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
Succession Planning to Safeguard Your Law Firm’s Future: On Record PR
Law Brief ®: Alan Gaynor and Richard Schoenstein Explore Business Divorce
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
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
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
Charitable organizations are dependent, in no small part, upon the financial support of many successful business owners. The generosity of these individuals and their organizations may be a manifestation of several factors...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
With the looming elections, tax planners have taken time to consider what the future of Estate and Gift Tax planning might be under the new Congress. Every new Congress considers changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,...more
I have been a major fan of Afro-Cuban (Salsa) and Brazilian Bossa Nova music since high school. Most of you know by now that I grew up in the Panama Canal Zone. By the time I got to West Point in the summer of 1978, it was...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
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
It is important to consider tax planning opportunities when selling your business, particularly where a business is a closely-held professional service corporation and the proposed structure of the deal is an asset sale. In...more
Withdrawing Value- Any tax adviser who has represented closely held businesses and their owners long enough realizes there are certain recurring themes that transcend the otherwise unique characteristics of the industry of...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
Here are five things to remember when performing the valuation of shares of a closely held entity for gift and estate tax reporting...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
The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") announced that as soon as it reopens its collection and examination functions on July 15, it will immediately begin the examination of hundreds of high-income individuals and private...more
After Me, Who Cares? In the context of a family-owned business, managerial succession and the transfer of ownership – not necessarily the same thing – can turn into quite an adventure when they are not well-planned....more
The transition of a family owned or closely-held business is an important event for estate planning clients. Historically, the use of trusts has played an important role in business succession planning. Recent changes to the...more
Action Item: It is anticipated that Treasury will soon issue new regulations that will affect the valuation discounts applicable to intra-family transfers of interests in closely held entities. It may be advisable to review...more
Speaking of Eternity, I must admit that I am a big fan of gospel music. While I like old school or traditional gospel, I prefer the newer R&B urban sound popularized beginning with Andrew Crouch and later Fred Hammond and...more