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Chris Hall reacted on thisChris Hall reacted on thisHUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our client Woof on its sale to The Farmer’s Dog! We have been honored to work with Woof since the beginning, and it has been incredibly rewarding to watch the company grow at an amazing pace into the award-winning business it is today. Congratulations to Daniel Haarburger, Steve Ball, Avrum Elmakis, Corby Reese, and the Woof team, whose hard work and vision made this milestone possible. And a huge thank you to the team at KO Law who worked hard to help bring this transaction across the finish line – see what Woof Pet has to say about working with the KO team below! “Jenn and the KO Law team were true partners throughout this acquisition, seamlessly integrating with our team and across various workstreams to help us successfully close the transaction,” said Steve Ball, CEO of Woof. “We’ve valued their legal counsel and partnership over the years as Woof has grown from an early-stage startup to the successful business it is today, and we’re grateful to have had them by our side for this important milestone.” Read more about the acquisition in the press release: https://lnkd.in/gGB_ft83.
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Chris Hall liked thisChris Hall liked thisBet on yourself ✨ 🏆 As I ran across the finish line of the TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS earlier this month with my daughter, Payton Frankiewicz– I reflected some well-intentioned advice I heard several years ago. "Women who want to reach senior leadership need to make a choice: be a good executive, a good spouse, or a good parent. Pick one!" Early in my career, I chose to believe in a different path. The path of AND not OR. I chose to believe that I could pick more than one - I could be a good wife, a good mom and a good employee. The power of AND was my goal, and it still is. I've been thinking about that choice a lot lately. Many of us are surrounded by voices telling us what we should be, what success looks like, and what is or isn't possible. My message is simple: You get to choose what you believe about yourself. As I reached mile 22 of the race, the familiar question showed up: Why am I doing this? This was my 10th marathon and 7th World Major. Every marathon asks something of you physically and mentally. Every marathon also reminds me of something bigger: I signed up. I committed. I believed I could do it. That's what betting on yourself means. Not believing that success is guaranteed. Believing that you are capable of trying, learning, persevering, and finishing. The ability to choose is powerful. The ability to believe is transformative. #BetOnYourself #Leadership #GrowthMindset #SydneyMarathon #WomenInLeadership
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Chris Hall liked thisChris Hall liked thisToday we announced Sauer Brands, Inc. has entered a definitive agreement to sell our Spice business to The Watkins Company. This transaction is an important step in our strategy to build a more focused condiments business, which includes our flagship brands Duke's Mayonnaise and Mateo's Gourmet Salsa, as well as a leading Foodservice condiments portfolio. Duke's and Mateo's are growth leaders in their respective categories, beloved by a growing consumer base, and each with significant runway as they evolve from regional favorites into brands with national scale. Our Spice business represents an important part of Sauer Brands heritage, and we are grateful for the dedication our teams have brought to these brands over multiple generations. I am confident they will continue to flourish under The Watkins Company. https://lnkd.in/gj8GfjtaSauer Brands Announces Sale of Spice and Seasonings Business, including Kernel Season’s and Spice Hunter, to Watkins, LLCSauer Brands Announces Sale of Spice and Seasonings Business, including Kernel Season’s and Spice Hunter, to Watkins, LLC
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Chris Hall liked thisChris Hall liked thisWhen we started working with GOODLES in 2022, Jen Zeszut and her team were preparing for their first big launch into retail. Last week, they announced an agreement to be acquired by Barilla Group. Working with Jen, Paul Earle, Chris Hall and Kaitlyn Infantino over the years has given us a real appreciation for how well this business is run. There are exceptional operators behind GOODLES, and what they've built deserves as much recognition as the brand itself. Congratulations to everyone at GOODLES. It's been a privilege to be your working capital partner from that initial retail launch through to this milestone and everything in between. Thank you for trusting our team at Dwight Funding. Looking forward to the next chapter. 🔗 https://bit.ly/4r4FMq1
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Chris Hall liked thisChris Hall liked thisLast week, I joined Prequel Skin as CFO. When thinking about what I wanted to do next, I kept coming back to the same thing: I wanted the chance to build again, work with great people, and get behind a brand with real room to run. Prequel made that decision easy. What Dr. Sam Ellis and the team have created is remarkable - products people genuinely swear by, real skin science, and momentum you can feel. Getting to partner with Nathalie, reconnect with a few familiar faces from earlier in my career, and meet a lot of new ones makes it even better. A week in, and feeling pretty good about where I landed.
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Chris Hall liked thisChris Hall liked thisI really appreciate Zain Asher and Bianna Golodryga for having me on CNN International's One World today to discuss the US-Venezuela oil agreement. Exciting times ahead for Venezuela!
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Chris Hall reacted on thisChris Hall reacted on thisI'm honored to be recognized in Best Lawyers in America® 2027 announced today, alongside many of my team members, for my work in Corporate Law, Venture Capital Law, and Food & Beverage Law. Thank you to my incredible team, peers, and clients for your support over the years. #bestlawyers #corporatelaw #venturecapital #foodandbeverage https://lnkd.in/gNUdz3Rw
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Chris Hall liked thisChris Hall liked thisWHAT MAKES VENEZUELA BANKABLE? Venezuela does not have an opportunity problem. It has oil, gas, minerals, agriculture, geography and human capital. But opportunity is not bankability. A country becomes bankable when investors can reasonably assess risk, protect their investment, execute, generate returns and recover their capital. For Venezuela, that requires more than reforming PDVSA or creating a new hydrocarbons regulator. RULE OF LAW A contract must remain a contract regardless of who occupies the presidential palace, the ministry or the regulator. Capital does not require political permanence. It requires legal permanence. ENFORCEABLE CONTRACTS Investors must know which laws govern their agreements, where disputes will be resolved and whether decisions will actually be enforced. Capital can price risk. It cannot comfortably price arbitrariness. PREDICTABLE RULES Royalties, taxes, licenses, foreign-exchange regulations and investment conditions cannot become moving targets after capital has been committed. INFRASTRUCTURE Oil fields do not operate in isolation. They require electricity, pipelines, roads, ports, water, telecommunications, storage, maintenance and supply chains. A project can be profitable on a spreadsheet and impossible to execute on the ground. Bankability requires executability. CREDIBLE INSTITUTIONS A modern hydrocarbons regulator would help. But courts, customs, property registries, tax authorities and permitting must work too. Institutions transform legislation into confidence. POLICY CONTINUITY Investors do not need to know who will win every future election. They need to know: Will my investment survive the election? Venezuela should debate PDVSA, private participation, concessions, royalties and a new regulatory architecture. But reforming petroleum does not automatically make Venezuela bankable. Bankability is bigger than oil. Oil creates the opportunity. Institutions create the confidence. Infrastructure makes it executable. Rule of law makes it bankable. CAPITAL BRIEF | Antonio J. Piedra
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Catalina Zaldana, EA
While attending the 2026 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum, one scenario immediately caught my attention. Let’s call him Deepak. Deepak owns an S Corporation and performs all the services for the business. He has an ITIN and lacks work authorization. His corporation pays him through distributions, and his K-1 reports income. But there is one important detail: His officer wages are $0. At first glance, someone might think: “If he reports the income and pays the tax, what’s the problem?” This is where the situation becomes much more complicated. For an S Corporation, a shareholder who performs substantial services for the corporation generally cannot simply replace compensation with distributions. The reasonable compensation rules matter. And this isn’t just theory. The issue of S Corporation shareholders receiving distributions instead of reasonable wages has been addressed in cases including: Joseph Radtke, S.C. v. United States Veterinary Surgical Consultants, P.C. v. Commissioner Watson v. United States But Deepak’s situation adds another layer: He has an ITIN and lacks work authorization. So now several different questions collide: Can he be an eligible S Corporation shareholder? That requires looking at his tax residency status—not merely the fact that he has an ITIN. If he performs the services, does the corporation have a reasonable-compensation issue? And if employment authorization is an issue, how should the business have been structured in the first place? That last question may be the most important one. The lesson I took away from this session was not simply about payroll. It was about entity selection. We often hear: “Should I elect S Corporation status to save taxes?” But perhaps the first questions should be: Who owns the company? What is their U.S. tax residency? Who performs the services? How will that person be compensated? And is an S Corporation actually the right structure for this owner? Sometimes the best tax planning decision isn’t finding a way to make an S Corporation work. It’s recognizing when it may not be the right entity in the first place. This was one of those moments at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum that reminded me why continuing education matters. The rules are rarely just about completing a tax form. They are about understanding the entire story behind the business. — Catalina Zaldana, EA Bilingual Consulting #TaxPlanning #SCorporation #ITIN #ReasonableCompensation #TaxProfessionals #SmallBusiness #IRS #EntitySelection #Entrepreneurs #BilingualConsulting
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Manmeet Saluja CPA EA CMA MBA
As the year draws to a close, it's crucial for small business owners to start thinking about tax planning. Focus on maximizing deductions and credits that apply to your unique business model. Consider making expenses for necessary business equipment this year to take advantage of Section 179 deductions. Don’t forget about retirement contributions—investing in your future can provide immediate tax benefits! It’s also a great time to review your books and ensure your financial records are ready for tax season. Staying organized can save you time and money! #TaxPlanning #SmallBusiness #CPA #YearEndPlanning #Deductions
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