Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) have been used as a business succession strategy by employers across many industries. In the cannabis industry, ESOPs have come and gone and come again as a trendy topic promising to fix...more
6/27/2025
/ 401k ,
Acquisitions ,
Agribusiness ,
Business Ownership ,
Business Succession ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
ESOP ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRC Section 280E ,
Liquidity ,
Mergers ,
Retirement Plan ,
S-Corporation ,
Stocks ,
Tax Planning ,
Taxation ,
Valuation
On April 17, 2025, the Supreme Court decided Cunningham v. Cornell University, unanimously holding that a plaintiff can state a valid claim under ERISA by merely alleging that a plan used “plan assets” to pay a service...more
4/25/2025
/ 401k ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Cunningham v Cornell University ,
Defined Contribution Plans ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
ERISA Litigation ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Retirement Plan ,
SCOTUS
On February 6, 2025, a Pennsylvania federal judge gave preliminary approval to a $2.1 million settlement resolving a class action involving the Pride Mobility ESOP. This case is one of six brought so far—and the second to...more
U.S. Department of Labor final regulations for disability claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plans become effective on April 1, 2018. Plan sponsors should do two things: (1) review plans that...more