The other day I wrote about Understanding the Tribune ESOP considering the multi-faceted aspects of employee ownership. But what about the Trib’s ESOP in the context of other newspaper ESOPs? In that light, the Chicago Tribune ESOP will be a unique venture. While there have been successful newspaper ESOP models, there have been none in … Continue Reading
The Tribune ESOP deal has generated a lot of discussion in the media. It’s a complicated deal with lots of facets and ramifications. Most of the commentary and coverage has focused on the corporate finance part of the deal. Some of the coverage has been decidedly negative with the United Airlines ESOP still in people’s … Continue Reading
It’s ERISA audit time again. The regular tax season is winding down, and accountants will soon be turning their attention to ERISA plan audits. And if you’re a plan sponsor whose plan is subject to an ERISA audit, selecting a plan auditor is a fiduciary function. So here are a few mistakes to avoid when … Continue Reading
The Tribune Company announced yesterday that an agreement was struck to take the company private in a complicated transaction with Sam Zell , the epitome of a contrarian investor. It’s a fascinating deal with a number of different story lines. it’s about the business of law with at least 9 major law firms involved in … Continue Reading
The news that Chicago real estate mogul Same Zell was close to a deal to acquire media conglomerate The Tribune Company brought back some old memories. The proposed deal would take the company private, giving ownership to a partnership between Zell and an ESOP used as a financing arrangement reminiscent of the high-flying days of … Continue Reading
The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) reports on a recent survey from the 2006 General Social Survey that 20 million American workers own stock in their company through a 401(k) plan, ESOP, direct stock grant, or similar plan, while 10.6 million hold stock options. his? That means that 17% of the total workforce own … Continue Reading
The backdated stock option scandal is one of those stories that continues to have legs. Last week two news stories appeared. The first was the publication of IR-2007-30, the announcement by the IRS of its initiative aimed to provide tax relief for those for rank-and-file employees affected by their companies’ issuance of backdated and other … Continue Reading
Indeed a small world. Seniorcsopie.com, an on-line French publication for seniors/baby boomers carried this article today, "The employee stock-ownership plan : a way to save for retirement", that originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal on January 22, 2007. It’s about the ESOP that the New York designer Eileen Fisher set up to diversify her … Continue Reading
The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), the leading source for research on employee ownership, has over the years compiled a substantial body of research on the relationship between employee ownership and corporate performance. Their conclusion: employee ownership combined with participatory management is a most powerful competitive tool. A 2006 study they reported on is … Continue Reading
Employee ownership, either in the form of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) or stock options, is now recognized world wide. The leading voice of employee ownership in Europe is the European Federation of Employee Share Ownership which held its Sixth European Meeting of Employee Ownership in Brussels last month. For those of you interested in … Continue Reading
