The NASPP Blog

Our popular “Meet the Speaker” series, featuring interviews with speakers at the 24th Annual NASPP Conference, is 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 Valerie Diamond of Baker & McKenzie, who will lead the session “Around the World in 60 Minutes: Key International Updates”

Here is what Valerie had to say:

NASPP: Why is your session, which is a perennial favorite among Conference attendees, always relevant and timely?

Valerie: As we have seen in recent weeks with Brexit, the geo-political and economic landscape is constantly changing and to stay on top of international equity compliance is challenging.  Baker & McKenzie and E&Y do our best to address the latest changes effecting global equity during our session on international updates.  That said, we never know until the day we present what exactly we are going to cover, so in recent years, we have prepared slides that we end up skipping over, editing or moving to an appendix because they are out of date on the day of the session.  For this reason, it’s important to come to the session; you never know what might be new!

NASPP: What is one best practice companies should implement to keep their global stock plans in compliance with local laws?

Valerie: I recommend that companies have a regular process for staying on top of changes to the global tax and compliance rules.  Tax rules need to be checked at least once per year as rates and requirements change annually. Companies should be aware that not all countries have a calendar year as their tax year, so knowing when the tax year is for the country and making sure that the company checks any changes to the tax requirements taking effect in the tax year is a good idea.  With regard to regulatory issues, I have quarterly calls with clients to go over the new developments effecting their equity offerings and to strategize as to whether the company needs to do something to comply with a new rule now or can wait until the next focal grant or ESPP offering.  Another tip here is to think about whether updates need to go to the board/compensation committee and if so, to time any updates accordingly.

NASPP: What is the silver lining to managing compliance for global stock plans?

Valerie:  It’s never boring.

NASPP: What is your favorite restaurant in Houston?

Valerie: If you like pork, then I would try Underbelly Restaurant.  A couple of my colleagues from our Houston office took me to dinner there and we had a great meal.

Don’t miss Valerie’s session, “Around the World in 60 Min: Key International Updates,” at the NASPP Conference!

About the NASPP Conference

The 24th Annual NASPP Conference will be held from October 24-27 in Houston. This year’s program features close to 100 sessions on today’s most timely topics in stock and executive compensation; check out the full agenda and register today!