Expert Insights brings in-depth interviews and a personal perspective from those impacting the profession. Join host Jim Alerding as he asks the questions you want answered to Larry Cook. Larry brings a mountain of experience, and everyone will be sure to come away with some great nuggets of information. Highlights include the top 10 ESOP questions and their answers, private company equity incentives and compensation issues and the big benefits of special projects. Expert Insights is where you learn everything the books don’t teach you.

• Personal and professional background
• ESOP valuations
  • Hear a lively discussion on Larry’s “top 10” ESOP valuation questions he gets routinely: 
    • NO-NO’s; How much is enough? Value PRE & POST transaction.
    • Don’t Do It!  A pure discussion on “PRE – POST qualifying debt transactions and what really happens.
    • Why Do it?  “Fairness Opinions” – Are You Kiding me?
    • He who holds the money makes the Rules? Candid discussion about “leverage”, qualifying shareholder / plan transactions and the ESOP – its not yo’ momma’s debt – qualifying debt vs commercial debt.
    • Gotta’ consider a WACC in some ESOPs and why?
    • What are the true professional valuation guides for ESOP’s?  It may be simpler than you think!
    • How to address the pre transaction shareholder still wants to strip the company of the earnings Post transaction – how to address that in your engagement letter and the valuation (is it your job or the trustees?)
    • Should you use “end of year” OR “mid-year” convention – Hint:  “adequate consideration” and does that concept really apply here?
    • WHO really owns the ESOP shares?  REALLY?
    •  Can We Talk?
• Divorce related private company issues including collaborative divorces.
• Private company equity incentives and compensation
• Special projects:
  • Real Property Taxes and the Valuation Analysts:  How one single project brought big fees and a happy client to the firm.
  • Timber! How tackling an estate tax case linked more valuation work and cases to the firm.
  • We don’t have to fight about it!  Collaborative ways to resolve disputes:  Driving the parties to valuation resolutions; walking the walk one day at a time.
• Lightning round

• Understand the most common ESOP questions
• Learn about opportunities in special projects
• Understand private company equity incentives and compensation