OPEB, COLI and Post-Retiree Needs
July 28, 2009
The recently passed COLI Best Practices ' 101(j), Deferred Compensation ' 409A and the Medicare Act of 2003 require advisers to review all qualified and nonqualified benefit programs. These legislative changes and the courts' review of COLI provide attorneys with a different approach to help solve their benefits planning problems. While pensions have been codified, limited, and scrutinized since 1974 with ERISA, non-pension post-retiree benefits (OPEB-GASB 45, FAS 106, and IAS 19) have been less regulated ' until now. Judicial action, legislation, and administrative agency action have caused a paradigm shift in benefits planning.
News Briefs
July 28, 2009
Highlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
Court Watch
July 28, 2009
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
Inside the New GM Dealer Agreements
July 28, 2009
Automakers Chrysler and General Motors changed the history of dealer relations when they stepped through dozens of state laws and regulations and terminated thousands of long-standing dealers through the power of the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Now that they have emerged from bankruptcy, history remains to be written on the intriguing issues of whether GM will be able to make its new, bold agreement, heavily weighted in GM's favor, stick in the face of state dealer laws.
GA Supreme Court Strikes Down In-term Non-competition Covenant
July 28, 2009
In a June 29, 2009 opinion relevant to all franchise businesses in Georgia, the Georgia Supreme Court held that a covenant in a franchise agreement prohibiting a franchisee from competing with the franchisor during the term of the agreement is judged under the same standards as a post-termination covenant not to compete, and is unenforceable under Georgia law unless it is reasonably limited in territory and in scope of restricted activities. By contrast, earlier in the year, the Georgia General Assembly passed a bill which, if enacted through passage of a proposed Georgia constitutional amendment in 2010, would make it easier to enforce a restrictive covenant in Georgia and would specifically permit enforcement of in-term restrictive covenants without limitations on scope of activity, duration, or territory.
Organizational Risk in an Economic Downturn
July 28, 2009
During turbulent economic times, organizations need to be especially vigilant to minimize potential risks that could ultimately affect the bottom line or shareholder ROI.
Shareholders to Gain Access to Company Proxy Statements for Director Nominations
July 28, 2009
On May 20, 2009, the SEC proposed amendments to the existing proxy rules that would, among other things, allow shareholders to nominate directors in a company's proxy materials. Chairman Mary Schapiro strongly encourages interested parties to participate in the Commission's comment process that will end on Aug. 17, 2009.
