The NASPP Blog

For today’s “Meet the Speaker” interview, we feature an interview with Ellen Sueda of Seyfarth Shaw, who will lead the session “Keeping Up: Ten Issues You Should Have On Your Radar” at the 21st Annual NASPP Conference. Here is what Ellen had to say:

NASPP: Why should Conference-goers attend your session?

Ellen: Our session focuses on administrative issues that we see arising from time-to-time that can catch the unwary off guard. However, our session is not just for stock plan administrators, but counselors as well. As a lawyer, I find that clients appreciate advice beyond the legal answer; we can add value by providing guidance on administrative and broker concerns. In addition, our panel aims to educate as well as entertain!

NASPP: What common mistake do companies make and how can they avoid it?

Ellen: A common mistake issuers make when granting equity compensation is not involving the right people when establishing a program or practice. Take for example, auto-exercise. In theory, a great concept from an accounting perspective and not a difficult exercise legally. However, you hear the urban tale of the issuer who spends all sorts of time, money and effort establishing the program and then to find out that the captive broker cannot (or will not) do so. If only they had asked the stock plan administrator first… Yes, I am shamelessly trying to score points with all of the stock plan administrators who are reading this interview.

NASPP: What is the silver lining to your topic?

Ellen: The issues that we will discuss are issues that do not arise on a daily basis, so they can be “gotchas” when they do. When one of these issues arises in your workplace, you can be the brilliant person on the team by being familiar with the issue, anticipating questions and having solutions. Most folks want be brilliant or at least create the appearance that they are.

NASPP: What is your secret (or not-so-secret) superpower?

Ellen: My not so secret superpower is the ability to make people laugh. Lawyering is serious business, but can be very dull without a bit of levity. I suspect that most are laughing at me, not with me, but that is a discussion for me and my therapist.

About the NASPP Conference
The 21st Annual NASPP Conference will be held from September 23-26 in Washington, DC. This year’s program features 60+ sessions on today’s most timely topics in stock compensation; check out the full agenda and register today! You don’t want to miss Ellen’s session, “Keeping Up: Ten Issues You Should Have On Your Radar.”