Contact us for more information on any of the following story ideas:
Kira Hennessey, press contact:
216.622.8893 or khennessey@calfee.com
Establishing advisory boards provides private companies different benefits than conventional board of directors
Privately-held companies are increasingly using advisory boards instead of boards of directors. The advantage? Highly-qualified, outside business people and professionals can serve as corporate advisors with only limited legal liability. Find out more about why and how businesses are increasing, or should be increasing, their use of advisory boards.
Keep one eye on the door: Exit strategies for family-owned businesses
Planning ahead, from the very beginning, for the succession of a family business is key. A business owner has to decide who will one day own and manage their company, how to realize value from the business they are leaving, how to plan effectively for the costs of exiting, and how to take care of family (both active and inactive) concerns. And all of these issues should be dealt with long before a business owner decides to leave the company.
China: Land of Opportunity?
Doing business in China is becoming more and more accepted and profitable for many local companies, and many factors go into making those businesses successful overseas. Discover what it takes to “make it” in China, or at least get started -- including international transaction dos and don’ts, sending goods, services and information abroad, customs and related issues, protecting intellectual property in overseas transactions, and managing Asian currencies.
Aftermath of Enron, WorldCom and K-Mart: Litigation trends impose new risks for directors and officers
As a result of recent highly-publicized instances of corporate mismanagement and accounting fraud, a trend is developing that bears watching for all officers and directors of companies whose employees own company stock held in a retirement plan like a 401(k). Victims of corporate management misdeeds, as well as government watchdogs such as the Department of Labor, are turning for recourse to ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974). ERISA is a potential new weapon that can be used against officers and directors of both public and privately-held entities (where those individuals are deemed to be ERISA fiduciaries).
Fax laws affect how companies conduct business, new changes on the horizon
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), enacted in 1991, protects the privacy of consumers and businesses from unsolicited fax advertisements. At issue is how marketers obtain consent from consumers and businesses prior to transmitting a fax ad. Congress is considering amendments to the TCPA that may drastically alter what must be clear to obtain the required consent.
Law firm uses latest technology to keep employees in the loop
Think law firms aren’t technically savvy? Calfee has debunked that theory with its custom-built intranet, which serves as the main source of information for its 400+ employees. It provides everything from current business updates, benefit information, and various accounting, admin and HR forms to classified ads and weather reports. Find out about this state-of-the-art system and the great success the firm has had with it.
Travel options -- when you can’t buy the whole jet
Unique and flexible means of air travel are relatively recent concepts that offer alternatives to the capital expenditure and hassle of owning an aircraft, or paying expensive by-the-hour rates for sometimes questionable quality of travel. Find out the benefits to frequent business travelers of fractional jet ownership, “time” and jet card programs.
Critical decision: What to look for when choosing an executor
Choosing an executor for an estate should be a big decision. It’s not just a ministerial function of choosing a spouse, oldest child, or business partner. The activities and responsibilities associated with the role of executor can leave him or her potentially exposed to duties and liabilities never even considered. With any complex estate, who a person ultimately chooses as executor has critical ramifications for both the estate and the executor.
