REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE George’s extensive representative experience includes:
- Successfully resolving an IRS audit allegation of pension plan prohibited transactions in which IRS sought several hundred million dollars of payments from the company.
- Developing or revising numerous executive compensation plans and agreements and equity compensation plans to comply with new IRS section 409A deferred compensation rules, minimize disallowance of deductions under IRC section 162(m)’s million-dollar deduction cap, and reduce exposure to excise tax and deduction disallowance under IRC “golden parachute” rules.
- Advising on appropriate executive compensation review procedures and effective executive compensation disclosure under revised U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) executive compensation disclosure rules.
- Negotiating employment arrangements for CEOs and other officers of public companies, companies owned by private equity firms and companies in bankruptcy.
- Advising on employee benefits and compensation aspects of a number of mergers and acquisitions, corporate spin-offs and reductions in force.
- Assisting clients in developing tax-efficient retiree medical funding arrangements and funded plans for foreign subsidiary pensions including obtaining IRS rulings.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the area of employee benefits law (1995–2009)
- Selected for inclusion in Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers® (2007–2009)
- Charter Fellow, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Former Chair, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Committee, Business Law Section, American Bar Association (1988–1992)
- Former Co-chair, National Institute on Executive Compensation, American Bar Association (1987–1993)
- Former Chair, Joint Committee on Employee Benefits, American Bar Association, a select committee that coordinates the employee benefits activities of six sections of the ABA
- Member, International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association
RECENT PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Speaker, ”Cross-Border M&A: Identifying and Dealing With Compensation and Benefits Issues,” Tax Section Program, American Bar Association (May 2008)
- Speaker, “Dealing with Executive Compensation in Corporate Transactions: Golden and Tin Parachutes,” 17th Annual Tax Executives Institute (TEI) Houston Chapter Tax School (March 2005)
- Speaker, ”Problems and Opportunities Arising Under New Section 409A,” 29th Annual Tax Law Conference of the Federal Bar Association (March 2005)
- Speaker, “Funding German Pensions: In Search of the Equivalent of a Trust” and “The OECD’s Project on Cross-Border Income Tax Issues Arising from Employee Stock Option Plans,” Tax Executives Institute (TEI) European Chapter Meeting (February 2004)
- Speaker, “The IRS Executive Compensation Audit Initiative and Related Topics,” TEI (May 2004)
- Author, “The $1 Million Deduction Cap: A Code Section 162(m) Guide,” 27 Journal of Pension Planning & Compliance No.4 (Winter 2002)