Employee Stock Ownership Plans

Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) offer extraordinary benefits to companies and their shareholders and employees.  ESOPs provide a market for the shares of closely held businesses; motivate greater employee productivity; and provide tax advantages in the financing of acquisitions, capital improvements, charitable giving and stock purchases from retiring owners.

Katten's ESOP attorneys are leaders in their field and have extensive experience in the proactive development of ESOPs in connection with overall business, succession and estate planning by companies and their owners and managers.

Our attorneys advise ESOP plan sponsors, fiduciaries and lenders on:

• day-to-day operational and legal compliance issues,
• governmental audits and investigations,
• cash-flow planning,
• corporate governance,
• the use of an ESOP as a corporate finance vehicle,
• tax advantages of ESOPs in corporate transactions and estate planning,
• ownership and management succession, and
• the role of an ESOP in an employee benefit program.

Katten's ESOP attorneys are active members of The ESOP Association, Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA), the National Center for Employee Ownership and the ESOP subcommittee of the American Bar Association Section of Taxation's Employee Benefits Committee.  They frequently speak about ESOPs and related topics and have authored leading books, articles and practitioners’ guides on ESOPs.

Professionals