AIA presents Understanding Permissible Corporate Entities

AIA will be presenting Understanding Permissible Corporate Entities and the new D.P.C. Law in NYS. AIA CES: 1.0 LUs | 1.0 HSW It will be held April 17 from 6-8 p.m. at the Center. The speakers include Douglas Lentivech, deputy commissioner for the Professions and Robert Lopez, executive secretary to the New York State Board for Architecture and the State Board for Landscape Architecture. Program Description: Chapter 550 of the Laws of 2011 amends the Business Corporation Law and the Education Law to authorize a new type of professional service corporation to be known as a "design professional service corporation," or "D.P.C." Unlike existing business structures, design professional service corporations will have the flexibility of offering an ownership interest in the corporation to non-licensees. Chapter 550 also requires that greater than 75% of the stock be owned by design professionals, that greater than 75% of the directors and officers be licensed and registered design professionals, and that the largest single shareholder be a licensed and registered design professional or, with certain restrictions, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Would you like to offer stock to your key non-licensee employees? For many years, non-licensees were not permitted to be owners of an architecture firm. This new law allows less than 25% non-licensee ownership in a D.P.C. This program will describe the basic tenets of the corporate practice prohibitions in New York, and will do the "deep dive" into the permissible corporate entities that are able to offer and render architectural services in New York, with a particular emphasis on the new Investment Infrastructure Act and D.P.C. law. This talk will go from 6-7 p.m. with a question and answer session to follow. Douglas Lentivech joined the New York State Education Department in 1994, serving in various capacities including assistant counsel, executive board secretary and currently serves as the deputy commissioner in the Office of the Professions. Lentivech received his B.S. in Geology and M.S. in Philosophy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his J.D. from Western New England University. Prior to joining the Education Department, he was engaged in the private practice of law in Albany. Robert Lopez is the executive secretary to the New York State Board for Architecture and the State Board for Landscape Architecture within the Office of the Professions at the State Education Department. He also currently serves as the acting executive secretary to the New York State Board for Physical Therapy. Prior to joining the Department, he was a principal and shareholder at a national architecture and engineering firm based in Albany, New York, and was the director of its K-12 Studio. Lopez has also worked for large, multiple-office, international firms in New York City and Baltimore. Having served on numerous AIA, NCARB, and CLARB committees for the professions of architecture and landscape architecture, his particularly areas of expertise lie in professional practice, licensure, and continuing education. Lopez is a registered architect in the State of New York. The cost for this program is free for members of the AIA and ASLA and $10 for non-members.