Tag Archives: executive compensation

Regional Economies Find Hidden Price of Noncompete Agreements

A recent New York Times article by Conor Dougherty puts a human face on the damaging consequences that result when workers in broad swaths of the economy are required to sign noncompete agreements as a condition of employment. While the … Continue reading

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U-Turn Ahead: Uber hits brakes over new hire’s refusal to help in trade secret defense

In a move that surprised no one watching the drama between Uber and Google’s Waymo self-driving vehicle division, Uber fired engineering whiz Anthony Levandowski on Tuesday. The company thought it scored a real coup last year in hiring Levandowski to … Continue reading

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Picture that text you just wrote on the screen in a courtroom

Executives know better than to put questionable statements in email, right? Well, it is past time to realize the same goes for texts. Just like a Miranda warning: Anything you text can and will be used against you in a court of law. Continue reading

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NFL lessons for the C-Suite on succession planning, Exhibit 1: Tony Romo

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has himself in an ideal succession situation. He waited to draft the perfect candidate – Dak Prescott. He and can now let potential future star quarterback Prescott learn while aging star Tony Romo still has the ball. Boards and C-Suite folks should think like Jones: Keep your stars in place, but keep an eye on the future of the company. Continue reading

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Massage Envy No More

Houston Chronicle business columnist Chris Tomlinson recently interviewed me about how a woman’s search for a better job landed her in serious legal trouble. The unfortunate story involves Maxie Foster, who worked for years as a receptionist to pay her … Continue reading

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White House Report Says Non-Competes May Hurt Competition

The White House is weighing in on the growing use of non-compete agreements and how they can negatively affect competition, individual workers and the overall economy. Once a tool reserved for top executives, the 16-page report released earlier this week … Continue reading

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UPDATED: Trade Secret Proposal Has Won Over Congress & The President, But Not Me

Who says Congress can’t agree on anything these days? By an overwhelming vote of 410-2, the House recently approved the Defend Trade Secret Act (DTSA). The Senate already has passed the proposal and President Obama is expected to sign it … Continue reading

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Non-Profit CEOs Deserve Competitive Pay Too

A recent survey by the Chronicle of Philanthropy points out that, although CEO pay is essentially just keeping up with inflation, some of the highest earners routinely make more than $1 million. Nationally, the Chronicle reports, executive pay at the … Continue reading

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Executive Compensation Under the Microscope

It looks like compensation committees at J.P. Morgan Chase and Citigroup Inc. are keenly aware of the role that public perception and company performance plays in setting executive compensation, particularly in light of the financial industry’s recent poor performance (and … Continue reading

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Negotiating Executive Compensation in an ‘Occupy’ Era

To follow the news, it’s tempting to think that a good chunk of the country’s financial woes can be blamed on high executive compensation. The latest incarnation of that resentment is the Occupy movement, as well as the “say-on-pay” provisions … Continue reading

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