Contacts:
Louise Whitewright, London
William L. Neff, Washington D.C.

Hogan Lovells Executive Compensation, Employee Benefits and Share Incentives practice is renowned for achieving successful solutions for all types of companies globally.

Executive compensation packages are more complex and receive more public scrutiny than ever before. We can assist you with developing compensation packages that are aligned with your company's overall compensation strategy, support your business goals, are competitive but fair, and are established without falling afoul of tax, legal, or accounting issues. Our practice encompasses the design of compensation programs such as long-term and annual performance-based bonus plans, stock option plans, and omnibus equity plans. This provides for the award of options, bonus and restricted stock and stock units, stock appreciation rights (SARs), and performance and deferred awards.

Employee share incentives are an increasingly significant feature of the total compensation for employees in many countries. Many jurisdictions now provide tax incentives both to employees who participate in such plans and to the companies that adopt them. We advise on beneficial tax plans where available.

In transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and spinoffs, we help assess the compensation and benefits liabilities you face, including for equity compensation, deferred compensation, and golden parachute payments. We also work seamlessly with the lawyers in Tax, Pensions, Employment, Securities, and other practice areas to address all compensation and employee benefit issues globally. Lawyers in our international offices advise clients on the application of local regulations to employee benefit plans and employee compensation matters.

Hogan Lovells has an international team that is ideally placed to help boards and management of both private and public companies meet these challenges. We can help you design and implement executive compensation packages and share incentive plans. We advise on all types of employee stock and executive incentive plans across our international network of offices in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Our international team advises on all aspects of regulatory, tax, and employment law implications and the structure, establishment, and operation of employee share plans and other executive and incentive plans.

Our aim is to provide a service tailored to your needs and to provide practical solutions to your problems. We offer concise and practical commercial advice based on an in-depth knowledge of the legal and regulatory environments within which you operate.