equity Archives - EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BLOG

Understanding and Navigating Compliance With NIH Grant DEI Policies

by Chris Braham, Rachel B. Cowen, Darshak S. Dholakia, Gregory Fosheim, Marshall E. Jackson, Jr., Travis Jackson, Tony W. Torain, II and Tara Ward | May 13, 2025 | Employment

On April 21, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a notice regarding its policy to require all US grant recipients to certify that:

They do not, and will not during the term of receiving funds from the NIH, operate any programs that advance or promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); or discriminatory equity ideology (collectively, DEI) in violation of federal anti-discrimination law; and
They do not engage in, and will not during the term of this award engage in, a discriminatory prohibited boycott.

Members of McDermott’s Employment and Health & Life Sciences Groups created a document to help NIH grant recipients evaluate where any company policies and practices need to be changed prior to providing the above-referenced certification.

CARES Act Impacts All Benefit Plans

by Andrew Liazos, Erin Steele, Evan A. Belosa, Jacob Mattinson, Lindsay Ditlow, Lisa Loesel, Ralph E. DeJong, Samuel Everett Dewey and Sarah L. Engle | Mar 31, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Employment, Executive Compensation, Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans

In the ongoing effort to help individuals impacted by COVID-19, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (CARES Act) on March 27, 2020. The President signed the CARES Act into law the same day. The historic stimulus package provides wide-ranging relief for both employers and employees. This includes rules that impact health and welfare, retirement and executive compensation plans and programs.

For more information about the impact of the CARES Act on employer-provided benefits, access our On the Subject articles on the:

In addition, for information about the frequently asked questions regarding health and welfare, retirement and executive compensation issues in the COVID-19 era, access our FAQs.

Investor Guidelines for Shared Value Creation in Employee Ownership Transitions Unveiled

by Ted Becker | Feb 27, 2020 | Employee Benefits, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Fiduciary and Investment Issues

One of the big questions for the employee ownership field is, why has the number of US employee-owned firms failed to grow significantly over the last couple of decades?

An upcoming paper from Fifty by Fifty proposes that the barrier to growth is a lack of agency. Employees don’t have the knowledge, skills or capital to pursue a buyout of their employer; and employers, knowing little about the benefits of selling to employees, are more likely to respond to an opportunity that knocks on their door, such as an offer from a private equity firm or a strategic buyer. McDermott’s Ted Becker and Erin Turley share their thoughts on the guidelines in a recent article published on Medium.

Access the full article.

Originally published on Fifty by Fifty, January 29, 2020