1. 2015 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TRENDS
By danIEL N. janich
Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale
200 West Madison St., Ste 2700
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Phone: (312)
Fax: (312)
dnj.greensfelder.com

2. Why Should We Discuss Executive Compensation?
Company growth and continued success—indeed the business’ mere survival—requires that it have effective and talented leadership.
Executive compensation is the best if not the only means for attracting, rewarding and retaining senior management talent in a highly mobile and competitive business environment.
Companies must understand and be mindful of current trends in the marketplace and adjust their strategic plan accordingly.

3. Focus of Discussion Will Be On. . .
Privately Held Companies—S Corps, C Corps, LLCs
But We Must Also Consider Executive Compensation in Public Companies Because:
Public and Private Companies Compete for the Same Executive Talent
Executive Compensation Trends in Public Companies Frequently Become Best Practices adopted by Private Companies

4. S Corps, C Corps & LLCs May Use Equity Compensation
S and C Corporations
LLCs (Hybrid: Corporation/
Partnership)
Share or Stock
Membership interest (unit)
Shareholder
Member
Shareholder agreement
Operating agreement
Limited liability
S Corp taxed as partnership; C Corp taxed as an entity
Taxed as a partnership

5. What We Will Cover Types of Executive Compensation
Applicable Laws & Pitfalls
Current Trends

6. Types of Executive Compensation
Executive compensation components (found in executive employment agreements):
Base salary—Fixed/Yearly Adjustments
Annual Bonus—Discretionary/Performance Based/Guaranteed
Equity Awards—True Equity/Synthetic Equity/Fixed/Performance Based
Perquisites & Employee Benefit Plan Participation— Car/Club Dues/Life Ins./Relocation/Etc./Retirement & Welfare Plans/Deferred Compensation
Severance Arrangements—Parachutes/Continued Insurance Coverage/Etc.

7. Variable vs. Fixed Executive Compensation
AMOUNT RECEIVED IS--
Fixed: Base Salary, Perquisites, Retirement and Welfare Plan Participation, Deferred Compensation, SERPs, Severance Arrangements
Adjustable But Generally Not Forfeitable (Clawbacks)
Variable: Short Term Incentives (Bonus), Long Term Incentives (Equity Awards)
Usually Based on Company and/or Individual Performance

8. Incentive Based Compensation: Cash & Equity Awards
Incentive Awards--Short and Long Term Grants Generally Make Up Biggest Portion of Employee’s Executive Compensation
Awards of Public Companies Subject to Public Scrutiny & Legislative/Regulatory Actions
Focus of Private and Public Company Compensation Philosophy in Competition for Talent
Driver of Prevailing Executive Compensation Trends

9. Equity Awards: S & C Corps
Stock Options – Broad Based or Management Only (common in public companies)
Incentive Stock Options
Nonqualified Stock Options
Restricted Stock/Restricted Stock Units (common in public companies)
Phantom Stock (common in privately held companies)
Stock Appreciation Rights (common in privately held companies)
Performance Shares/Units (common in privately held companies)

10. Equity Awards in LLCs Capital interests Profits interests
Options (nonqualified only)
Unit Rights and Unit Appreciation Rights (phantom equity)

11. Applicable Laws & Pitfalls
Executive Compensation Triggers Income Tax, Corporate, Securities, ERISA Issues & Others
Internal Revenue Code
409A – “Deferred Compensation”
280G – Parachute Payments/CIC Rules
422 – Incentive Stock Option Requirements
83(b) – Transfer of Property for Services
162(m) -- $1M Deduction Limits
3402 – Income Tax Withholding; FICA/FUTA

12. Applicable Laws & Pitfalls (Cont.)
State Corporate Law – Governance Issues
ERISA – Is compensation arrangement subject to ERISA?
Securities Laws – State and Federal Registration & Reporting Requirements. Are there applicable exemptions that apply? Federal and/or State Laws may apply
Host of Additional Federal Laws – ADEA (severance), Dodd-Frank (governance), etc.

13. Current Trends
A Period of Intense Scrutiny Leads To Greater Transparency: Disclosure, Disclosure & More Disclosure
Direct impact on Public Companies through Proxies; Recent Examples: Pay Ratio & Say on Pay Rules; Best Practices for Privately Held Companies due to War For Talent leads to disclosure of company financial performance
Performance Based Grants and Vesting
Application of Most Suitable Metrics to Measure Performance – Most Popular = Total Shareholder Return (TSR), but trend developing to use others, such as EBITDA

14. Current Trends (Cont.) Corporate Governance
Fiduciary Concerns – Shareholders & Officers
Clawbacks – SOX, Dodd-Frank Clawback Rules for Incentive Compensation; Forfeitures for Non compete Violations & Criminal Convictions

15. Current Trends (Cont.)
Shift Away from Stock Option Grants and Toward Restricted Stock & Other Equity Vehicles
Broad Based Option Plans in Decline – Options & Restricted Stock Grants to Senior Management
409A Problems Continue—Many Pitfalls Here; Increasing Employer Liability

16. Current Trends (Cont.)
Shift Away from Discretionary Bonus Plans to Performance Based Cash Bonus Plans
Short term as well as long term incentives must align company performance with executive compensation
Stock Ownership through Substantial Equity Share
Perks and SERPs are on downward trend due to shareholder activism

17. Professional Background
Dan Janich is an attorney practicing in the areas of employment law, employee benefits and executive compensation in Chicago. His clients are private and publicly held businesses, C-level executives and other professionals. His experience includes designing and implementing retirement, welfare and equity compensation plans, and executive employment agreements and separation packages, and litigating benefit and executive compensation claims.
Dan received his undergraduate and professional degrees from Marian University, Indianapolis (B.A.), The John Marshall Law School, Chicago (J.D.), and DePaul University College of Law, Chicago (LL.M. in Taxation). He has recently served on the Board of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) and the Senior Editorial Board for Employee Benefits Law treatise, and is currently an active member of the NCEO and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP).

18. Any Questions?