Crescent Moran Chasteen

Crescent Moran Chasteen is a partner in Goodwin’s ERISA and Executive Compensation practice. She focuses on advising public and private companies, executives and boards on the regulatory complexities of executive compensation and benefits, including tax laws governing deferred compensation, equity compensation, golden parachute arrangements, and deduction limitation rules; securities laws including reporting and disclosure requirements, shareholder approval requirements and registration issues; and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Ms. Chasteen has broad experience advising public companies, boards, private equity clients, and members of management on executive compensation and benefits issues arising in the context of mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, initial public offerings, and restructurings. She frequently counsels both purchasers and sellers in such transactions with respect to the potential impact of “golden parachute” payments (including the excise tax on excess parachute payments), permissible treatment of employee stock options, and structure of retention and deal bonus arrangements. In addition, she counsels clients on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules governing executive compensation disclosure, corporate governance matters, and periodic reporting requirements, and counsels large public companies and individual senior executives on the adoption, revision, and negotiation of executive employment and severance agreements, as well as litigation and controversies involving executive compensation.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Ms. Chasteen was a partner at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP. She has also practiced executive compensation and employee benefits law at multinational law firms in Boston and Washington, D.C.

Ms. Chasteen is the Co-Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s ERISA Subcommittee and a member of the BBA’s Tax Steering Committee. She is also actively involved in the American Bar Association’s Joint Committee on Employee Benefits.

Ms. Chasteen has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Best Lawyers for her work in Tax Law 2023.

“When Reality Collides with Legality: Profits Interests in Practice,” Elizabeth M. Norman and Crescent Moran Chasteen, Tax Notes (April 17, 2017).

“They can’t take it them –  ‘Clawback’ policies hit errant executives where it hurts most,” J. Mark Poerio and Crescent Moran, National Law Review Journal 29 No. 97, S1 (March 21, 2007).

“Risk Management and Clawback of Executive Compensation,” 12 Mo. 18 Andrews Sec. Litig. & Reg. Rep. 2 (Jan. 10, 2007).

Speaking Engagements

TMA Northeast, “Impact of Tax Reform on Businesses,” March 23, 2018.

American Bar Association, Section of Taxation 2018 Midyear Meeting, “Tax Reform,” February 9, 2018.

Boston Bar Association, “Profits Interests in Practice and Other Equity Alternatives for Partnerships,” September 22, 2017.

American Bar Association, 2017 Section of Taxation May Meeting, “IRS Employment Tax Audits, Part 1,” May 12, 2017.

Boston Bar Association, “What Employers Need to Know About New 409A and 457 Regulations,” November 10, 2016.