EQUITY AND INCENTIVE PLANS
Reward key talent. Align with business goals. Stay compliant.
Attracting and retaining top performers takes more than a competitive salary. The right equity and incentive plan helps you reward key employees, foster long-term commitment and drive growth while navigating complex legal and regulatory frameworks.
Our Equity and Incentive Plans practice group works with public and private companies, startups, private equity-backed businesses and multinational organizations to design and implement tailored plans that are legally sound, strategically aligned and clearly communicated.
How we help
We offer end-to-end support for your equity and incentive programs, from plan design through rollout and beyond:
● Plan design and structuring
We tailor plans to your company’s strategic goals, industry, size and employee profile, whether you’re incentivizing leadership, preparing for a transaction or supporting rapid growth.
● Compliance and regulatory guidance
We guide you through U.S. tax rules (such as Section 409A), securities regulations and employment laws to balance compliance with incentives.
● Documentation and agreements
We draft and review plan documents, grant agreements and related contracts with your goals of clarity and legal enforceability in mind.
● Implementation support
We help you launch your program with confidence, supporting employee communications, training and plan administration.
● Corporate transactions
During mergers, acquisitions, IPOs and other significant corporate events , we advise on the treatment of equity awards to ensure a smooth transition and protect your company’s interests.
What it looks like in practice
Our lawyers have advised on equity and incentive issues across a wide range of industries and business stages. Examples include:
● Helping fast-growing tech startups and venture capital firms design equity plans that appealed to top talent and satisfied investor expectations.
● Advising a multinational corporation on cross-border tax and securities requirements for its global equity incentive program.
● Guiding two financial services firms through the treatment of equity awards during a merger, ensuring seamless integration and legal compliance.
● Drafting and updating restricted stock unit (RSU) agreements with performance-based vesting provisions and other custom features for a publicly traded company.
● Structuring profits interests for private equity-backed companies and their sponsors to align executive rewards with investor returns.
● Conducting a compliance audit of a global healthcare company’s international incentive plan and recommending updates to meet evolving legal standards.
Why it works
Our team combines deep technical knowledge with a practical understanding of what motivates employees and satisfies stakeholders. We speak both legal and business, helping you create programs that are compliant, compelling and aligned with long-term strategy.
Let’s build something that lasts
Equity and incentive plans are powerful tools for performance, loyalty and value creation. Let us help you design a plan that goes beyond checking the legal boxes and moves your business forward.
Get in touch to see how a well-structured plan can fuel your growth.
Key Practice Area Contact:
Brett Good
Director of Equity and Incentive Plan Practice
212-489-9618 Extension 10
brett@cohenbuckmann.com