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    Coronavirus and the Markets

    2020 has already been challenging on both the national and global stages. The coronavirus pandemic has quickly sent the world into a state of panic and fear, as businesses and schools shutter their doors, and government agencies advise “social distancing” to prevent the spread of the virus community-wide. It is clear that we are dealing with a health crisis of vast scale and proportion. Our thoughts go out to the families whose lives have been completely upturned by this virus, and to the health care professionals who are on the front lines. Our nation’s health, safety, and well-being are of the utmost importance at this moment, and we hope that developments coming from Washington and the Federal Reserve this week can help ease the burden for those who have been most affected.

    Market Volatility and Your Investing Strategy: Should You Stay the Course?

    It has been a very difficult couple of weeks in the financial markets. Stock markets worldwide have dropped sharply on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Worse, the shutdowns of large parts of the economy as a risk control measure may lead to further declines. With your portfolios down, and with the headlines screaming more risk, what should you do as an investor?

    Managing Your Equity Compensation When Working for a Private Company

    Managing equity compensation benefits when you work for a private firm is quite different from those you can expect to receive from a public company. In this post, I’ll explain the important rules and opportunities you should understand if you are in this situation

    What You Should Know When Negotiating Your Equity Compensation Benefits

    The ever-evolving biopharma and life sciences sector provides numerous opportunities for talented employees to change jobs in order to find more challenging, well-paid opportunities. The strong demand for talent requires employers to offer lucrative and comprehensive equity compensation packages, along with attractive salaries, annual bonuses, and sign-on bonuses. Here are five points to consider when you negotiate your equity compensation benefits.

    Tips for Managing Your Equity Compensation Grants During a Merger or Acquisition

    Over the past many years, M&A activity have increased substantially in the life sciences field to create partnerships that allows for strategic growth and to deliver turnkey results for patients and to cure diseases.

    These activities bring with themselves more complicated solutions as it comes to equity grants – especially as there are multiple ways stock options or stock grants can be transferred at time of transition and it will mainly depend on the two negotiating parties. We will address changes to stock options and Restricted Stock (RSUs) in time of acquisition in this article - as these are the most frequent grants.

    Changing Jobs? 5 Strategies to Ensure You Don’t Leave Money On The Table

    Before you hand in your resignation letter to your current employer, think about the various company stock grants you may be leaving behind and how to maximize their value before, during, and after your career transition. Here are five factors you should consider.

    The Growing Popularity of Employee Stock Purchase Plans and a Guide to Understanding Their Main Features

    Employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) have been a popular benefit, especially within the technology sector. While they are relatively new to the biopharma and healthcare sectors, I’ve been coming across them more often as part of companies’ benefit packages. Here are the top features of ESPPs and how to make the best of this benefit.

    Understanding Your Equity Compensation Grants in the New Year

    The beginning of a new year often comes with new equity compensation grants, such as stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, or performance shares. To help you maximize the value of these benefits, let’s review the basics for the most common equity grants, how they’re taxed, and the potential benefits of each. 

    The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act

    On December 20, 2019, the SECURE Act was signed into law. In this article, we will address what the SECURE Act entails and who it affects, as well as provide suggestions on how to plan for the changes that have been instituted.

    The Section 83(b) Election: What It Is, and How You Could Benefit

    What is a Section 83(b) election? Why do so few people decide to use this seemingly tax-favorable election when receiving shares of restricted stock? Here are a few key details to keep in mind.