The NASPP Blog

We are excited to bring our popular “Meet the Speaker” series back to the NASPP Blog, featuring interviews with speakers at the 22nd Annual NASPP Conference.  This is a great way to get to know our many distinguished speakers and find out a little more about their sessions in advance of the Conference.

For today’s “Meet the Speaker” interview, we feature an interview with Valerie Diamond of Baker & McKenzie, who will lead the session “Key International Updates.”  Here is what Valerie had to say:

NASPP:  Why are global updates particularly timely right now?

Valerie: Just about every company is global these days.  Companies are growing into new locations at a faster pace than ever before and there is a real need to stay on top of the securities laws, exchange controls and tax issues.  The tax authorities in Ireland, UK, Hong Kong and Australia are not willing to overlook a US company’s ignorance of tax obligations.  We are also seeing companies penalized by the China SAFE exchange control authorities and the Philippines securities authorities for not registering their plans.  Key international updates is a critical session for any company that is global—whether they have operated for 10 years or 10 days.  The rules change all the time and this session will walk you through those changes and make sure that you get some real insights from the global practitioners at Baker & McKenzie and Ernst & Young as to how to manage global equity compliance.

NASPP:  What are some best practices companies should implement for their global stock plans?

Valerie:

1. Consider a global form of award agreement—and by that, I mean one that covers all countries you offer equity in, not a separate form for each country.  The reason—employees move over the life of the equity award and you really need to make sure that your agreement is drafted to take that into account.  Plus, it’s a whole lot easier to administer.
2. Do a quarterly assessment of any new tax or legal developments affecting equity awards and update your agreements and compliance strategy accordingly.
3. Document what you did to comply with the rules and why and make sure everyone who needs to know, knows what decision was made and why.
4. Talk to someone who offers equity in a country if you have not granted there before.  There are lots of practical tips that you can get from those who have done it before.

NASPP:  What is the silver lining to global stock plan compliance?

Valerie: The silver lining is that because there are more people granting equity globally, there is a better understanding of how to do it and the traps to avoid.  It’s great to have both Baker & McKenzie and EY speakers on this panel because we are able to cover all of the issues from tax and securities laws to data privacy and exchange controls.  This gives the audience a complete picture of the new developments and good practical tips.

NASPP:  Tell us three things people don’t know about you.

Valerie:

1. I grew up in Los Angeles, the daughter of two (would-be) actors.
2. I’m a former professional ballet dancer.
3. I worked at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as a paralegal prior to attending law school.

Don’t miss Valerie’s session “Key International Updates” at the NASPP Conference!

About the NASPP Conference
The 22^nd Annual NASPP Conference will be held from September 29-October 2 in Las Vegas. This year’s program features 60+ sessions on today’s most timely topics in stock compensation; check out the full agenda and register today!