Your company is being acquired.
An acquisition can be the event that changes everything, and the one where quiet decisions, made in the wrong order or too late, cost the most.
The 280G excise tax.
If you’re an officer, a highly compensated employee, or a significant shareholder, a change in control can trigger the golden-parachute rules under Section 280G. Cross the threshold and a 20% excise tax can apply on top of ordinary income tax. The analysis has to happen before the deal closes, because the best options narrow sharply once the terms are set.
We work the deal in the same order we work everything else.
Protect. First we look for what could unwind the win. The 280G exposure that needs analysis before close. The grant-agreement language that decides whether your unvested equity accelerates or disappears. The beneficiary and titling details that should be correct before a large number lands in your accounts.
Subtract, then align. We clear the complexity that’s accumulated, and point what remains in one direction, so your tax strategy, your investments, and your documents are ready for the event instead of reacting to it.
Build. Only then do we build the plan for the money itself. What to do with proceeds, how any new equity fits your concentration picture, and a prioritized action list with dates attached, so nothing depends on you remembering it during the busiest quarter of your career.
The Plan is $5,000 flat, built for delivery within 30 days of kickoff, and backed by the Plan Promise: a full refund, for any reason, if you ask in writing within 30 days after delivery. You keep the plan.
See what’s included and how pricing works →When does 280G analysis need to happen?
Before the deal closes, and as early as possible. The common mitigation approaches only work while the terms can still be moved. After close, the analysis can only tell you what you owe. Whether it applies to you at all depends on your role, your compensation history, and the deal structure, which is why it needs analysis rather than assumption.
The retention package has a deadline. How fast do I have to decide?
We can’t answer that for you on a webpage, and anyone who would is guessing. What we can say is that retention agreements are negotiable documents with real tradeoffs, and the deadline pressure is usually softer than it feels. Most people benefit from having the agreement read by someone whose only interest is theirs before signing.