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Debra Hoffman has practiced in the employee benefit and executive compensation area for over 30 years and had significant depth and breadth in all relevant areas, both in the domestic and international context. Her practice focuses exclusively in the areas of employee benefit plans and executive compensation and she advises both public and private clients daily with respect to on-going benefits and executive compensation matters, such as issues relating to employment agreements, equity and equity-based arrangements (including for LLCs and non-corporate entities), deferred compensation arrangements (including application of Code Section 409A), bonus and incentive arrangements (including application of Code Section 162(m)), severance agreements, change in control/golden parachute issues, governmental audits, pension de-risking, and compliance issues (including the IRS and DOL voluntary compliance submissions). Debra also advises creditors and debtors in connection with various types of financing structures, bankruptcy and reorganizations. In addition, Debra has extensive expertise with respect to issues arise in the context of corporate transactions, including divestures, acquisitions, mergers, spin-offs, and initial public offerings.

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US employers are considering many alternatives to address the significant economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One such alternative is putting one or more groups of employees on furlough—a low paid or unpaid leave of absence. However, now more than ever, employers must carefully address health plan coverage during a furlough. See our Legal

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, signed into law on March 18, 2020, is a  significant piece of federal legislation addressing the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  Among its many provisions is a broad requirement that group health plans and health insurance issuers provide coverage for COVID-19 testing without any cost sharing, prior authorization,

For an update on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which requires coverage of testing without cost sharing effective March 18, 2020, see our blog entry.

In an effort to remove barriers to testing for and treatment of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Internal Revenue Service today issued Notice 2020-15. The Notice

Not so Benevolent GrandfatherLong-awaited guidance on Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), has finally arrived.  On August 21, 2018, the IRS issued Notice 2018-68, which provides guidance on certain changes made to Section 162(m) by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”).  The guidance is limited to (a) the identification of covered employees and (b) the so-called “Grandfather Rule.”  The Notice does not address all of the issues raised by the Act’s changes to Section 162(m) and it makes clear that the Grandfather Rule will be narrowly interpreted.  The guidance is effective for tax years ending on or after September 10, 2018 and will be incorporated into future regulations.  The material provisions of the guidance are summarized below.
Continue Reading Guidance on Section 162(m) Modifications—A Not So Benevolent Grandfather and Details About Covered Employees are Uncovered

With all of the press about the new tax reform legislation and the proposed changes to the corporate tax rates, many companies might be considering strategies for accelerating deductions into earlier years to take advantage of those deductions in a year when the tax rates may be higher than in future years.  One strategy

Although not quite as entertaining as the intrigue in Game of Thrones or Hamilton, the House and Senate have continued their dueling ways with respect to tax reform.  The most recent salvo came from the Senate in the form of a Joint Committee on Taxation, Description of the Chairman’s Modification to the Chairman’s mark of