Legal Staff

Victor N. Alam, Esq.

Corporate Counsel

Victor N. Alam is the senior lawyer in the Menke & Associates, Inc. Legal Department. Since 1991, Mr. Alam has overseen our Legal Department, working on plan design, structuring of ESOP transactions and IRS qualification issues. Mr. Alam has extensive experience advising clients on ERISA fiduciary matters, plan terminations, IRS compliance issues, as well as mergers and acquisitions involving ESOPs. Mr. Alam has authored articles on topics ranging from unique ESOP transactions to plan terminations. He frequently speaks on issues covering plan administration and fiduciary issues. Mr. Alam is a member of the Legislative and Regulatory Advisory Committee of The ESOP Association and has also conducted ESOP training classes for the Employee Plans division of the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Alam is a graduate of UCLA and Hastings College of the Law.

Charles W. Bachman, Esq.

Corporate Counsel

Charles W. Bachman is a business attorney with over 13 years of ERISA experience with Menke & Associates, Inc. In addition to being a licensed attorney, Mr. Bachman is a Certified Public Accountant. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Bachman worked as a tax consultant for Arthur Andersen & Company and Coopers & Lybrand. Mr. Bachman received a B.A. degree in History and a Teaching Credential from UCLA where he graduated magna cum laude. He received his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law and was Associate Editor for the Santa Clara Law Review.

John D. Menke

President, CEO

John D. Menke is the founder and president of Menke & Associates, Inc. and of Menke Capital Corp. He has been involved in designing and administering ESOPs for over 30 years. Prior to founding Menke & Associates, Inc. in 1974, Mr. Menke was a Senior Tax Attorney with the Law Offices of Louis O. Kelso (1972-1974), General Counsel to Boothe Computer Investment Corporation (1971-1972), a venture capital firm, and from 1968 to 1971 was an associate with the law firm of Kelso, Cotton, Seligman & Ray. Mr. Menke has written over 20 articles regarding ESOPs, leveraged buyouts, and estate planning techniques, as well as a leading book on ESOPs. Mr. Menke also co-drafted the original ESOP legislation which helped to spawn employee ownership in this country. Mr. Menke received his B.A. degree from the University of Texas and his LL.B. degree from Yale Law School.

Richard M. Acheson

President, BSI (Los Angeles Office)

Richard M. Acheson is both an attorney and a CPA licensed in California. Prior to joining BSI as a principal in 1976, he was a revenue agent with the Internal Revenue Service and a tax manager with Arthur Young & Company. Mr. Acheson majored in accounting at Arizona State University and received his law degree from Loyola School of Law in Los Angeles. He is a member of the California, Federal and American Bar Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Acheson is a founder and a continuing member of the ESOP Association and the National Center for Employee Ownership. He has been involved in ESOPs both as a consultant and recordkeeper for over 30 years, and he writes and speaks on the subject frequently.

Mark Bowers

Managing Director – Investment Banking, BSI (Los Angeles Office)

Mark Bowers is a Senior Employee Benefits Consultant and Director of Compliance with BSI Consultants, a Menke company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. Prior to joining BSI Consultants, Mr. Bowers worked with several large law firms specializing in corporate law and in mergers and acquisitions. For the past five years, Mr. Bowers has specialized in ESOP and 401(k) consulting for both public and privately held middle-market companies. Mr. Bowers received his J.D. degree from the University of Texas in l972.

Michael Pasahow

Corporate Counsel

Michael A. Pasahow is a business attorney specializing in employee benefits law and ESOP transactions. Mr. Pasahow is responsible for assisting the Menke & Associates, Inc. legal department with plan design, drafting, and submission to the Internal Revenue Service as well as advising ESOP clients of Menke & Associates, Inc. concerning corporate transactions and ongoing ESOP management.

Mr. Pasahow received his B.A. degree in Political Science and Japanese from Swarthmore College and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California Berkeley School of Law.