ACG Sacramento | Networking Program, September 2026

Is an ESOP Right for You?

Thinking about your exit or looking for a smarter way to reward the people who built your business? An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) lets you sell all or part of your company to your employees, often with significant tax advantages, while keeping your legacy and workforce intact. This workshop helps you decide whether an ESOP fits your goals before you commit.

Who it's for:
Business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, and advisors weighing succession planning, a partial exit, or employee ownership as their next step, or helping clients do the same.

You'll learn to:

• Understand how an ESOP actually works, from valuation to funding to daily operations.
• Weigh the tax, financial, and cultural benefits against the real costs and responsibilities.
• Compare an ESOP to other exit options like a third-party sale or management buyout.
• Recognize the signs that your company is or isn't a good ESOP candidate.

We'll cover:

• ESOP basics: what they are and how ownership transfers to your team.
• The tax advantages for you as a seller and for your business.
• Common myths, concerns, and pitfalls owners run into.
• The steps and timeline to set one up.

Format: An interactive panel discussion with practical examples, plenty of time for your questions, and honest answers about what an ESOP can and can't do.

By the end, you'll have a clear framework for deciding whether an ESOP belongs in your succession plan; no guesswork required.

Meet the Panel:

• Lawrence Booth, President at Frank M. Booth, Inc.
• Michel LeClerc, Chief Adminstrative Officer at North State Grocery, Inc.
• Wendy Gilligan, Founder, Gilligan Benefits Law
• Chris Hastie, Partner at CTW

Hosted by:

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Sponsored by:

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Interested in sponsoring? Email sritchie@acg.org.