Menke & Associates, Inc. provides all of the legal documentation necessary to design and install an ESOP, including plan documents, corporate resolutions, and employee announcements. In addition, our professional legal staff prepares the IRS application for a Determination Letter and works with the pension trust representatives of the IRS in connection with obtaining IRS approval. Our legal services staff keeps all of our clients advised of any changes in the laws or regulations that may affect the use or operation of the plan.
Victor N. Alam, Esq.
Corporate Counsel
valam@menke.com | (415) 318-1001
Victor N. Alam is the senior lawyer in the Menke & Associates, Inc. Legal Department. Since 1991, Mr. Alam has overseen our Legal Department, working on plan design, structuring of ESOP transactions and IRS qualification issues. Mr. Alam has extensive experience advising clients on ERISA fiduciary matters, plan terminations, IRS compliance issues, as well as mergers and acquisitions involving ESOPs. Mr. Alam has authored articles on topics ranging from unique ESOP transactions to plan terminations. He frequently speaks on issues covering plan administration and fiduciary issues. Mr. Alam is a member of the Legislative and Regulatory Advisory Committee of The ESOP Association and has also conducted ESOP training classes for the Employee Plans division of the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Alam is a graduate of UCLA and Hastings College of the Law.
Chuck Bachman, Esq.
Senior Corporate Counsel
cbachman@menke.com | (415) 318-1003
Chuck Bachman is a tax attorney and ERISA specialist. He is a CPA as well as an attorney. Chuck specializes in the design and installation of ESOPs as well as the structuring of ESOP transactions. He has over 27 years of experience and has been involved in literally hundreds of ESOP transactions. Chuck is an author and frequent lecturer on ESOPs.
Chuck is a member of the California Bar Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and an ESOP Association Advisory Committee Member. He received his BA from UCLA where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law where he was Associated Editor for the Santa Clara Law Review.
John D. Menke
President
John D. Menke is the founder and president of Menke & Associates, Inc. He has been involved in designing and administering ESOPs for over 30 years. Prior to founding Menke & Associates, Inc. in 1974, Mr. Menke was a Senior Tax Attorney with the Law Offices of Louis O. Kelso (1972-1974), General Counsel to Boothe Computer Investment Corporation (1971-1972), a venture capital firm, and from 1968 to 1971 was an associate with the law firm of Kelso, Cotton, Seligman & Ray. Mr. Menke has written over 20 articles regarding ESOPs, leveraged buyouts, and estate planning techniques, as well as a leading book on ESOPs. Mr. Menke also co-drafted the original ESOP legislation which helped to spawn employee ownership in this country. Mr. Menke received his B.A. degree from the University of Texas and his LL.B. degree from Yale Law School.
Richard M. Acheson
President, BSI (Los Angeles Office)
racheson@bsiesop.com | (310) 207-8776 x104
Richard M. Acheson is both an attorney in California. Prior to joining BSI as a principal in 1976, he was a revenue agent with the Internal Revenue Service and a tax manager with Arthur Young & Company. Mr. Acheson majored in accounting at Arizona State University and received his law degree from Loyola School of Law in Los Angeles. He is a member of the California, Federal and American Bar Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Acheson is a founder and a continuing member of the ESOP Association and the National Center for Employee Ownership. He has been involved in ESOPs both as a consultant and recordkeeper for over 30 years, and he writes and speaks on the subject frequently.
Martin Drake
Corporate Counsel
mdrake@menke.com
Martin Drake is an attorney who specializes in the creation and maintenance of ESOPs and the corporate governance of employee-owned companies. Prior to joining Menke & Associates, Inc., Martin was an associate in an ESOP legal practice based in the greater Philadelphia area, where he advised and represented employee-owned companies and ESOP trustees on transactional and formation issues related to the creation and maintenance of ESOPs. Martin’s work included drafting agreements and transactional documents for such companies and the design and implementation of their ESOPs. Martin received his B.A. degree from the University of Delaware, and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he graduated Cum Laude.
Payton Stockton
Corporate Counsel
pstockton@menke.com
Payton Stockton is an attorney who specializes in the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of ESOPs. Payton’s experience includes company and trustee representation in ESOP transactions, including leveraged buyouts, corporate stock redemptions and ESOP terminations. Prior to joining Menke & Associates, Inc., Payton was a Corporate Associate with a Seattle, Washington based firm, where she focused her practice on general corporate matters, including corporate structuring and governance, mergers and acquisitions, with an emphasis on employee-owned companies. Payton is a member of the National Center for Employee Ownership and The ESOP Association. She received her B.A. and Juris Doctor degree from Gonzaga University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude after serving as Associate Editor of the Gonzaga Journal of International Law.
