The use of a commercial lease to rip off minority owners in a closely held business
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Episode 8: Minority Oppression in the LLC: Interview With Professor Douglas Moll
In the months preceding the general election in 2024, the owners of many closely held businesses who had not yet given much thought to the disposition of their future estates, including their businesses, decided they should...more
Business succession planning and estate planning are often linked together, particularly in the case of closely held family businesses. In the case of a shareholder who wishes to pass along their shares of an S corporation as...more
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Connelly v. United States, that the valuation of a decedent’s shares in a closely held corporation for federal estate tax purposes must include insurance proceeds received...more
On June 6, 2024, the Supreme Court held 9-to-0 in Connelly v. United States that company-owned life insurance increases the company’s fair market value for estate tax purposes, and the company’s obligation to redeem a...more
On June 6, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Connelly v. United States affecting the valuation of closely held businesses for estate tax purposes. The Court explained that, for purposes of federal...more
On June 6, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision in Connelly v. United States, affecting how life insurance proceeds are treated in buy-sell agreements for closely held corporations. The ruling states that...more
In the recent case, Connelly v. United States, 602 U.S. (2024) (slip op.) the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that life insurance proceeds received by a closely held corporation which is used to fund the redemption of a...more
Legacy management is an age-old business that has not changed in decades. We propose moving away from an episodic, transactional delivery model and removing siloes between a family’s advisors – allowing for a proactive,...more
Many co-owners of closely held businesses will employ life insurance as a tool for funding the transfer of ownership in the business upon the death or retirement of an owner. In these cases, planning involves the use of...more
Amidst many recent sharply divided decisions, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on June 6, 2024 issued a rare unanimous ruling in Connelly v. United States, which addressed estate tax considerations relative to...more
The United States Supreme Court (Supreme Court) released the Connelly v. United States opinion on June 6, 2024. The opinion affirmed the Eighth Circuit's holding in favor of the IRS that a company's contractual redemption...more
On June 6, 2024, in the case of Connelly v. United States, the United States Supreme Court determined that corporate-owned life insurance proceeds used to redeem a decedent’s shares in the corporation must be included when...more
On June 6, 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion regarding Connelly, as Executor of the Estate of Connelly v. United States. This final decision will directly impact all closely held business owners that...more
The Supreme Court has just weighed in on how gift and estate taxes apply with respect to non-cash gifts in Estate of Connelly v. United States. The Court’s opinion closely follows the economics of such arrangements, but...more
The Supreme Court of the United States issued an important ruling on June 6, 2024, clarifying the federal tax consequences of certain succession plans for closely held businesses. The Court held in Connelly v. United States,...more
In Connelly v. US, 602 US ___ (6/6/2024), the US Supreme Court affirmed a decision of the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in favor of the government concerning the estate tax treatment of life insurance proceeds...more
All U.S. closely held businesses just received a warning from the highest court in the land that they should review their succession plans (or else risk a higher tax bill for the estates of their owners). On June 6, 2024, the...more
“I love you, but you are not serious people.” This is the curse that Logan Roy, the founder and business titan of Waystar RoyCo, intones to his three stunned children during a poignant family moment. The three siblings...more
Thoughtful succession planning can pave the way for a smooth transition and a thriving future for a company and its stakeholders. Here are a few techniques that business owners should consider....more
As a family business owner, are you missing out on valuable estate and wealth transfer planning opportunities or jeopardizing your current plan altogether? Katten recently hosted a program that addressed common concerns,...more
Many successful business owners devote their lives to establishing, building, and maintaining a successful business. However, few successful business owners have properly considered what will happen after they are gone, and...more
Every business should have documentation that confirms its ownership, management, and governance structures. If the business has more than one owner, the documentation should address transfers of ownership interests and...more
Over the past three seasons, fans of the hit HBO series Succession have had an entrée into the fabulous lifestyles enjoyed by members of the Roy family and a front-row seat from which to observe the myriad succession...more
Closely-held businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Some owners own 100% of their businesses. Some have partners. Some have children in the business. Some do not. A common question that a client asks the business and...more
Like humans, businesses have a life cycle. And, just like us, major focus is put on the beginning and middle stages of the life cycle, with many people putting off late stage planning until it is too late. Clients often put...more