Kravis: No Better Time than Now to Be Making Investments” Private Equity International’s James Taylor reports that at an invitation-only event in Monaco, the KKR co-founder said that low interest rates and a lack of capital offer ‘enormous’ opportunities for private equity: Kolhberg Kravis Roberts co-founder Henry Kravis struck a bullish tone in a speech in Monaco this week, dismissing talk of a “hard landing” in Asia, suggesting that the American consumer was regaining confidence and highlighting the opportunities for the industry in light of the problems in the banking sector. “There’s probably no better time than now to…
-
-
State Estate Tax Changes The Wills, Trusts, and Estates Prof Blog reports that the federal estate tax exemption was indexed for 2012, increasing the $5 million exemption to $5.12 million. Many of the twenty-three states, including Washington, D.C., that impose state estate taxes have also made changes for 2012. A list of state specific changes to estate taxes for 2012 and beyond is below: To keep up with inflation, North Carolina and Rhode Island increased their exemptions to $5.12 million and $892,865, respectively. Illinois increased its exemption from $2 million in 2011 to $3.5 million beginning January 1, 2012.…
-
Three Practice Management Trends for 2012 For the third year, the MGMA has published the State of Medical Practice in MGMA Connexion. It’s an overview of issues and industry perspectives that will shape medical practice this year. The Association collected information from healthcare professionals about the ways in which EHRs increase revenue, as well as what affects your compensation and practice collections, among others. Here are three of the 12 practice management trends: 1. Collections vs. compensation: Setting matters Your practice’s ownership may directly affect your physicians’ pay. Collections for professional charges (i.e., patient visits, procedures) are higher in physician-owned…
-
Book Review: Inside the Multi-Generational Family Business Family Business Review recently ran an interesting book review, by Jane Hilburt-Davis, of M.T. Green’s book Inside the Multi-Generational Family Business: 9 Symptoms of Generational Stack-Up and How to Cure Them. Writes Hilburt-Davis: Green introduces a new conceptual framework, the syndrome of “generational stack-up,” defining it as “the convergence of several generations as owners, managers, employees, and shareholders” working together. He maintains that “stack-up”—the clash of generational values and perspectives—is a big problem in general and for family businesses specifically. The reasons, he writes are (a) we’re living longer, (b) we’re working to an older…
-
Practice Management Companies Look to ACOs for Growth Physician practice management companies are forging ahead with expansion plans into new areas of hospital-based medicine as they position themselves to participate in accountable care organizations and other aspects of health system reform, reports Victoria Stagg Elliott at American Medical News. The companies are not buying primary care and other outpatient practices right now, although they are expanding into areas of hospital-based medicine that have not traditionally been their focus. This is in part to improve their ability to reduce readmissions and receive bonuses for improving quality and decreasing costs within an…
-
Small Firm Innovation Wins ABA Journal Most Popular Site in Legal Practice Management Category Small Firm Innovation, a blog dedicated to first person accounts of small firm success, won the ABA Journal’s Blawg100 competition for most popular blog in the Legal Practice Management (LPM) category. The ABA announcement reports: In the wake of the financial crisis and a rapidly shifting legal landscape, Small Firm Innovation launched in April of 2011 during the ABA’s legal technology showcase, ABA TECHSHOW. A resource by, and for, solo and small firm lawyers, the site focuses on two specific areas: the business side of running…
-
Congress Could Pass Online Sales Tax Legislation This Year Are you used to buying stuff on Amazon.com and not paying tax? Lots of business owners are doing it too. And that might change. At Accounting Today, Roger Russell offers an update: The impact of the economic downturn has been felt particularly hard at the state level, with many states operating under a deficit. Since taxes based on income don’t produce as much revenue during a recession as they do during good economic times, transaction taxes, including sales and use tax, become even more important to a state’s ability to fund its…
-
The Bankruptcy Files: A Big Start to 2012 At AM Law Daily, Brian Baxter reports: Signs that the economy is improving notwithstanding, the number and size of large corporate bankruptcies could double in 2012, according to a new Fitch Ratings report covered by CNNMoney. Fitch predicts that corporate bond defaults will hit 3 percent this year—more than double last year’s 1.4 percent and 2010’s 1.3 percent. Middle market companies valued between $200 million and $1 billion are at particular risk because of the difficulty they face in trying to refinance and restructure outside of court, according to the ratings agency.