Benjamin Kelsey

I enjoy working with startups because I get to serve as a valued advisor and help founders handle the myriad tax and executive compensation challenges they face as their businesses grow.

Experience: I’m a tax attorney who focuses on tax and equity compensation issues – stock options, restricted stock, etc. A lot of founders and startup folks have some very high-level idea of how options and other types of equity compensation work, but they very often don't understand the nuances, particularly with respect to taxation. I like engaging with them to try to explain in more detail how these things work and why we use them. At big public companies, you're often working with people who have done this stuff for years and don't need that type of guidance. Start-up clients present an opportunity to dive into the details.

Off the clock:  You can find me playing piano, reading, and cooking. 

Podcast recommendations: My wife got me into Comedy, Bang, Bang a decade ago, and we’ve gotten to see it live a few times. It’s pretty amazing how the improv mind works. There’s also a history podcast called Hardcore History, by Dan Carlin. He’s not a historian, but he goes deep into various periods and historical events, weaving in different perspectives. One episode can be six hours long, so you can get a lot of commutes in. 

Memorable travel: We went up into the Atlas Mountains in Morocco a few years ago. It was incredible. 

Recent Matters:

• Advise life sciences startup with respect to equity compensation matters, including drafting stock incentive plan and forms of equity award agreements.
• Advise life sciences client in connection with tax aspects of merger, including Section 280G golden parachute analysis and stockholder cleansing vote.