ESOP Resources

In late January, President Joe Biden named economist Jared Bernstein to the White House Council of Economic Advisors. Only days earlier, Bernstein published a major study on employee stock ownership plan adoption. Titled “Why Aren’t There More” the report lamented the barriers to ESOP adoption while highlighting a host of benefits associated with employee ownership.

In the late 1990’s, Lawrence Kaplan was working on the sale of an established garment manufacturer. Facing a looming tax burden and buyers that didn’t appreciate his client’s value, the accounting consultant couldn’t make financial sense of an outright sale.

Despite the challenging economic climate, many government contractors have maintained solid financial performance throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. But exposure to a host of uncontrollable risks means that continued growth is far from certain.

There's a lot of confusion about employee stock ownership plans. Questions about structure, valuation, financing, governance, and exit planning are commonplace among owners and advisors. CSG's Lawrence Kaplan helped dispel a number of misconceptions in a recent, wide-ranging Q&A.

Despite a host of pandemic-related challenges, the transportation and logistics industry has largely thrived in 2020. Rapid changes in consumer habits have fueled industry growth, and an M&A uptick is sure to follow. But these sales could be complicated by overlooked tax liabilities.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been a lifeline for many businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic. But for businesses in the midst of transactions, and their financial partners, the program has been a double-edged sword.

CSG's founder, Lawrence Kaplan, recently joined the Vistage Networks webinar series for a extended overview of employee stock ownership plans.

Lawrence Kaplan - CSG's founder and managing partner - explored the merits of employee stock ownership plan transactions as diversification strategies in a recent Vistage Networks webinar.

Each year, the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) recognizes the US’s largest ESOPs companies. The newly released 2020 EO 100 features multiple CSG clients, including NCEO’s #2 ESOP in the country.

Please Note:  this article was published prior to the completion of the 2020 US Election Cycle. November’s electoral outcome is far from certain, but a change in the White House – combined with ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic – may have a profound effect on the M&A landscape.