Legal and Careers Considerations for Executive Board Service
- Robert Adelson
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
We are now into February and well into Winter. There has been plenty of snow and bone chilling cold in Greater Boston and in Upper New England ski country and much of the rest of the country as well. So if you are a winter sports enthusiast, I hope you are enjoying your winter pastimes in skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, pond hockey or ice fishing or even making snow men or snow ball fights with the kids. And for those, like me, who prefer the warmth, I hope you will be able to take at least some vacation time to warmer places.
In sports, the big story is that our New England Patriots quest for a record 7th Super Bowl championship came to an end Sunday night. The Seattle Seahawks were the better team and well earned their 2nd NFL title over the Pats 29-13. When he rang the bell to open the game, Malcolm Butler, the Seahawks’ old nemesis reminded Seattle fans of the last second interception Butler made on the 1-yard line, that gave New England the NFL Championship. That was the one other time the two teams met in the finals, in Super Bowl 49 – in Feb 2015, 11 years ago.
Alas, there would be no such Butler / Brady miracle finish two days ago. But for me, much like the ’67 Boston Red Sox, the miracle for New England was just the sheer joy of seeing the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl at all. After the last two 4-13 seasons, a 14-3 season and 2026 Super Bowl appearance was something I never thought was possible when this season opened. This ending certainly seemed impossible after the Pats were 2-2 in their first four games heading into their first big game as huge underdogs against with the Division dominant Bills for an early season showdown in Buffalo.
This past Sunday, the fans of 30 NFL teams wished their teams were there in place of our Pats. Those disappointed include the Chargers, Broncos, and the Bills too all powerful teams the Pats had to defeat to punch their ticket to the Bad Bunny Super Bowl 60. The last of those 2026 playoff wins reminded me of the Pats’ very first Tom Brady led playoff win that led to their even more improbable Super Bowl run, the first of this 21st century. That was the incredible January 2002 snow game, that featured the “tuck rule” and Adam Vinateri’s 45 year field goal to tie the game in white out conditions and the team’s OT win 16-13 over the Raiders in the last game at old Foxboro stadium. (Kicker Viniyeri was also on hand in Sunday introduced as one the 2026 inductees to the NFL Hall of Fane.) Well, the 2026 Pats march to Super Sunday had its own thrilling snow game Playoff victory with Drake Maye and stellar defense enabling the Pats to win 13-10 in the House of Horrors in Denver over the Broncos, something no Pats team was able to achieve in the Brady era.
So hail to Mike Vrable for giving us some wonderful memories from this surprising and most enjoyable season and high hopes for the franchise future moving forward.
As for Newsletter items, last Friday, IVYEXEC career advancement website published an article of mine on career and compensation opportunities for C-level and senior executives in Board of Director service and also pitfalls to watch for and suggested protections. Further into this February Newsletter, items #3 and #4 are two older articles of mine published in CEOWORLD magazine, the first on negotiating CFO employment agreements, and the second on navigating around non-compete covenants, and item #5 is a special offer also on advice regarding restrictive covenants. As always, I hope some of these items might be of interest and benefit… and my best wishes to all for the rest of February!
1. Executive Service on Corporate Boards of Directors
Are you a CEO or other senior executive who has been offered the opportunity to serve on corporate Boards of Directors in your own company and another company? My new article published last Friday, February 6, by IVYEXEC career advancement website, advises on career benefits, compensation, potential liabilities and needed protections to put in place for Board service. Read the Article Here
2. Work with CEOs, C-Suite and Senior Executives, exclusively.
Robert Adelson is an attorney specialized in the representation of CEOs, C-level and senior executives. He no longer represents companies or employers. Learn about Robert Adelson’s work with CEOs, C-level and senior executives to advise on and improve job offers, employment contracts, stock, RSUs, options, bonuses and other executive compensation matters, plus advice and aid on issues of wrongful termination, severance, exit terms, retention, change of control, other executive issues and more … More Details Here
3. Negotiating Your CFO Employment Agreement
If you have a new job offer or employment contract as a CFO or Chief Financial Officer, my article published in CEOWORLD in 2019, and still relevant, advises on special terms, authority, reliance, equity and executive compensation package, severance and other essential terms to negotiate. Read the Article Here
4. Navigating Non-competes & Other Restrictive covenants
Are you a CEO or other senior executive being asked to sign a non-compete or non-solicitation agreement or an NDA in connection with a new position? My article published in CEOWORLD in 2017, and still relevant, offers insights and techniques to surmount the perils such agreements could pose to your career. Read the Article Here
5. 2/2026 Offer: Good until February 24th
This 2-week value-packed offer, is as a way to get introduced to my law work: an Executive Restrictive Covenants Law Diagnostic – this offer is good through 2/24/26. More Details Here
It’s always a pleasure to get back in touch with you and other clients, friends, and colleagues. I hope the links and information provided will be useful to you and that there will be an opportunity for me to work with you on legal matters in the near future.
Let’s keep in touch!
Best regards,
Rob
Robert Adelson
*Adelson & Associates, LLCExecutive Employment Attorney
101 Federal Street, 19th Floor, Boston, MA 02110
(617) 204-5601 Law Firm
(617) 204-5602 Direct
(617) 204-5604 Fax
Email : rob@attorneyadelson.com
Website: www.executiveemploymentattorney.com
Note on Adelson & Associates, LLC:* Robert A. Adelson is the Principal of Adelson & Associates, LLC. For fifteen (15) years, from October 2004 through December 2019, Robert Adelson practiced law and referred legal work to associates of his, trusted and experienced colleagues, as a partner of Engel & Schultz, LLP. In December 2019, the lead partners of the firm announced they would go into semi-retirement, go their separate ways, and the office lease would expire in January 2020. In response, Robert Adelson formed Adelson & Associates, LLC in December 2019 and commenced the new firm’s operations on January 1, 2020, with the new firm taking over, on that date and going forward, all current Robert Adelson clients, matters and operations, as well as all referral of legal work to associates of Robert Adelson. Since 1/1/2020, the firm’s offices have been and remain at 101 Federal Street, 19th Floor, across the street from the pre-2020 offices at One Federal Street, 21st Floor, in Boston’s Financial District.
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