Barbara Klementz

Practice Areas

Barbara Klementz is the chair of Baker McKenzie’s North American Compensation Practice. She has practiced in the area of global equity and executive compensation for over 20 years. Barbara has authored several articles on global equity issues for the BNA Executive Compensation Journal, Journal of Corporate Taxation and San Francisco and Los Angeles Daily Journal, among others, and she is the author of a blog on global equity related topics called the Global Equity Equation. She is also a frequent speaker on a variety of global equity topics. Barbara is recognized as a ranked practitioner by Chambers USA. Chambers states that she "consistently delivers top-notch assistance and work product, and is a true expert in the field." Barbara is admitted to private practice in California and Düsseldorf, Germany.

Barbara focuses her practice on global equity compensation programs, executive compensation and employee benefits. She regularly advises multinational companies on implementing their equity compensation and other incentive programs worldwide – particularly as it relates to tax and securities law matters and exchange control regulations. Barbara also frequently advises on the treatment of such programs in corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs and divestitures, as well as on the tax treatment of cross-border employees participating in such programs.

Professional Memberships

• Global Equity Organization - Board of Directors

• National Association of Stock Plan Professionals

• State Bar of California

• San Francisco Bar Association

Publications

• The Global Equity Equation

• Author, "How To Structure Employee Stock Options In Israel," Law360, 3 July 2018

• Author, "China SAFE Requirements for Equity-Based Awards," Baker & McKenzie LLP, October 2016

• Author, "What To Do When Your Board Goes Global," ABA Business Tax Quarterly, August 2016

• Author, "Boots on the Ground: Employment Considerations for Companies Expanding Abroad," BNA Corporate Counsel Weekly, August 2013

• Author, "The Global Side of Option Exchange Programs," BNA Pension & Benefits Daily, January 2013

Work Highlights

• Advised Bristol-Myer Squibb Company on its USD 74 billion acquisition of Celgene Corporation in relation to the assumption of equity awards from and issuance of contingent value rights to employees in 40+ countries.

• Advised on regulatory and tax issues surrounding employee equity awards in over 40 countries related to Computer Sciences Corporation’s merger with a subsidiary of a global technology company to form an independent, public company, DXC Technologies, Inc.

• Advised Symantec Corporation on the global tax and regulatory consequences surrounding their equity awards in the USD 6.3 billion sale of its information management and storage unit, Veritas Technologies Inc., to The Carlyle Group, a private investment firm specializing in global alternative asset management

Expert in these Jurisdictions

USA

Languages Spoken

English, French, German

Education