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ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans)

Business Services

Walter Haverfield guides businesses of all sizes on the feasibility, design, and installation of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) — from large, publicly traded companies with thousands of plan participants to small, family-owned businesses with only a handful of employees. We help clients from a wide range of industries merge the benefits of selling their business with the advantages of ongoing involvement.

Practice Group Leader

Jacob B. Derenthal, Chair

216.928.2933
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Our Proven ESOP Process

Composed of highly experienced business, ERISA, finance, and tax lawyers, our ESOP team assists with all plan elements, from inception to maturity across various industries including manufacturing, distribution, health care, and financial services.
We serve businesses that have transitioned, or plan to transition, to full or partial ESOP ownership; the controlling shareholders who sell to ESOPs; and the lending institutions that finance these transactions. Our clients gain an additional advantage through our strong relationships with accounting firms, lending institutions, third-party administrators, valuation experts, and other vendors integral to establishing and managing ESOPs.
At Walter Haverfield, our full-service firm is dedicated to helping our clients fully realize the unique benefits ESOPs can provide, including the ability to:

In addition, we ensure our clients achieve and maintain compliance with:

Recognition

Our business attorneys in our Cleveland and Columbus offices are consistently ranked and recognized by Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, and more. At Walter Haverfield, we pride ourselves on becoming each client’s trusted corporate advisor for all their business needs.

U.S. NEWS – BEST LAWYERS® 2023 “BEST LAW FIRMS” RANKINGS

  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Banking and Finance Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Commercial Litigation
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Litigation – Real Estate
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Litigation – Trust & Estates
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Real Estate Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Tax Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Construction Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Litigation – Environmental
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Litigation – Construction
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Litigation – ERISA

U.S. NEWS – BEST LAWYERS® 2022 “BEST LAW FIRMS” RANKINGS

  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Litigation – Real Estate
  • Metropolitan Tier 1: Real Estate Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Banking and Finance Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Litigation – Trusts and Estates
  • Metropolitan Tier 2: Tax Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 Trusts & Estates law
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Litigation – ERISA
  • Metropolitan Tier 3: Litigation – Insurance