ProfNet Experts Available on Unlimited PTO, Tax-Deferred Accounts, More

NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition. 

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EXPERT ALERTS

• 'LinkedIn Defense' Not a Slam Dunk
• Offering Employees Unlimited Time Off
• New Version of LEED Carries Nuances for Commercial Developers
• Tax-Deferred Retirement Accounts
• Investing in the Cannabis Industry
  

MEDIA JOBS

• Trends Reporter - Tech Times (NY)
• Investigative Reporter - The Daily Press (VA)
• Editorial Photographer - Crain's Chicago Business (IL)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• The Power of Visual Storytelling
• Writing Business Stories That Matter
• Ello: Lessons From the Social Networking Entrant

EXPERT ALERTS:

'LinkedIn Defense' Not a Slam Dunk
Joe Ahmad
Executive employment attorney
Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., or AZA, in Houston
"Executives who connect with customers and clients through LinkedIn (and other social media) probably don't view those contacts as being among their employers' trade secrets. But that may not necessarily be a safe assumption. The public nature of LinkedIn contacts is often used as a defense in trade secret cases. But a California federal judge's recent refusal to grant an executive's motion for summary judgment based on a 'LinkedIn defense' shows that there appears to be room for debate on the issue. I would argue – and have argued – that it should be clear that if it's published on LinkedIn, it's not confidential. However, as this judge in California has shown, it may not be a slam-dunk defense. While I think most courts would probably go the other way, it's safe to say that LinkedIn information isn't guaranteed to be considered public information."
Media Contact: Amy Hunt, [email protected]

Offering Employees Unlimited Time Off
Jim Belosic
CEO
ShortStack
On Wednesday, Richard Branson announced that he was changing his vacation policy to offer unlimited days off for Virgin employees. It's a nice gesture, but Branson isn't the first business owner to think of this. Lots of businesses, big and small, have been reaping the benefits of unlimited vacation for many years. Says Belosic: "Richard Branson is getting a lot of media attention for offering unlimited vacation but this is something that savvy business owners have been doing for quite some time. Offering unlimited vacation results in more motivation, higher productivity and all around general happiness."
Belosic is available to discuss how offering employees unlimited time off can benefit the company. He is among the growing trend of CEOs offering unlimited days off for employees. At ShortStack there is a "don't ask, don't tell" vacation policy so that they are not monitoring vacation time. They are in good company with HubSpot, Netflix, Zynga, and many others who have also figured out the perks of this perk.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/shortstack
Website: http://www.shortstack.com
Media Contact: Sara Piccola, [email protected]

New Version of LEED Carries Nuances for Commercial Developers
Carissa Sawyer
Energy Engineer
EnergyLogic Inc.
"For developers of multifamily buildings, often, it makes more sense to apply LEED's residential rating system -- which has been written specifically for mid- and high-rise multifamily buildings -- instead of the new construction commercial rating system. Developers should be aware of the nuances before diving into their green building certification efforts."
Sawyer can share insights about the little-known fine-tuning of the new version (v4) of LEED for commercial buildings -- defining its nuances, explaining improvements over v3, and providing advice about pitfalls developers should avoid when certifying to the new version. She is a certified LEED expert and board member of the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Colorado chapter. She is available for contact Oct. 6 or later.
Website: http://www.nrglogic.com
Media Contact: Linda Lidov, [email protected]

Tax-Deferred Retirement Accounts
Bijan Golkar, CFP
Vice President/Senior Advisor
FPC Investment Advisory, Inc.
For decades, we investors have been encouraged to defer the taxes we pay: By investment companies, by our employers, by financial advisors, and even by the government that's supposed to be collecting those taxes. Every baby boomer has learned that deferring taxes as long as legally possible in 401k, IRAs, deferred compensation plans and similar investing vehicles, is what smart Americans do. Delaying taxes means more money to invest, more compounding, and ultimately more wealth. So far, so good. But when it comes to taxes, every rule has exceptions. The higher your age and the greater the assets in your tax-deferred retirement account (or accounts), the greater the risk that your deferral reflex will backfire, leaving you to fight an uphill tax battle in your golden years. Says Golkar: "But that's where trouble lurks. At age 70½ you must start taking required minimum distributions from your IRA. If your 'defer, defer, defer' strategy has been successful, your account could be huge. But the bigger your account, the more you are required to withdraw each year. And since IRA withdrawals are considered ordinary income, your new flood of income could very well push you into a higher tax bracket than necessary."
Based in San Francisco, Golkar has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, The Fiscal Times, Bankrate, MoneyUnder30.com and DepositAccounts.com.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/bijangolkar
Website: http://www.FPCWealth.com
Media Contact: Steve Garmhausen, [email protected]

Investing in the Cannabis Industry
Leslie Bocskor
Investment Banker and Entrepreneur
Electrum Partners
"Your primary focal point as an individual investor going to the cannabis industry should be your due diligence. That's true of any industry, but it's truer in an industry that has as much of a tailwind as this does, because it will pull out the bad actors."
Bocskor is an investment banker who was one of the first to invest in the Internet. He now focuses on the emerging cannabis industry, and is the chairman of the Nevada Cannabis Industry Association and creating a marijuana hedge fund. He has also begun offering expert analysis on the marijuana industry for other investors.
Bio: http://tinyurl.com/p582fle
Media Contact: Evan Nison, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/

• Trends Reporter - Tech Times (NY)
• Investigative Reporter - The Daily Press (VA)
• Editorial Photographer - Crain's Chicago Business (IL)

See more listings here.

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• THE POWER OF VISUAL STORYTELLING. Everyone has a story, but knowing how to find your story and tell it is essential for both individuals and brands. At the last Social Media Club NYC meeting, we discussed what makes a good story, how to find your story, why visuals are important to storytelling, and much more. Here's a recap: http://prn.to/1rvU0fX  
• WRITING BUSINESS STORIES THAT MATTER. There's more to business writing than earnings and executive appointments. For our latest Twitter Q&A, we asked freelance writer Gwen Moran, award-winning small-business expert and writer specializing in business and money, to share some of her insight on how to find the part of the story that moves it from a dry business profile to a piece that matters: http://prn.to/1vxzRXy
• ELLO: LESSONS FROM THE SOCIAL NETWORKING ENTRANT. Say hello to Ello, the website that has caught the attention of tens of thousands. In her latest post, Rachel Nelson from InkHouse breaks down the newest social networking site. Will you be joining? http://prn.to/1ryFHZ9
  

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