Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”), a leading proxy advisory firm, uses a proprietary “Equity Plan Scorecard” approach to evaluate public company equity compensation plans. For 2023, ISS has updated its Equity Plan Scorecard and the corresponding Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”). A full link to the ISS guidance can be found here. Although we are well […]
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The Biden Administration recently announced its plan to end both the National Emergency and Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (together, the “COVID-19 Emergencies”) on May 11, 2023. The end of the COVID-19 Emergencies will trigger (immediately or within specified timeframes) the end of various COVID-19 requirements and related relief for group health plans. As further […]
On January 30, 2023, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, and Labor (collectively “the Departments”) issued proposed rules entitled “Coverage of Certain Preventive Services under the Affordable Care Act” (the “Proposed Rules”). The Proposed Rules reflect the Departments’ continuing efforts to ensure that women have access to contraceptive care without cost sharing through […]
On February 9, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit refused to enforce an arbitration clause contained in an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) document. In a 41-page opinion, the Court held that the ESOP Plan improperly limited the ESOP beneficiaries’ rights and remedies granted under the Employee Retirement Income Securities Act […]
As reported in Part 4 of our 2022 End of Year Plan Sponsor “To Do” List, Section 6039 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) requires employers to provide a written information statement to each employee or former employee and file information returns with the IRS regarding: (1) the transfer of stock pursuant to the […]
If you sponsor a high deductible health plan (“HDHP”) and have been tracking telehealth relief, your head may be spinning and rightfully so! There have been various laws and guidance impacting HDHPs and telehealth since 2020 and most recently, new legislation extended relief for 2023 and 2024 plan years. The relief allows, but does not […]
On August 26, 2022, the Governor of California signed Senate Bill No. 1126 (“S.B. 1126”) into law, amending California’s CalSavers Retirement Savings Program (“CalSavers”). In general terms, CalSavers automatically enrolls eligible California employees in ROTH Individual Retirement Accounts if their employer does not provide a qualified retirement plan. CalSavers requires eligible employers to facilitate the […]
On August 29, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a 401(k) plan participant’s claims that plan fiduciaries mismanaged the $1.1 billion 401(k) plan and charged participants excessive fees. This was the first time the Seventh Circuit interpreted the Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Hughes v. Northwestern University, […]
Since it was enacted in 2010, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (“Section 1557”) has prohibited discrimination in covered health programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. As we have previously reported, the application of Section 1557 has proven controversial with several competing regulations and numerous […]
