In November of last year we called attention to pending changes to the privacy law in Massachusetts that protects state residents’ personal information, and we’ve also just come out with a Perspectives article that details the steps to compliance.  However, good news for companies who deal with this kind of personal data: On February 12, 2009, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (“OCABR”) once again revised its personal information security regulations and postponed the effective date until January 1, 2010.

This means more time to digest the new regulations and act accordingly.  To that end, we’ve scheduled a webinar to review the standards on Tuesday, March 10, and we invite you to register and listen in.  We will be sure to report back after the online event!

As we continue to adapt to the downturn, there are a number of factors around the valuation of companies that are coming into play and, in the end, motivating leaders to re-value options.  We’re seeing this trend develop in real time, and it prompted us to put pen to paper for our most recent Perspectives article, “Giving Stock Options A Second Look: The benefits of new grants at low values.”

In a nutshell, there is some opportunity that comes with economic free-fall: those companies that provide options are now in a position to get a new valuation and re-energize their workforces with incentives.  That means that even as downsizing and paycuts spread out across the country, management still has the power to provide strong compensation packages.

As we write in the article:

When the profits don’t exist to pass on in the way of high compensation, stock options are routinely used to incentivize the employee base and retain key people. With fair values near rock bottom, companies are seizing this opportunity to strategically grant additional options or reprice existing stock options.

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