Executive Compensation and Benefits

We can help your company make fair deals for top talent

As a difficult market continues to increase competition, businesses across the United States try to get an edge over their competitors. This often means aggressively seeking executives and other managers with proven records of success who can bring new ideas to the table. Getting top talent to sign on with your business, however, can be an expensive endeavor. For start-ups especially, it sometimes takes a certain measure of creativity to be able to attract the people your business needs. Coolidge Wall has helped businesses negotiate fair and manageable corporate executive compensation packages for highly sought-after business professionals. In these financially challenging times, we can help you close the deal without paying more than necessary.

Experienced negotiators for CEO executive compensation

Negotiation is one of the most valuable skills an attorney can possess. Knowing just how hard to push during high-level corporate executive compensation negotiations is something one can learn only through experience. The attorneys at Coolidge Wall have developed this valuable skill through years of practice. We have helped corporations of all types and nonprofits arrive at workable agreements and sign on and keep the talent they need to remain competitive.

Creative solutions for start-ups and small businesses

For many small businesses (and nonprofits) and fledgling enterprises, paying a large salary to a talented executive may not be an option. In cases such as these, we pride ourselves on our ability to craft creative solutions that are enticing to top talent while remaining workable for you. Our creative executive compensation packages focus on three key areas:

• Current and deferred cash compensation, often with incentive arrangements tailor-made to drive the behavior and results desired by the client
• Equity compensation, including stock options, restricted stock, or phantom stock arrangements
• Various forms of perquisites that may be non-monetary

These solutions allow small companies, nonprofits, and promising start-ups who may not have access to large amounts of capital to have access to talented executive personnel who are willing to invest themselves in the future of the company.

Disputes regarding corporate executive compensation

Disputes involving executive employment contracts can erupt during employment or even after separation. Sometimes disagreements occur over the interpretation of terms in an executive’s employment agreement or those in a deferred compensation or equity ownership agreement. Other times, the exuberance that comes with joining a new venture can give way over time, and disputes come up. We have had a great deal of success in resolving such disputes in an amicable and cost-effective fashion. However, we are prepared to litigate, if necessary, to protect your company’s rights or to enforce confidentiality or non-competition agreements after severance.