Available Programs

Seminars range from one to three hours in length with a "Q & A" session following. Most seminars are approved for continuing education credits (or can be submitted upon request) for certified public accountants (CPAs), certified financial planners (CFPs), Pennsylvania Insurance, and more, and attendees receive a certificate of completion. All seminar topics can be adapted to fit other needs or interests.

Some topics below have related publications available.

If you are interested in hosting or attending a seminar, please contact Sarah Holland by calling 814-923-4897 or sending an e-mail.

Click here for the current Knox Law Institute® seminar schedule.

Click here to subscribe to our Event or Alert emails.

The MaxProtect Plan®: The Perfect Plan for Your Son/Daughter

A must-consider plan for all businesses and those leaving gifts to children and/or grandchildren. Uses ordinary tools to produce extraordinary asset protection and tax savings.

Special Needs Trusts: What, Why, When and What Else?

Overview of specific estate planning and trust techniques for special needs individuals and their families, including potential issues related to the creation and administration of special needs trusts.

You Earned It, Now Keep it Safe: Asset Protection Strategies

Understanding the legal principles related to protection of personal assets through legal means: what and who needs protection, how it can be achieved, and how much it may cost.

Collection Strategies for the Modern World: How to Get What's Coming To You

Understanding basic debt collection from both a creditor's and debtor's perspective, including strategies and insights that will improve the odds of debt recovery for your clients.

Buying Business Assets Out of Bankruptcy: Everyone Wants a Good Deal

You (or your clients) could be missing out on opportunities to buy assets at a discount. This program discusses the benefits and potential risks.

On the Grid: Energy Sector and Insolvency Issues in Today's Market

In light of the current energy market, this program explores relevant issues for producers, landowners, trade creditors, potential buyers, and investors.

Insolvency and Restructuring in the Modern Era

Brief history of bankruptcy law, pros and cons of filing for bankruptcy, and an overview on how to handle bad debt.

Bankruptcy Basics: A Primer for Non-Lawyers

How to identify the need for reorganization or the signs of bankruptcy before it is too late, and how to improve your client's position in the meantime.

Family Private Equity Model: When Your Client's Family Business Is Their Best Investment

Even if/when a family business does not have a clear successor, learn how to preserve your client's best investment with a family corporate governance model, using professional management and independent directors.

Family Private Equity Model: When the Epiphany Occurs

A deeper dive to better understand the phenomenon in business succession planning when using the Family Private Equity Model correctly: an epiphany occurs as owners begin to see their company as a financial vehicle versus merely an operating company that spins off cash.

Business Succession Planning

Overview of estate and business succession planning, including use of trusts, voting control, ownership equity, tax considerations, and more.

Shareholder Agreements: Buy, Sell or Option? That Is the Question

Primer on the key areas of an agreement that determine a shareholder’s rights and responsibilities, including what an individual should consider when drafting or entering into a shareholder agreement.

Buying or Selling a Business For the First Time: Navigating Uncharted Territory

Explores practical questions, answers and areas of concern you and your clients may have when contemplating buying or selling a business.

Business Contracts: I Read the Fine Print... So Should You

Explains the perils and pitfalls of "boilerplate" terms and conditions attached to every business contract and how to address the associated issues.

Pay Me Now, or Pay Me Later: Resolution and Exit Strategies to Avoid Litigation

Discusses financial and tax risks and damages caused by poor planning for exit strategies and ownership structures of small businesses.

This is Going to be Great, But What If It Isn't? Buy/Sell Agreements

Identifying and understanding the key areas of a shareholder agreement that determine a shareholder's rights and responsibilities, including a litigator's perspective.

Don't Get Lost in the Weeds: The Legality of Cannabis-Based Products and Employees' Use of Medical Marijuana

Discover new developments in the regulation and sale of cannabis-based products in Pennsylvania and throughout the country. Also, review the legal and practical issues relating to employees' use of medical marijuana.

Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System: Common Failures in the Voluntary Correction Program

Identify common qualified retirement plan documentation and operational errors; determine when to use self-correction or voluntary correction submission; calculate any required corrective contributions.

The New ERISA Fiduciary Rule: Don't Think You Are a Fiduciary? Think Again

Explores the new Department of Labor fiduciary regulations (2016), including fiduciary investment advisor status, types of advisor compensation, covered and exempted communications, the impact on plan sponsors, and more.

Buying Business Assets Out of Bankruptcy: Everyone Wants a Good Deal

You (or your clients) could be missing out on opportunities to buy assets at a discount. This program discusses the benefits and potential risks.

Micro Captive Insurance Companies

Learn how to identify an appropriate candidate for self insurance provided through a captive. Structure, benefits, insurance requirements, and U.S. income tax implications are also reviewed.

Lending Decisions and Actions: The Trickle-Down Effect on Collections

Explores how good or bad loan documentation has a significant impact on ultimate collectability of a loan. Learn how to improve the odds of collection in the event of a default.

Introduction to Franchising: Regulations, Compliance and Structures for our Clients

Franchising offers businesses an alternative way to grow their brand(s) and revenue. This session will review FTC regulatory requirements, compliance, and various other structures for clients who are interested in franchising their business.

Demystifying Medicaid Planning

Reviews the rules affecting an applicant's ability to qualify for Medicaid as well as some of the basic planning techniques used to preserve assets and facilitate a client's Medicaid qualification.

Wealth Preservation for Seniors

How to identify risks associated with (and potential pitfalls of) traditional planning techniques or bad advice. Also includes a primer on Medicaid rules.

Special Needs Estate Planning

Overview of specialized estate planning techniques for special needs individuals and their families.

Special Needs Trusts: What, Why, When and What Else?

Overview of specific estate planning and trust techniques for special needs individuals and their families, including potential issues related to the creation and administration of special needs trusts.

Durable Powers of Attorney: Why All Clients Need Them and What to Do in the Event of Fraud or Abuse

Understand the relevant law, including "hot" powers (gifting, changing beneficiary designations and creating trusts). Also, review the legal remedies available to the principal and other family members in the event a dishonest agent abuses these powers or commits fraud.

Guardianships: What, Why and How

An overview of what they are, and why & how to use them.

10 Retirement Plan Administration Mistakes & How to Fix Them

A review of ten common retirement plan mistakes and whether they might be corrected by an employer through self-correction programs. Errors include failure to make RMDs, get loans repaid, using wrong definition of compensation, excluding eligible and including ineligible employees, impermissible in-service distributions, or missing top-heavy and ADP/ACP tests. The program will also discuss the new rules under SECURE 2.0.

CARES Act Effects on Benefits Plans

On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency related to COVID-19.

Hidden Deferred Compensation Arrangements: What You Need to Know

The word “hidden” as used in the title means “not recognized for what it is” in the context of agreements dealing with compensation.

Long-Term Part-Time Employees and 401(k) Plan Coverage

Under the SECURE Act, employers with 401(k) plan will have to start covering long-term part-time employees as soon as 2024. If SECURE 2.0 is passed, the coverage might be required as of 2023. The presentation will discuss what employers must and may do in order to avoid penalties.

Payroll Tax Approaches to Remote Work

Remote or hybrid workforces have certain flexibility and might become the new normal. However, employers need to know tax and other legal issues raised by this new employment relationship.

Retirement Plans: Old Stand-By for Asset Protection

A review of commonly used ERISA covered retirement plan arrangements (such as 401(k), solo 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), profit sharing plans, and cash balance plans); recent case law focusing on court treatment of such assets in bankruptcy context; the interplay between the IRS proposed regulations regarding required minimum distributions under the SECURE and asset protection; and other pointers to minimize creditor exposure.

SECURE Act Updates

As highly anticipated, the U.S. Congress passed SECURE 2.0 in late December 2022. Overview of certain provisions with which retirement plan sponsors and custodians will want to become familiar.

What do the SECURE Act and COVID-19 Have To Do with Your Retirement?

Learn about retirement and estate planning opportunities and pitfalls triggered by the SECURE Act, changes to the tax law, and COVID-19.

Estate Planning: Documents, Designations, Titling & Trusts

Explore the basics of estate planning: what individuals need to consider, why asset ownership & titling matters, and why trusts can be helpful in some situations.

Estate Planning for the Rest of Us: Planning for Estates with Less Than $10M

Understanding the most relevant considerations in planning for estates with assets below the federal estate tax exclusion amount and examining special issues that may arise.

Estate Planning for Blended Families

Identifying issues involved with multiple marriages and blended families; proposing solutions through the use of various estate planning tools. Case studies are used to illustrate the issues and tools.

The MaxProtect Plan®: The Perfect Plan for Your Son/Daughter

A must-consider plan for all businesses and those leaving gifts to children and/or grandchildren. Uses ordinary tools to produce extraordinary asset protection and tax savings.

Top Mistakes in Administering Clients' Estates: How to Identify and Avoid Them

In addition to his or her estate, a client sometimes leaves behind complicated relationships and/or problems waiting to happen. This session will review how to avoid or resolve common estate administration issues.

Probate (#*@$%!): Misconceptions, Pros and Cons

Explains the formal estate administration (probate) process and typical methods used to avoid it; discusses benefits, limitations, and drawbacks of probate avoidance.

Durable Powers of Attorney: Why All Clients Need Them and What to Do in the Event of Fraud or Abuse

Understand the relevant law, including "hot" powers (gifting, changing beneficiary designations and creating trusts). Also, review the legal remedies available to the principal and other family members in the event a dishonest agent abuses these powers or commits fraud.

Trust and Beneficiaries Income Tax Planning: Opportunities and Pitfalls

Develop an understanding of federal and state income tax planning for trusts, including but not limited to the impact of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and the Kimberly Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding trustees, beneficiaries and grantors.

Family Private Equity Model: When Your Client's Family Business Is Their Best Investment

Even if/when a family business does not have a clear successor, learn how to preserve your client's best investment with a family corporate governance model, using professional management and independent directors.

Business Succession Planning

Overview of estate and business succession planning, including use of trusts, voting control, ownership equity, tax considerations, and more.

Shale Energy Estate and Business Succession Planning

Overview of estate planning and how it relates to shale energy planning (Marcellus and Utica Shale). An explanation of geology and valuation of shale deposits is also available (often given in conjunction with a geologist).

Shale Energy and Forest Legacy Planning

Overview of estate planning and how it relates to shale energy (OGM interests) and/or forest land planning, with an emphasis on using trusts to maximize desired outcomes and mitigate unforeseen risk.

Special Needs Estate Planning

Overview of specialized estate planning techniques for special needs individuals and their families.

Special Needs Trusts: What, Why, When and What Else?

Overview of specific estate planning and trust techniques for special needs individuals and their families, including potential issues related to the creation and administration of special needs trusts.

So Now You Are a Trustee: What's Next?

Highlights the major issues and complexities to consider when acting as a trustee for yourself or someone else.

Post Mortem Estate Tax Planning

Ensuring a smooth administration process for the intestate decedent or those with errors in their estate plans.

Tax Return Disclosure Position Standards - Is There a "Realistic Possibility" of Success? (For CPAs)

How your advice and disclosure recommendations can help avoid ethical violations. Offers 1.0 Ethics Continuing Education Credit Hour for CPAs

Protecting Intangible Assets: Intellectual Property Basics

Discover the proper way to protect, register, transfer, or sell intellectual property (IP) assets. Includes in-depth overview of the federal registration regimes, pros/cons of federal registration, licensing agreements, and common pitfalls faced by IP holders.

Buying and Selling Intellectual Property: How What You Can't See Can Hurt You

Explains the basics of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret laws, and provides guidance on buying and selling intellectual property assets.

What You Need to Know About Intellectual Property

A practical primer on what intellectual property is, and how it can benefit you (or your clients).

Workplace Law Forum

Biennial event focusing on legal issues affecting business leaders and human resource professionals.
*The next in-person event will be September 22, 2022*
*If you would like to be added to the invitation list for this event, please subscribe here (select "Events & Webinars - Private Employers & Nonprofits").

Our Labor & Employment Attorneys speak often on a variety of topics, some of which are listed here:

  • COVID-19 Related Topics: Return-to-Work, Unemployment, FFCRA, CARES Act, etc.
  • Medical Marijuana in Pennsylvania - Issues for Employers
  • Hot Topics in Discrimination Law (includes Sexual Harassment and Disability Discrimination)
  • Drug Use in the Workplace
  • Fostering Positive Employee Relations
  • Hiring & Firing Issues: Legal Aspects
  • Prevent New Employees from Becoming New Litigation
  • Employee Handbooks: Tips to Keep Yours Current
  • 10 Things Every HR Professional Should Know
  • An Employer's Guide to Conducting Internal Investigations
  • Responding To and Investigating Employee Complaints
  • Best Practices for HR-Related Employee Training
  • Privacy in the Workplace and an Employer's Right to Monitor Their Employees' Behavior
  • EEO Claims: What Actually Happens When Someone Alleges Employment Discrimination
  • Taking the Mystery Out of Employment Litigation: Understanding the Litigation Process and Identifying Best Practices
  • Mediation of Employment Litigation in Federal Courts
  • Social Media & Work Rules
  • Employees Who are Fired or Who Quit: Why Are They Entitled to Unemployment Compensation Benefits?
  • The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Still Crazy After All These Years
  • An Employer's Obligation To Grant A Leave of Absence: Guidelines from the EEOC about Reasonable Accommodation and the ADA
  • Employer's Guide to Curbing FMLA and ADA Abuse
  • Common HR Issues in the Professional Workplace: All in a Day's Work
  • Clearances for the Nonprofit Employer: Amendments to Pennsylvania's Child Protective Services Law

Pay Me Now, or Pay Me Later: Resolution and Exit Strategies to Avoid Litigation

Discusses financial and tax risks and damages caused by poor planning for exit strategies and ownership structures of small businesses.

Power of Attorney Litigation

Reviews the legal remedies available to the principal and other family members in the event a dishonest agent abuses these powers or commits fraud.

Trust Us - It's Not as Simple as You Think: Fundamental Issues in Trustee Litigation

Includes an overview of the most common duties of trustees, the origin of these duties, and the most common breaches of those duties. Also reviews the costs of trust administration.

What to Do After the Sheriff Leaves: Key Decisions at the Onset of Litigation

An overview of the key tactical, logistical, and protective steps that should be taken immediately after your client learns of adverse litigation.

White Collar Crime Investigations

Five tips providing basic information on the first steps to take if you or an entity you represent believes it is being subject to a criminal investigation.

Municipal Law Symposium

Annual event focusing on legal issues affecting the public sector.

*The next in-person event will be September 29, 2022*

*If you would like to be added to the invitation list for this event, please subscribe here (select "Events & Webinars - Public Employers").

Training for School Managers

Various workshops and management training programs are available for school directors and administrative staff. Some of the topics include:

  • Disciplining School Employees
  • Grievance Handling for Administrators
  • Managing Employee Performance
  • Employee Documentation and Record Keeping
  • Teacher Evaluations and Observations
  • The Role of the School Board in Personnel Issues
  • Social Networking and School Employees
  • Employee Violation of Computer Use and Technology Policies and Related Forensic Issues
  • Understanding and Avoiding Sexual (and Other) Harassment in the Workplace
  • Crafting and Implementing Act 93 Plans
  • Defining Successful Labor Negotiations
  • What Schools Can Learn About Labor Relations from the Private Sector
  • Common Errors of Management Negotiators
  • Responding to Charges of Employment Discrimination

Nonprofit Fundraising

The law and ethics of fundraising for nonprofit organizations. We also offer a short, "tips" version of this topic.

Nonprofit Governance

Duties of directors and officers of nonprofit organizations, including protection against personal liability.

Nonprofit Charitable Planning

Reviews the current law related to the 3.8% investment income tax and the charitable opportunities to mitigate its impact.

Labor & Employment Issues

See "Labor & Employment" section above for a list of topics.

The ABCs of an LOI

Understanding letters of intent in business and real estate transactions and what happens when litigation ensues.

Shale Energy 101: Anatomy of a Dead Oil and Gas Lease

Explores issues associated with terminating an oil and gas lease subsequent to the lease commencement date.

Commercial Leases

Understanding what needs to be addressed in a commercial lease.

Exciting (No Really!) Tax Updates: Opportunity Zones, Tax Act Update and the Wayfair Decision

Understand the advantages of Opportunity Zones and how they can benefit local business owners and investors; learn how the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act affects business planning and agreements; identify key tax implications from the U.S. Supreme Court's Wayfair decision.

Complex Charitable Gift Planning

Capitalizing on the current estate and tax law to maximize philanthropic and planned giving.

Marital Deduction Planning

The nuts and bolts of marital gift funding.

Real Life Consequences for Not Following the IRS Reporting Rules

Reviews current tax cases involving improper reporting of various business and estate planning transactions, and the related IRS victories.

Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs): Not Just for the Rich and Famous

Discusses "rainy day trusts" and why many spouses should consider nonreciprocal lifetime credit shelter trusts.

Brady Bunch Business Succession Planning: What Happens if the Bradys Don't "Trust"

Through a relevant case study (modified Brady Bunch), attendees will learn about key issues and benefits of using trusts for business succession and estate planning.

The MaxProtect Plan®: The Perfect Plan for Your Son/Daughter

A must-consider plan for all businesses and those leaving gifts to children and/or grandchildren. Uses ordinary tools (including trusts) to produce extraordinary asset protection and tax savings.

To Trust an IRA... Or Not: Leaving Retirement Benefits to a Trust

Understanding the basics of having retirement accounts payable to a trust and how to avoid triggering negative income tax consequences.

The IDIOT™: This Ain't Your Daddy's Grantor Trust

Explores the complexities involved when clients use grantor trusts, including long-term care planning, Medicaid eligibility, asset protection, income and capital gain tax, inheritance tax, and real property transfer tax.

So Now You Are a Trustee: What's Next?

Highlights the major issues and complexities to consider when acting as a trustee for yourself or someone else.

Trust Us - It's Not as Simple as You Think: Fundamental Issues in Trustee Litigation

Includes an overview of the most common duties of trustees, the origin of these duties, and the most common breaches of those duties. Also reviews the costs of trust administration.

Special Needs Trusts: What, Why, When and What Else?

Overview of specific estate planning and trust techniques for special needs individuals and their families, including potential issues related to the creation and administration of special needs trusts.

Grantor Trusts Explained: Trusts You Can't Trust

Reviews the definition, types, uses and funding of Grantor Trusts. Specific provisions are reviewed, as well as drafting tips and tax implications.

Irrevocable Trust Flexibility

Understanding the current tax law relative to retaining indirect control over trust assets, strategies for modifying existing irrevocable trusts, and the IRS's increasing concern about these strategies (and what this all means for your clients!).

Trusts: Mitigating the 3.8% Investment Income Tax

Reviews the current law related to the 3.8% investment income tax and the planning strategies to mitigate its impact.

If you are interested in hosting or attending a seminar, please contact Sarah Holland by calling 814-923-4897 or sending an e-mail.

Click here for the current Knox Law Institute® seminar schedule.

Click here to subscribe to our Event or Alert emails.