re a deal issue. This article covers how the rules apply in change-in-control transactions, who is affected, and why early analysis can change outcomes for companies, executives, and transaction teams.
Account Reconciliation: A Core Control in Financial Reporting
Account reconciliation isn’t just a close-cycle task — it’s a financial reporting control. This article covers what makes equity reconciliation effective, where processes break down, and how to build an audit-ready framework across equity systems, EPS, and disclosures.
Stock Option Exercises: Methods, Tax Treatment, and Employer Reporting
A technical reference on stock option exercise methods, tax treatment, and employer reporting responsibilities. Covers cash, cashless, sell-to-cover, and net exercise — with withholding rules, W-2 and Form 3921 requirements, and key compliance considerations for NSOs and ISOs.
