The use of a commercial lease to rip off minority owners in a closely held business
The Informed Board Podcast | CEO Succession Planning on a Clear Day
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Law Brief ®: Alan Gaynor and Richard Schoenstein Explore Business Divorce
Episode 8: Minority Oppression in the LLC: Interview With Professor Douglas Moll
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the most significant US tax overhaul since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). The OBBBA includes critical changes impacting family offices,...more
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (the “Act”) was signed into law last week, on July 4. As promised by the White House, the Act extends – i.e., purports to make “permanent” – many of the otherwise expiring provisions that were...more
If you’ve been around closely held businesses long enough, you know that a transfer of money between a business and its owner, or between two related businesses, is sometimes characterized by the parties as a loan (“related...more
At the end of 2024, the Knesset enacted significant legislative updates within the framework of the Arrangements Law that completely revamp how “closely held companies” are taxed in Israel. Section 76 of the Income Tax...more
If you’ve worked with the owners of closely held businesses for even just a few years, you have realized they are only half joking when they complain about having the government as a partner. Consider how much federal, state,...more
Decisions, Decisions - The owners of a closely held U.S. business will have to make many difficult decisions during the life of the business. Among the earliest of these is the so-called choice of business entity, the...more
On June 6, 2024, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in in Connelly, As Executor of the Estate of Connelly v. United States, (602 US ________). The decision involves the application of the federal estate tax...more
Last week, Sen. Warren reintroduced her “Ultra-Millionaires” wealth tax proposal to the Senate. Query her timing. The measure has the proverbial snowball’s chance in Hell of being enacted by this Congress.Perhaps the Senator...more
This is The End- I have dreaded the year end for as long as I can remember. As a teenager and then as a young adult I associated the final quarter of the year, and especially the period beginning on Thanksgiving and...more
Have you ever wondered whether you were barking up the wrong tree? That the solution to a problem may be found, not in the approach to which you were already committed and invested, but in an altogether different direction?...more
According to a report issued by the National Association of Realtors a couple of days ago, last year saw a large outmigration of people from California and New York, while Florida and Texas experienced a comparably large...more
Where is the Economy Heading? According to the data released Friday by the Department of Labor, the U.S. economy added approximately 528,000 jobs in July, reducing the unemployment rate to 3.5 percent. Although this...more
Limited Liability? Many individual taxpayers who invest in a closely held business, including one organized as a corporation, fail to appreciate there are circumstances in which they may be held personally liable by a...more
Double Tax- The shareholders of C corporations have long sought legitimate operational and transactional structures by which they may reduce the double tax hit that is realized when such a corporation distributes its...more
Goodbye New York- Late last year, the U.S. Census Bureau released data showing population shifts across the country during 2021. According to this information, New York lost 1.8 percent of its population... ...more
“I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.” – Pres. Ronald Regan- That line probably describes the exasperation with which many Americans...more
The Democrats of the House of Representatives have released a much-anticipated tax plan that would significantly impact the federal estate and gift tax system. Importantly, the House could still amend this legislation and the...more
Recap- Last week, we considered several of the revenue proposals included in the Biden Administration’s 2022 Budget that are probably of interest – or should we say, “of concern”? – to the owners of closely held...more
Tax Gap- In a report released last week, the U.S. Treasury Department explained that the so-called “tax gap” – i.e., the difference between the amount of federal income taxes owed by taxpayers for a taxable year and the...more
Ask the owner of a closely held business to describe their most recently recurring nightmare and you are likely to get an earful regarding the prospect of an increased federal income tax on their profits, an increased federal...more
“Yeah, I’m the Tax Man” Last week, several media outlets reported that Mr. Biden will soon propose that Congress increase the federal income tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains recognized by individual...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
Into the Fire- Let’s play a game of “Guess Who?” Here are the clues: •the legislature has called for an investigation into his mishandling of the crisis brought on by the pandemic, •he has stated that he doesn’t...more
Something Is Rotten- There’s a gray pall hanging over New York that has clouded the judgement of many politicians, and has left many of its residents feeling anxious and off-balance. No, it’s not the smoke from all the...more
The Convention- The Democratic Party’s “virtual” convention last week seems to have gone pretty well. All the stars of the Party’s firmament were on hand and spoke in “virtually” one voice in their assessment of the...more