Getting Telephone Seminars - Training Resources

Evaluating Your Third Party Administrator: Are You Getting What You're Paying For? BenefitsUsing a third-party administrator is ubiquitous with all types of employee benefit plans. However, proper administration by TPAs should not be taken for granted. As with all facets of employee benefit plans, TPAs need to be monitored and evaluated to ensure proper plan administration and fulfillment of a plan sponsor's fiduciary responsibility. This teleconference explores the key roles of  more...

The Art and Science of Ethically Firing a Client ... fiduciary duties and the ever-important consideration of getting paid after withdrawal. What are the lawyer's obligations upon withdrawing from ongoing representation? What steps must be taken to successfully terminate your duties to that client? Under what circumstances is the lawyer entitled to recover any fees or expenses from its subsequent judgment in a contingent fee representation? How  more...

Appealing Standards: Determining the Applicable Standard of Review ...ourts are likely to do with a given case) and persuasion (getting the appellate courts to do it). The two most common mistakes in appellate advocacy are (1) taking the standards at face value, uncritically assuming that they mean what they say and that the court will apply them as they are written and (2) treating the standards as mere verbal formulas that have neither intrinsic substantive  more...

Getting Advice from the IRS: Letter Rulings, Pre-Filing Agreements, TAMS and GLAMs BenefitsMany times clients must have certainty as to the federal tax consequences of a proposed transaction - and while tax opinions are helpful, they do not provide the certainty of qualified advice from the IRS. This teleconference is designed to discuss how, when and why to seek qualified written advice from the IRS, normally in the form of a private letter ruling request, a review of the  more...

Enterprise Resource Planning - Getting the Payback From Your ERP System ... become more aware of the power the ERP discipline has in getting the most return for the effort invested. It will become apparent that there is a lot of opportunity to utilize your ERP system as most people are only scratching the surface in the use of this powerful tool. Manufacturing engineers, presidents, vice presidents, plant managers, quality control personnel, operations managers,  more...

Independent Contractor Reporting BenefitsIndependent 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  more...

Fundamentals of Form W-2 Processing ...getting the pay checks to associates acutely and timely to employees. But a critical function for the payroll department is to pull all the payroll information together and produce a Form W-2 for all employees. This produces a great challenge to payroll departments to ensure that all elements of the W-2 are complete and accurate along with complying with federal and state tax requirements. This  more...

Obtaining a Portion of the Stimulus Grant Funding BenefitsThis past year the federal government has provided a significant economic stimulus program that has been primarily implemented through grant funding. The Recovery Act (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed by President Obama on February 16, 2009) is the economic stimulus package of $787 billion. Because of the national scope of the economic situation, stimulus money has  more...

Major Issues in WiMAX Tower Leases and Zoning ...AX antennas. WiMAX has unique zoning issues, 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  more...

Collection Issues for Attorneys: Practical and Ethical Considerations ...ference explains that the best way to avoid problems with getting paid is to establish an effective business intake system through investigation of the client, the use of engagement letters and adequate retainers. Also, intake is only the first step. The teleconference will explain how to effectively monitor client payments and proactively pursue collections. If those efforts do not result in  more...

Combating Rising Construction Costs ...ruction in a way to ensure that his or her company avoids getting stuck with the bill for escalating costs. Some of the most important tools at your disposal come into play before construction begins, and some come into play during construction requiring significant vigilance and the employment of defensive solutions along the way. This teleconference will help you understand some of the  more...

Voir Dire: Effective Techniques for Getting and Using the Information You Need nVoir dire is one of the most important phases of a jury trial. However, the rules and procedures governing the jury selection process are often informal, subject to the broad discretion of the trial court, and can vary widely between jurisdictions, judges and even different cases before the same judge. A trial lawyer's strike decisions are some of the most important strategic decisions made in  more...

Finding, Qualifying & Closing Sales Leads ...getting harder and harder to find new prospects. Once you find them you may think you have a hot one, and suddenly the sale slips through your fingers. There is nothing more frustrating for professional sales people than to spin their wheels with unqualified leads. In this fast paced teleconference learn how to identify good leads, qualify those leads to find the top prospects and then use all  more...

Making It Through the Land Entitlement Process nWith a multilayered regulatory framework and a myriad of reviewing agencies and stakeholders, the land entitlement process is often bewildering. The rules, processes and players vary widely by jurisdiction but there are common keys to success. Get an insider's perspective on differentiating the various regulatory processes, understanding and addressing stakeholder concerns, getting staff on your  more...

Getting to the Root of Root Cause Analysis nFailures are a fact of life. In every industry and occupation we are faced with failures. Failures of products, processes, systems and services abound. n nSome of us are tasked with fixing the processes that lead to failures. The customer wants "faster, better, cheaper" but we are delivering "slower, worse and costly." Failure can mean not meeting a customer requirement. It can relate to form,  more...

Cumulative Impact Claims ...t claims can also render a claim meaningless without ever getting to the merits. This teleconference will explore the nature and history of cumulative impact claims, how best to present them and how to prove damages for such claims. Common defenses to cumulative impact claims will also be discussed. Finally, a case study of one of the few cases outside of the federal arena will be presented to  more...

Internal ERISA Audits: Getting It Right Before the Government Shows Up nEmployee benefits plans are subject to a large number of requirements imposed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and by other laws such as the Internal Revenue Code. Failure to comply with these complex and ever-changing requirements could lead to substantial penalties or even the meltdown of the plan. This teleconference will highlight a number of these requirements and show you how  more...

Supply Chain Strategies in a Down Economy ...rs possible to achieve savings in the short term? Are you getting the best price for the goods and services that enable your business? Do you have an understanding of your key suppliers' financial condition? Are you matching what you are buying to what you really need to be successful? Do you have visibility into your spend? Are you actively working with your end users and suppliers to drive  more...

Same-Gender Marriage Rulings: Impacts on Employee Benefit Plans Across the Nation ...many of them, in fact - flocked to California and started getting legally married on June 17, 2008. But then in November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage going forward. Massachusetts and Canada also allow same-gender marriage, and more than 15,000 couples have been married there. n nOn the flip side, more than half of the states have passed state  more...

Grant Applications From Beginning to End nGrants are highly competitive. With the down turn in today's market they are becoming even more competitive as business and investors are looking at grants to leverage their position. Grants that are easy to find are the most competitive and most difficult to receive. Grant money is free money, in the sense that it does not have to be repaid like a loan. Getting grant funding takes skill,  more...

Tax Due Diligence in Acquisitions ...Buyers and sellers of businesses typically are focused on getting the deal done and the relative economic benefits to each. They often fail to consider potential undisclosed tax liabilities resulting from pre-closing operations, and rarely want to hold up negotiations thinking about the "what ifs." However, when the "what ifs" turn into "what now," it is important that potential tax risks be  more...

Occupational Noise Induced Hearing Loss nThis teleconference will bring you up to speed on issues related to hazardous occupational noise. Understand the intricacies of the effects noise exposure have on hearing. Get a handle on complicated issues surrounding the calculation of hearing impairment. Avoid problems down the road by getting to know state-specific workers' compensation issues. You'll gain the practical insight you need to  more...