Features of Modern Cooperative Statutes in the United States

Date: Thursday, April 6, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM ET / 10:00 AM CT / 09:00 AM MT / 08:00 AM PT [Prevailing Time]
Presenter: Meegan Moriarty, Senior Legal Policy Analyst, USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, MBA, Director of Education, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives
Learning Objectives:
Attendees will
1. Gain an understanding of the types of cooperative laws across the United States
2. Recognize what drives cooperative law changes
3. Consider the statutory provisions that can best facilitate successful cooperative ecosystems
Field of Study: Business Law
Program Level: Basic
CPE Credit: 1.5 Credit Hour
Delivery Method: Group Internet-based
Prerequisite(s): No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
  Order Recording

Course Description

While practitioners may wish for uniform cooperative laws or even a “Delaware for Cooperatives,” U.S. cooperative statutes continue to vary greatly. This webinar will describe common and novel features of general purpose, agricultural, and worker cooperative statutes across the United States including statutes based on a limited association model. We will consider which statutory features best accommodate the needs of cooperative businesses and their members, which state statutes have furthered successful cooperative ecosystems, and what provisions could be drafted to make cooperative statutes even more effective.

Presenter and Moderator Bios

Presenter: Meegan Moriarty, Senior Legal Policy Analyst, USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service

As a senior legal policy analyst for USDA Rural Development Cooperative Programs, Meegan Moriarty tracks and advises on cooperative legal policy developments in state and federal tax, antitrust, securities, and agricultural law areas. She leads a congressionally mandated interagency working group on cooperative development that was created to assist with coordination among federal agencies and private sector cooperative stakeholders on cooperative policy. She leads a nationwide project researching and comparing state cooperative statutes. She is also a national point of contact for Rural Development grant, loan, and guarantee programs that apply to cooperatives. Meegan advocates for cooperative development through speeches, webinars, and written publications. Previously she worked in the National Tax office of Ernst and Young analyzing federal tax legislation and regulations and consulting with clients on business opportunities presented by tax law changes. She has a JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a BA from the University of Notre Dame.

Moderator: Wayne Sine, CPA, MBA, Director of Education, National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives

Wayne Sine is an experienced and highly knowledgeable professional in the field of Tax. Wayne recently retired as Tax Director from his company, Southern States Cooperative. He has extensive experience working with agricultural cooperatives and has been a long-time member of the NSAC. He is extremely active in the NSAC, serving as both past Chapter President of the Atlantic Chapter, and past Chair of the Tax Committee, and is currently serving as the NSAC Director of Education.. Wayne's career is marked by several accomplishments, and he has always been involved in many organizations, spreading his knowledge. Wayne is a member of the Legal, Tax, and Accounting (LTA) Committee for the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. He is also Past Chair of both the Tax Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association. Wayne also served on the Tax Policy Committee at the Virginia Society of CPAs and served as past Region Vice President for the Tax Executives Institute.

Cost
Free for NSAC Members / $56.00 for Non-Members

Delivery System

• All programs are delivered using the Zoom platform.
• Confirmations will include log-in instructions.
• Participants are able to participate using any device with an Internet connect (if the device does not have speakers, the participant can also dial-in) or they can participate with audio only by dialing in.
• All registrants will receive a link to the CLN’s recording by email within 48 business hours of event’s conclusion.
• There will be assistance available to help with technical and connectivity issues up to 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.

Registration

All registration is done on-line and each guest must provide their name and email address to participate. All NSAC members may register for free. Non-members may register for a nominal fee.

Refund Policy

NSAC will not issue refunds for CLNs. If a registrant is unable to participate in the CLN and provides notification to info@nsacoop.org 48 hours prior to the session, a credit will be provided for a future CLN. Alert the NSAC staff member monitoring the CLN if technical difficulties are encountered and technical support will be provided to eliminate problems with future CLNs.

Additional Information

Live participation is required for CPE credit and polling questions must be answered to document your active participation. All registrants will receive an email following the session with links to the slides and/or handouts, and a link to the CLN recording (unless otherwise stated). If you are unable to participate in the live session, you can still watch the recorded session, but you will not be eligible for CPE credits. Those eligible for credits will receive their certificate by email with 7 business days.

For more information regarding NSAC CLNs or administrative policies such as complaint and refund, contact the NSAC Headquarters, 7946 Clyo Road, Suite A, Centerville, OH 45459, 937-222-6707, or info@nsacoop.org.