Companies Telephone Seminars - Training Resources

Drafting Document Retention Policies ... have failed to take this important step to protect their companies. And many more have failed to effectively implement their document retention policies after they have been adopted. The cost of these shortcomings is significant. A corporation may lose significant business information required for on-going business needs. It may also be subjected to civil sanctions, including exclusion of  more...

Keys to Understanding and Writing Purchasing Contracts BenefitsThis teleconference is an introductory course in understanding and documenting the purchasing process in a business environment. It will provide you with an understanding of how to negotiate and document agreements between business entities for goods and services - and the problems that develop when the purchasing contract fails to adequately address critical terms. It will also cover  more...

IRC Section 41: Credit for Increasing Research Activities Update ...ill be discussed include understanding the broad range of companies in many industries that can qualify for the research credit, potential pitfalls and significant opportunities to bring value to your clients by using the research credit, and various elections and opportunities that can maximize the value of the credit to your clients. Accountants, CFOs, controllers, accounts payable  more...

Powers of Attorney: Medical Records Release Concerns ...us forms between hospitals, doctors, attorneys, insurance companies, patients, and their lawyers and families. With increasing reliance on electronic medical records, health information can be transmitted with minimal effort. However, health information requests become more confusing and less streamlined when dealing with a deceased or incapacitated patient. Under what authority do you have to  more...

Current Work Product Issues in Taxation: Preservation, Waiver and Tax Accrual Work Papers ...Companies face many obstacles and ever-changing standards to maintaining work product protection of sensitive documents and information prepared by counsel. The documents at issue, such as tax accrual workpapers, litigation analyses and internal investigation materials, are often roadmaps for the companies adversaries. Challenges to work product protection come from many directions, including  more...

How to Successfully Identify, Propose, Win and Manage Government Contracts ... about the numerous free tools and resources available to companies wishing to do business with the federal government. This teleconference distils this mountain of information and misinformation in the public domain into a mole hill of tangible and useful facts that, if applied appropriately, will dramatically increase your chances for success when doing business with the federal government  more...

Battle of the Forms: Back to the Basics and Recent Developments BenefitsConflicting terms and conditions exchanged between contracting parties create recurring and vexing problems. The parties are often left with significant uncertainty regarding the terms of their contract, which presents significant commercial and legal challenges as they seek to ensure performance and enforce their rights and remedies. The battle of the forms presents complex challenges for  more...

Creating and Using a Salary Increase Matrix BenefitsThis teleconference will discuss the concept, implementation and best practices associated with a merit matrix. Implementing a merit matrix is one of the easiest and most direct ways to link pay with performance and manage turnover. Sharing of pitfalls that many companies encounter when implementing a matrix and how to avoid them will be addressed. The teleconference will provide insight  more...

How to Sell to the U.S. Government BenefitsMany businesses want to sell their services and products to the federal government, but find the process confusing and filled with dead ends and frustration. They see competitors winning contracts but cannot seem to get through to decision makers, or they waste time and resources responding to bids that they never win. This teleconference demystifies the federal contracting process and  more...

Common Pitfalls of Certificates of Insurance ...ons; and other property, casualty and liability exposures companies and individuals face. They are not policies of insurance. Disclaimers recently added to standard certificates of insurance are causing confusion and open the door to assuming unexpected risk. This teleconference will walk through why certificates of insurance are used, what are standard ACORD certificates, modifications of  more...

Workout Strategies for Troubled Condominium Projects ...eys, real estate developers, lenders, borrowers, mortgage companies, mezzanine lenders, financial institutions, loan servicers, investment banks, private equity companies and other investors, real estate professionals, condominium associations and their board members, unit owners, management and leasing agents, brokers, CFOs, accountants and others who find themselves dealing with or who are  more...

Current Issues in Cloud Computing: Is There Sun Behind Those Clouds? ...es - particularly when it comes to contracting with cloud companies. Many may be taking substantial risks without even knowing it. This teleconference will provide a thorough introduction to cloud computing technology and discuss the key commercial and legal issues involved in doing business 'in the cloud', including contracting, security and regulatory issues, and more. This teleconference  more...

Protect and Collect - The Effective Use of Engagement Letters ...companies in every industry, including professional service firms, looking at best practices to keep revenues steady and to decrease liability. The collection process has become more burdensome as cash flow tightens across the country. With more and more lawsuits arising against professional service providers and their firms, law firms, accounting firms and even bookkeeping/tax services are not  more...

IRS Form 5471: Information Return for U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations ...companies view global markets as a necessity to survive and to grow, more U.S. companies own foreign subsidiaries to conduct foreign operations. Whether you are a growing multinational company with subsidiaries all over the globe, or a small, closely-held company that owns a Canadian subsidiary, you will have to file IRS Form 5471 for every foreign corporation that you own. Although an  more...

Family Limited Partnerships in Estate Planning ...t family limited partnerships or family limited liability companies do not understand the reasons for forming these entities in the planning process. They also are not clear on what is the current status of statutory and case law concerning the continued use of these entities. This teleconference will help you learn to identify when the use of this entity for a particular client situation is  more...

Revised Federal Form 1065 ... are choosing to operate in the form of limited liability companies and being taxed under the partnerships rules as a pass through entity. The preparation of a partnership income tax return is becoming increasingly more challenging as the IRS increases the level of transparency and reporting. The purpose of this teleconference is to highlight important areas for your attention and practical  more...

Everything You Wanted to Know About Drug and Alcohol Testing but Were Afraid to Ask ...companies that care about safety in the workplace have implemented a drug and alcohol testing program. An added benefit to companies is a reduction in their workers' compensation insurance premiums. What makes an effective program? What kind of safeguards should there be to ensure accuracy? What does a drug test really measure? What is the best sample: urine, hair or oral fluid? Are there  more...

The Claims Process on Federal Government Contracts - Maximizing the Return on Your Investment BenefitsMany federal contractors incur additional costs for changes, delays, differing site conditions and contract terminations. However, all too often these contractors do not understand how to effectively seek compensation for these additional costs. This teleconference will help you understand the types of costs you can recover, the circumstances under which certain costs may be recovered and  more...

Trucking Litigation ...companies seems straightforward. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Come hear how to negotiate the waters and learn how the myriad of confusing federal and state regulations could torpedo your case. Hear from the former top U.S. D.O.T. trucking lawyer on how to utilize federal and state information to help bolster your case. You will also hear from a veteran trial lawyer on  more...

Case Study: What Makes Dixon Schwabl One of the "Best Small Companies to Work for in America" BenefitsLearn how to motivate, empower and excite employees to build a great place to work. Dixon Schwabl, Inc., CEO Lauren Dixon will share her experiences developing a company culture built on flexibility, freedom and respect for employees, inspiring an innovative approach to everyday workplace practices. No matter the size, geography or industry - any company can be a great place to work. Ms.  more...

Use of Terms and Conditions in Purchasing Contracts ...companies seek to reduce transaction costs by doing business with standardized business forms, the old 10-point, double-column terms and conditions provisions have taken on new importance for purchasing professionals. This teleconference is going to expose that what is hidden in that microscopic text are not only acronyms that can be legally determinative if a controversy develops, but also a  more...

LEED Tax Incentives and Credits for Green Buildings ... teleconference will highlight the numerous opportunities companies have to reduce the cost of investment in green buildings and energy efficiency by appropriately utilizing business incentives and tax credits. This teleconference is based on publicly available information concerning the LEED rating and certification system, and is not specifically endorsed or approved by the U.S. Green  more...

Understanding the Basics of Lean Accounting ...anufacturing environment. While lean accounting will help companies view the value streams associated with specific products, there are also costs associated with the development, maintenance and ongoing use. You will gain a deeper understanding about the benefits of lean accounting, costs of developing this type of system and the role it can play in increasing profitability. Accountants, tax  more...

Managing Employee Absenteeism and Tardiness ...y appear to abuse policies. This teleconference will help companies to sort out the do's and don'ts for developing and managing an effective policy. The teleconference will also focus on how to manage the land mines, sort through the valid and invalid 'excuses' employees come up with, and provide ways to improve absentee and tardiness rates through incentive programs. Human resource managers,  more...

Impact of Confidentiality Rules in Bankruptcy Proceedings ...companies struggle to protect their proprietary and strategic information against the assumption that a bankrupt's financial affairs are public. Since 2005, creditor committees have similarly confronted their statutory obligation to share information with creditors with their practical duties in working through a Chapter 11. This teleconference will provide both a relevant overview of the  more...

Unclaimed Property Compliance: Are you Ready for the Upcoming Reporting Deadline? ...ence is for you! Believe it or not, there are still many companies who are unfamiliar with the various state unclaimed property laws and struggle with how best to implement sufficient internal controls and reporting procedures. With an emphasis on compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, it is imperative that your company has pro-actively ensured that you are properly filing to the  more...

Working Capital Management: Effective Policies and Techniques BenefitsLiquidity is top of mind for executives and they are looking at all sources of incremental free cash flow within their organizations. One area that is on everyone's list of sources is working capital, but most companies fail to reap the full opportunity that is available to them. What are leading companies doing to effectively drive cash flow from working capital? This teleconference will  more...

Drafting Clear and Enforceable Contracts BenefitsCommercial contracts have become increasingly complex in our litigious society. Why can't contracts just be written in plain language with the common words (and sentence structures) we use in everyday conversation? The truth is - they can! This teleconference is an introductory course on drafting clear and enforceable contracts in a business environment - using language that everyone can  more...

Employer's HIPAA Privacy and Security Responsibilities ...r access to information, particularly in the legal field, companies continue to struggle to meet those demands while at the same time protecting confidential personal and company information. You will gain a better understanding about the recent developments in federal and state privacy and data security laws, particularly the expansion of HIPAA under the American Recovery and Reinvestment  more...

GSA Price Reduction Clauses (PRC) in Contracts ...deral Supply Schedule contracting is a convenient way for companies to sell their products to the federal government. However, doing business under GSA FSS contracts presents a number of compliance issues, with one of the most important being the price reduction clause. This clause is included in all of the GSA Multiple Award Schedule schedules and essentially it guarantees that GSA receives a  more...

How to Legally Handle Travel Pay ...companies do not understand how to compensate an employee properly for time spent traveling to destinations other than a regular work site. Many companies send employees to conferences and other work sites using commercial travel and personal vehicles. This teleconference will enable you to understand how and when to compensate an employee for travel time away from a work site. You'll find out  more...

Current Issues in Cell Tower Leases ...egotiating such leases for the first time, while the cell companies have teams who work exclusively on such leases. We will focus on key business issues in wireless site leases, including lease rates and who gets the revenues from additional antennas or carriers being co-located at a site. An emphasis on the industry-specific elements and terms of modern cell site leases, and renewals and  more...

Independent Contractor Reporting ...Independent contractor status has distinct advantages for companies and workers, and continues to grow in popularity. However, as independent contractor relationships have become more common, the risks have become more apparent as well. This teleconference will help you understand how independent contractor status is determined for tax, EEO state law and other purposes, including in PEO and  more...

Employee Engagement in Troubled Times BenefitsEngaging and retaining valued employees is particularly critical amid periods of economic uncertainty if organizations are to maintain product and service quality, and lay a foundation for future growth. Yet while challenging economic environments make employee motivation more critical, they also make employee engagement more difficult to achieve. Belt tightening often results in  more...

Director and Officer Liability: A Focus on Creditor Issues ...uding transactions considered ordinary course for solvent companies such as repayment of loans from controlling shareholders and paying dividends. Insurance companies have responded by narrowing coverage when the corporation is insolvent. As a result, directors and officers and private equity firms have to pay significant amounts personally in order to resolve claims against directors and  more...

Taxation Issues Related to Debt Restructuring, Modifications and Bankruptcies ...emarkable discounts. Unfortunately, it also has left many companies struggling and in need to modify their outstanding debt. Many large, well know companies have dissolved or declared bankruptcy. Debt modifications, repurchases and bankruptcy can have a profound tax impact on borrowers and lenders alike. In this teleconference, we will discuss a myriad of issues, including rules that treat debt  more...

Sale-Leaseback Transactions Today: Monetizing Real Estate Assets ...te assets may be better than debt financing or ownership. Companies have significant capital outlays in real estate that can be redeployed in their core business. Understand the basic financial and accounting rules governing treatment of sale-leaseback transactions and operating leases. Learn about the most common sale leaseback structures that are available, how they work and whether they  more...

Cracking Nuts: Locating Hidden and Transferred Assets ...s under. Debtors like to play 'hide the ball' under shell companies. Creditors who entertain that game are missing the ball! This teleconference is for those who want to learn how to pierce the corporate veil, pursue alter ego corporations, and levy on hidden assets and collect despite fraudulent transfers, elusive debtors, lying corporate officers and shifty owners. Mr. Bailey has  more...

Managing Post-Construction Claims ...njuries. Taking steps to avoid such claims is prudent but companies also need strategies to deal with claims that inevitably arise. This teleconference will explore how to manage such claims, focusing on identifying and addressing the particular issues that have the potential to minimize the adverse impact of post-construction claims. You will be able to discuss physical failures and warranty  more...

Taxation Issues When Conducting Business With Native American Tribes ...oth on and off American Indian lands, a growing number of companies are looking to do business with Native American tribes, tribally-owned enterprises or businesses owned by tribal members. These ventures present significant legal challenges along with unique opportunities, particularly in the area of taxation. This teleconference examines the key federal, state and tribal tax issues facing  more...

Successful Strategies for Shortening the Sales Cycle BenefitsIf we could take more control and shorten the sales cycle, we would earn more money, sell more and make our companies more profitable. In this teleconference, you will learn how to analyze your sales process and actively engage the prospect with each and every contact.  more...

Product Development Metrics for Manufacturers: Measuring Your Productivity BenefitsR D and product development organizations are behind transaction processing and operations functions in their understanding of measurement and its place in the organization. Six Sigma and Lean initiatives have facilitated great improvements in corporations without significantly benefiting most marketing, R D and product development organizations. Inventive professionals resist measurement  more...

Major Issues in WiMAX Tower Leases and Zoning ...s, due to not getting the special treatment granted phone companies. In California and states with similar laws, required environmental reviews may have to examine the entire proposed WiMAX antenna network. WiMAX companies may raise discrimination or other claims, such as claiming protection under federal cell tower zoning or telecommunications statutes, if their zoning results differ from  more...

Using Green Strategies for Your Business to Increase Your Profits ...companies with green products and services are weathering the storm better, and are better positioned for the future. CEO's of many of the largest corporations say sustainability is just as relevant during this economic crisis, if not more so (source: World Business Council on Sustainable Development). Obama's Stimulus Plan is focused on green jobs and infrastructure. Monster.com surveys show  more...

Don't Bet the Company: Understanding and Avoiding Class Actions in Labor and Employment Law! ...companies settling employment-related class actions for many millions of dollars. The horror of class actions is that a small claim among a few employees can mushroom into a huge claim worth millions of dollars once some ferocious plaintiff's lawyers get their teeth into it and add hundreds of additional claims through the simple process of becoming a class action. Not only do you have to pay  more...

Paperless Payroll: Essentials to a Seamless Transition ...ect deposit in the 1970's, but despite the advances, most companies are still distributing paper checks, pay advices and W2s. In this teleconference, we'll take a look at the cost saving potential of a fully paperless payroll process; the range of obstacles organizations face, from employee acceptance to complying across numerous jurisdictions; and explore successful strategies many payroll  more...

Business Combinations and Goodwill: What Is the Latest With Fair Value? ...1R), fair value measurements may change the way acquiring companies report the acquisition on its financial statements. These changes could ultimately impact deal pricing and structure. Fair value measurements often require the use of outside valuation specialists. This teleconference will help management of companies making acquisitions understand how these revised accounting statements will  more...

Statement on Auditing Standards No. 104 - No. 111 Risk Assessment Standards ...s teleconference will include situations encountered with companies that have limited controls and suggestions to meet the standards in this environment. n nFor nonauditors (for example controllers and CFOs), suggestions will be provided to implement controls using cost effective measures. This will include methods to perform a risk assessment and controls that can be implemented to address  more...

Increasing the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Manufacturing Logistics ...cal or financial resources. This is efficiency. What most companies do in logistics is pursue efficiency at the expense of effectiveness, curtailing service by delivering parts in crates to assembly lines and delaying deliveries by waiting for trucks to be full, and there is plenty of evidence that this approach is counterproductive for the company as a whole. n nInstead, manufacturing  more...

FCRA and FACT Act Regulatory and Litigation Update 2009 ...trict cross-marketing by financial institutions and other companies; impose new requirements on companies that use credit reports; and require lenders and others to establish new fraud prevention programs. In addition, a spate of federal court decisions interpreting the increasingly complex provisions of the FCRA and FACT Act has been issued. n nThese new rules and court decisions present  more...

Commercial Tenant Defaults: Practical Issues and Legal Remedies ...sion, landlords, property owners, and property management companies have found or will find themselves facing an increasing number of tenant defaults as well as incredible pressure to fill vacancies resulting from defaults and non-renewals of leases. Managing risk associated with tenants and efficiently handling tenant defaults to minimize cost and disruption of rental income requires a working  more...

Utilizing Settlement and Severance Packages Properly nFor HR professionals and CFOs, this teleconference is a must. As companies face ongoing reductions in force, mass layoffs and performance-based terminations, this teleconference will tell you what you need to do in planning terminations both as reductions in force and other terminations. You will learn how to decide the appropriate severance and what should be contained in the severance agreement  more...

Construction Site Hazard Prevention ...evere and may also result in lost business. Although most companies have detailed safety programs, translation of requirements to field activities may not be consistent. The most difficult aspect of establishing an effective safety plan involves the establishment of proactive hazard recognition and accident prevention systems. We all want our workers to go home at the end of the day safe and  more...

California Employment Law Update ...Companies with employees in California face a bewildering and complicated set of employment laws, which are often inconsistent with federal law. This three-hour teleconference will address the most important and current issues facing California employers (or out-of-state companies with employees in California), including wage and hour compliance and litigation trends, California's unique  more...

FIN 48 - Uncertainty in Income Taxes ...o curb the growing number of diverse accounting practices companies are using to analyze and report their tax positions, the Financial Accounting Standards Board recently enacted FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes. It is effective for all U.S. GAAP financial reporting enterprises, including pass-through and not-for-profit entities, for tax years beginning  more...

Demand-Side Water Conservation Initiatives ...ell is helping utilities, government agencies and private companies nationwide develop effective solutions to manage increasing water demands with dwindling water resources. Our team has a proven track record in water conservation and drought preparedness evaluation and implementation to help your organiza¬tion achieve water efficiency objectives. This teleconference will help your organization  more...

Water Well Rehabilitation - Technical Considerations and Economic Advantages ...volume water well owners, including municipalities, water companies, industrial entities and other large well owners, from incurring the cost of installing new wells. However, the decline of the economy has not reduced the requirement of water purveyors and other well owners to provide a safe and dependable supply of high-quality groundwater. Recent drought conditions in some areas have  more...

Preparing for the International Financial Reporting Standard ... inevitable and is in the best interests of investors and companies. Given the strategic and business issues related to conversion, as well as the investment of time necessary to transition a company to a new accounting language, IFRS should be an area of focus for most companies. n nAlthough there is time to take a measured approach, companies should keep the proposed timetable in mind as they  more...

Doing Business in Texas? An Overview of the Texas Margin Tax ...ge that Texas limited partnerships were not taxable, many companies saw little need to delve further into the details of the tax. Beginning with reports due in 2008 all this has changed with the revised Texas Franchise Tax, known as the Texas Margin Tax by everyone but the Texas Comptroller's Office. The Texas Margin Tax raises a variety of issues for tax executives ranging from the tax  more...

FASB Statement 157 - Fair Value Update on Corporate Asset Valuation ...ing changes mandated by FASB 157 could be challenging for companies - and has been in some cases - the rule aims to make it easier to communicate value to shareholders. This teleconference will provide an overview of SFAS 157 guidelines, including the new definition of fair value, defensive value and the three-tier hierarchy. We will discuss measurement assumptions, disclosure requirements and  more...

Floodproofing Fundamentals: Design Methods to Reduce Flood Damages ...equipment. This teleconference is a must for agencies and companies that are responsible for designing and planning to protect structures and operations from flood damage. n nLearning Objectives n- You will be able to explain the overview of flood mitigation methods. n- You will be able to propose selection factors for flood mitigation methods. n- You will be able to summarize flood mitigation  more...

Supply Chain Strategies in a Down Economy ...u don't read about layoffs or other drastic measures that companies are taking to cope during the current economic downturn. What can companies do to help weather the storm? Taking an aggressive look at supplier costs can be a key strategy for shoring up the bottom line. This teleconference will help you answer the following questions: Have you pulled all the levers possible to achieve savings  more...

Optimize Your Workforce Scheduling ...companies, scheduling the workforce can become a nightmare. Because labor is a significant cost of production, management is often under pressure to keep their workforce lean and flexible. The aim of workforce scheduling is to balance constraints to ensure that the right people with the right skills are in the right place at the right time. Workforce planning provides a systematic approach to  more...

Purchasing Contract Disputes ...ard contract provisions and processes used by Fortune 500 companies to constructively address the typical disputes that arise in any business relationship. You will also learn about the process of moving from negotiation of business disputes to maintaining and successfully asserting your legal remedies under a purchasing contract. The teleconference will deal with practical issues such as  more...

401(k) Plan Costs Including Recent Update on Supreme Court Rule LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates Inc. ...t of factors bombards sponsors of 401(k) plans and places companies and their management potentially in the cross hairs. From Enron, Worldcom and Sarbanes-Oxley, to the more recent massive class actions filed against Fortune 500 companies regarding 401(k) plan service fees, decision makers face increasingly tough choices and more difficult compliance challenges when it comes to providing 401(k)  more...

The Do's and Don'ts of Telephone Monitoring nMany employers monitor or record employee telephone conversations as a routine part of doing business. This monitoring must comply not only with the federal wiretap statute, but with a variety of differing requirements imposed by state statutes. Since courts in California have changed the rules for telephone monitoring for anyone who makes a call into California and other states with mutual  more...

Retirement Benefit Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations and Government Entities ...attract and retain employees and executives as for-profit companies, but the tools available to them are often more limited. This teleconference will explore both broad-based retirement programs and executive deferred compensation available to nonprofit organizations. It will highlight new rules for 403(b) plans and pending IRS guidance that will restrict nonqualified options even further. It  more...

Share-Based Compensation - Impact of Recent Events on the Use of Equity Compensation ...ainty and declines have led to significant changes in how companies and executives view the role and the value of equity as part of an overall compensation package. Join our accounting and legal speakers as they explore and discuss the effects of FAS 123(R); specific challenges and hot topics in the equity compensation arena, such as repricing of underwater equity awards; the impact of current  more...

Avoid Wrongful Termination Lawsuits: Strategies to Keep Your Managers Out of Legal Trouble nThis teleconference will review tried-and-true methods for eliminating employment litigation risks, will build managers' confidence in dealing with a range of common-place employee issues, and sharpen their understanding of workplace practices and policies which will dramatically reduce exposure to litigation risks for themselves and their companies.  more...

Payroll Recordkeeping: What You Need to Know ...ous? Recent reports estimate that over the last few years companies have collectively paid out more than $1 billion annually to resolve FLSA claims! Learn the role of the FLSA and its requirements as to the records to be kept by the employer regarding wages, hours and other items, as specified in the Department of Labor recordkeeping regulations. Discover what is required for both exempt and  more...

Alternatives to Reductions in Force ...challenges. While the economic crisis has caused numerous companies to consider restructurings in response to a turbulent business environment, there are compelling business and legal reasons to consider alternatives to layoffs. This teleconference will address the legal and business cases for considering alternatives to layoffs and will discuss several potential alternatives, including pay  more...

Religious Accommodations in the Workplace ...wsuits, contain costs and keep good employee morale, U.S. companies must effectively meet their legal duty to properly accommodate religion in the workplace. This is particularly true because of the rapid growth of religious cultures in the U.S. and the increasing awareness of religious workplace accommodation rights by employees. This teleconference is designed not only to update employers  more...

Reduce Downtime and Enable Lean With Total Productive Maintenance ...kdowns create chaos and reduce effective capacity in most companies. They are often a significant roadblock to lean manufacturing. Total productive maintenance is the proven approach for minimizing surprise breakdowns and increasing the utilization of plant and equipment. It is a major component of lean manufacturing and the Toyota Production System. n nThis teleconference will introduce you  more...