Protecting Your Earnings from Unfair Dealing by Your Employer

 

January 2026 Executive Employment Law Newsletter

I hope this email finds you and your family in good health.  We are now well into our first full Winter month.  We have had our cold days and some snow.  There has been more snow in northern New England ski country.  My hope is that there will be lots of snow in ski country and not so much in Boston and the urban areas.  So, if you are a winter sports enthusiast, I hope there will great winter conditions for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or ice fishing the next couple months.  And for those, like me, who prefer the warmth, I hope you will be able to take at least some vacation time to warmer places.

In sports, the Patriots continue their magical season finishing the regular season as division champs and 2^nd seed in the AFC, and then two nights ago to win their first playoff game 16-3 over San Diego.  QB Drake May, Coach Mike Vrabel, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, stellar Pats’ defense all shown so well. We can hope this roll will continue and we will see how far the Pats might advance in these 2026 NFL Playoffs  – with the Feb. 2026 Super Bowl in Santa Clara, CA  not beyond the realm of possibility. Fingers crossed.   And even while the Pats have played so well commanding our attention, our Boston winter teams have also been doing well of late.  The Celtics 9-3 in recent games, are 3^rd in the Eastern Conference and just behind the Knicks in the Atlantic Division standings.  The Bruins too have won 5 of the last 6 games to also climb in the standings. In college hockey, Boston University has improved of late and February’s Beanpot tournament looks to be quite competitive with all four Beanpot  schools ranked in the USA top 20 (as of 1/12/26), led by Northeastern (12), then Boston College (14), BU (18) and Harvard (20).  https://www.espn.com/mens-college-hockey/rankings

As for Newsletter items, eight days ago, IVYEXEC career advancement website published my article on using the implied covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing to protect what you have earned when you are terminated by your employer in bad faith, with an article link provided in item #1.  A link to an earlier article of mine, on negotiating a compensation package right for you, published in  CEOWORLD magazine, appears in items #3,  Additionally,  a link to another earlier article of mine published in CEOWORLD, this one on the subject of negotiating your first C-level employment agreement,  appears in item #4, plus a special offer as item #5. I hope some of these items might be of benefit… and my best wishes to all for the rest of January!

1.       Protecting Your Earnings from Unfair Dealing by Your Employer

As a C-level or senior executive, have you ever faced employment termination or other employer action to prevent you from receiving a bonus, stock vesting or other benefit you earned from your successful achievement of a target objective for the company? My article published eight days ago on Jan.5, by IVYEXEC career advancement website,  discusses an important duty or implied covenant in the law that can enable you, even if you are an employee “at will”,  to have a valid enforceable claim against your employer to be made whole for what you earned and were deprived of ..  Read the Article Here

2.       Work with CEOs, C-Suite and Senior Executives, exclusively.

Robert Adelson is an attorney specialized in the representation of CEOs, C-level and senior executives. He no longer represents companies or employers.  Learn about Robert Adelson’s work with CEOs, C-level and senior executives to advise on and improve job offers, employment contracts, stock, RSUs, options, bonuses and other executive compensation matters, plus advice and aid on issues of wrongful termination, severance, exit terms, retention, change of control, other executive issues and more … More Details Here

3.      Negotiating the Right Executive Compensation Package for You

Whether you have just received a job offer, have a chance to renegotiate your current contract, or are facing a change of control or termination situation, my article published by CEOWORLD magazine in 2018 and still relevant today, may benefit you, as I discuss key payment, equity, benefits, and other terms to negotiate in your executive compensation package and how those negotiations can actually enhance your position in the company.  Read the Article Here

4.        Negotiating your first C-Level Executive Employment Agreement

Are you a newly-minted CEO or another C-level executive?  Did you receive your first C-level job offer or employment agreement? My article published in CEOWORLD magazine, in March 2020 and still relevant today,  may benefit you, as I discuss why the agreement is important to the company and to you, and key terms – equity, bonus structure, severance among them – on which to focus in your negotiations.. Read the Article Here

5.      1/2026 Offer:  Good until Jan. 27th  

This 2-week value-packed offer, is as a way to get introduced to my law work: Consulting Between Executive Positions Law Diagnostic -- this offer is good through 1/27/26.   More Details Here

It’s always a pleasure to get back in touch with you and other clients, friends, and colleagues.  I hope the links and information provided will be useful to you and that there will be an opportunity for me to work with you on legal matters in the near future. 

Let’s keep in touch!

Best regards,

Rob

Robert Adelson

*Adelson & Associates, LLC
Executive Employment Attorney
101 Federal Street, 19th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 204-5601 Law Firm
(617) 204-5602 Direct
(617) 204-5604 Fax
Email :  rob@attorneyadelson.com
Website: www.executiveemploymentattorney.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-adelson-b8a1557/
Blog:  https://robadelson.wordpress.com/
X:  @AttorneyAdelson

Note on Adelson & Associates, LLC:
* Robert A. Adelson is the Principal of Adelson & Associates, LLC.  For fifteen (15) years, from October 2004 through December 2019, Robert Adelson practiced law and referred legal work to associates of his, trusted and experienced colleagues, as a partner of Engel & Schultz, LLP.  In December 2019, the lead partners of the firm announced they would go into semi-retirement, go their separate ways, and the office lease would expire in January 2020.  In response, Robert Adelson formed Adelson & Associates, LLC in December 2019 and commenced the new firm’s operations on January 1, 2020, with the new firm taking over, on that date and going forward, all current Robert Adelson clients, matters and operations, as well as all referral of legal work to associates of Robert Adelson.  Since 1/1/2020, the firm’s offices have been and remain at 101 Federal Street, 19^th Floor, across the street from the pre-2020 offices at One Federal Street, 21^st Floor, in Boston’s Financial District.

Starting an Executive Consulting Business During Your Transition

 Three weeks ago, on Thursday December 21, 2023, the executive career advancement website IvyExec published an article I wrote on “Starting an Executive Consulting Business during your Transition”.   

This article was designed for senior executives who have achieved a level of success and now find themselves in transition, that is, between executive positions, and might want to consider doing some consulting before accepting the next full-time job offer.

My article discusses the advantages that providing executive consulting services can offer to senior executives between positions, including the following:

• Adding to your knowledge, experience and skill set,
• Aiding and encouraging you to stay current in your field,
• Expanding deal flow for new CEO and senior executive positions and business opportunities,
• Lengthening your financial runway with money coming in so you don’t have to take the first position offered,
• Enhancing your bargaining position when you find a position you like.

The second part of my article offers three suggested steps to begin and develop a consultancy if you do want to give it a try.  The first of those steps discusses how low cost it is to begin consulting, and suggests formation of a protective and also efficient business entity for this purpose.

The article concludes with advice that retaining your consulting business can continue side by side with a new fulltime position once your transition is completed.   The suggestion I make to you is that if you do develop a consultancy you may want to keep it around to retain the business you created and to potentially return to it for future transitions and as a potential source for new opportunities you might consider to continue to advance your career.

To see my full article, go to LINK:   https://ivyexec.com/career-advice/2023/starting-an-executive-consulting-business-during-your-transition

or my website, go to LINK:   https://www.executiveemploymentattorney.com/starting-an-executive-consulting-business-during-your-transition/

IvyExec hosts articles and webinars from experts in the career, leadership, and business spaces who wish to share their knowledge with our audience. In April 2021, I was invited to write for IvyExec since it seeks original content on the topics of career development, leadership, and business strategy as it applies to senior-level and C-Suite professionals. IvyExec blog posts and webinars are shared with its community of more than 2 million members on its website, in its newsletter, and on its social media channels. https://www.ivyexec.com/career-advice/write-for-us/
IvyExec claims a “Community of 2.5M+ Leaders”.

See also – https://www.ivyexec.com/

It is my hope that this article will be helpful to senior executives who are in between full-time permanent positions and might want to giving consulting a try during that interim period.  If you or any colleague of yours has a need in this area, please do reach out to me, your executive employment lawyer, at 617-875-8665 or  rob@attorneyadelson.com.

Working Remotely as a C-level Executive – Opportunities and Considerations

Last Thursday, on October 2, 2020, CEOWorld magazine published an article I wrote on “Working Remotely as a C-level Executive – Opportunities and Considerations.”

This new article is designed for designed for CEOs, C-level and senior executives, dealing with the negatives of the Covid-19/Coronavirus pandemic on many businesses  and executive employment situations, but also giving rise to new opportunities.

The article offers illustrations of how remote zoom meetings are aiding non-profit groups and client development, and then moves to how those same techniques are aiding C-level and senior executives conducting nation-wide job searches for new executive positions.

Then, my article suggests techniques to build a comfort level with prospective employers, for those executives who would like to take up an executive employment opportunity as a remote CEO or C-level executive, including the following negotiation strategies:

1. Negotiate initial consulting to get to lead to your next CEO job offer;
2. Negotiate for temporary relocation to build company comfort level;
3. Use hazards of air and distance travel to reduce on site presence even with temporary relocation;
4. Make executive compensation and equity concessions now to gain the remote position, with the expectation of being made whole in a later retention agreement;
5. Assure your remote contract provides requisite online connectivity and necessary tools to enable your remote operation.

To see my full CEOWorld magazine. article, go to LINK:

https://ceoworld.biz/2020/10/02/working-remotely-as-a-c-level-executive-opportunities-and-considerations/

 Or my website at https://www.executiveemploymentattorney.com/working-remotely-as-a-c-level-executive-opportunities-and-considerations/

This was my 30th article published in CEOWORLD over the last five years.  Previously, the editor advised that I can use “Featured in the CEOWOLRD magazine” and the CEOWORLD “Logo” on my website and add CEOWORLD magazine in my LinkedIn profile’s “Experience Section” as an “Opinion Columnist.” and authority in the field.  See https://ceoworld.biz/author/robert-adelson/

With more than 12.4+ million-page views, CEOWORLD magazine is the world’s leading business magazine written strictly for CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, senior management executives, business leaders, and high net worth individuals worldwide.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceomagazine/

It is my hope that this article on the new COVID-19 inspired opportunities opening up across the US to CEOs, C-level and senior executives is timely and will be of benefit.   Hopefully, the topics I discuss including to conduct nationwide job searches, to interview and take positions in desired urban centers and also in more others locations, and to do all that without the need to even leave your home office or local satellite office, and finally, the chance to work remotely and effectively and to negotiate the right terms to secure this desired employment – will be of benefit to the CEO, C-level and senior executive clients I represent.  Feel free to tweet or share this article. If you or any colleague of yours has a need in this area, please do reach out to me.

Consulting Between CEO Positions

Last Tuesday, on March 27, 2018, CEOWorld magazine published an article I wrote on  “Consulting Between CEO Positions”
This article was designed for CEOs and other C-Suite, VPs or other senior executives who have achieved a level of success and now find themselves between executive positions and might want to consider doing some consulting before accepting the next full-time job offer.

My article discusses the advantages consulting offers the CEO and other senior executives between positions, including the following:

• Adding to your knowledge, experience and skill set,
• Aiding and encouraging you to stay current in your field,
• Expanding deal flow for new CEO and senior executive positions and business opportunities,
• Lengthening your financial runway with money coming in so you don’t have to take the first position offered,
• Enhancing your bargaining position when you find a position you like.

The articles also indicates how low cost it is to begin consulting.  At the end, the article offers half a dozen suggested steps to begin and develop a consultancy if you do want to give it a try.

The article concludes with the suggestion that if you do develop a consultancy you may want to keep it around and offers advice on how you can retain the business you created to co-exist with the full-time position after you accept a job offer for your next full time position.

To see my full CEOWorld magazine. article, go to LINK:  http://ceoworld.biz/2018/03/27/consulting-between-ceo-positions/
Or on my website https://www.executiveemploymentattorney.com/consulting-between-ceo-positions/
With more than 12.4+ million page views, CEOWORLD magazine is the world’s leading business magazine written strictly for CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, senior management executives, business leaders, and high net worth individuals worldwide.

It is my hope that this article will be helpful to CEOs and other senior executives who are in between full-time permanent positions and might want to giving consulting a try during that interim period.  If you or any colleague of yours has a need in this area, please do reach out to me, your executive employment lawyer, at radelson@engelschultz.com.