Profile of President Director

Lucky Firdaus Chandra

WORKING EXPERIENCE
2009 –  President Director of BURSA FE UNSOED
2008 – 2009        Exclusive partner of Pro Events Int’l, FIFA Match Agent, based Hongkong
2007 – Present    Local Commercial Partner of World Sport Group based Singapore
2007 – present    Commercial Partner of Professional Golf Association (PGPI)
2006 –  2009      Chairman / CEO, PT. Martha Global Persada
2006 – 2008        Under license of Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia as Agent Players
2006 – Present    Sports Management Consultant
2003 – 2006        Independent Management Agent Players
2003                  Marketing Director Production PT. Seven Production House
2000 – 2002       PR & Marketing Manager PT. AXA Life Indonesia
2000                  Production Manager PT. Seven Production House


EVENT EXPERIENCE
2011            Indonesia PGA Championship & the Series, for 7 cities
2010            Preparation for the Indonesia PGA Championship & the Series for reccee team
Project Director for Alumsi Sipil (ALSI) ITB Congress with Vice Ministry of Transportation. (Seminary, Congress & Golf Tournament)
Project Director for Alumni ITB 85 Golf Tournament
2006 – 2009 Project Director for Manchester United Tour ASIA – Indonesia
Approaching, Preparation, Nego   
2008 – 2009 Event Consultant for Mercedes Benz Master ASEAN Tour


ORGANIZATION EXPERIENCE
2009            Junior Chamber International - Bogor
2008-2009    Member of Networkers International (Britcharm, Amcharm)
2008-2009    Vice Jenderal Secetary of Lembaga Pengusaha Pemuda Pancasila
2008-2009    Ketua Kompartemen Peluang Bisnis HIPMI DKI Jaya ‘Konstitusi’
2007            Member of BPC HIPMI BATAM
2007            Organizer of BPD HIPMI KEPRI
2007 - present  Member of BPD HIPMI DKI JAYA                


OTHER EXPERIENCE

• As a guest lecturer into Sekolah Bisnis Managemen ITB Bandung.
• As a motivator speaker for YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR: 2007 into Universitas Pancasila Jakarta, Universitas Trisakti Jakarta, Universitas Paramadina Jakarta, ITB’s exibhition Kartika Chandra Jakarta, Bincang Santai BPD HIPMI KEPRI – Batam,

HONOUR & AWARD

• One of the Powerful Women of the year (2008) under 40, SWA Magazine
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U.S. Senate Votes to Increase Minimum Wage

On February 1, 2007, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly (94-3) to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over two years, but packaged the increase with small business tax cuts, limits on corporate pay and a ban on awarding federal contracts to companies that hire illegal immigrants.

The legislation would raise the minimum wage in three steps: to $5.85 an hour upon taking effect 60 days after the president signs it into law; to $6.55 an hour a year later; and to $7.25 an hour a year after that.

Besides increasing the minimum wage, the bill would extend for five years a tax credit for businesses that hire the disadvantaged and provide expensing and depreciation advantages to small firms. The tax breaks would be paid for by closing loopholes on offshore tax shelters, capping deferred compensation payments to corporate executives and removing the deductibility of punitive damage payments and fines. Senators also adopted an amendment that would bar companies that hire illegal immigrants from obtaining federal contracts.

The bill must now be reconciled with the U.S. House version passed on January 10, 2007 that contained no tax provisions. House Democrats have insisted on a minimum wage bill with no strings attached, but President Bush has encouraged House Democrats to accept the Senate version of the bill.

N. DeWayne Pope, DeWayne Pope LLC

Job Discrimination Filings Rise in 2006

The Washington Post Online ran a story this week on the increase for the first time in four years in federal job discrimination complaints filed by workers against private employers.

Some noteworthy statistics:

* Discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission increased to 75,768 during the 2006 budget year from 75,428 the previous year.

* Allegations of race discrimination, with 27,238 charges, accounted for 35.9% of all filings last year.

* Sex discrimination accounted for 23,247 complaints, or 30.7% of all filings last year.

* Charges based on retaliation rose to 22,555, or 29.8% of all complaints.

* Discrimination complaints based on disability rose to 15,625, or 20.6% of all filings.

* Age discrimination came to 13,569 or 17.9% of all complaints filed in 2006.

* National origin complaints came to 8,327, or 11% of the total.

* Religious discrimination complaints totaled 2,541, or 3.4% of all filings.

* Equal pay complaints were 663, or 0.9% of all filings.

Link to Washington Post article

N. DeWayne Pope, DeWayne Pope LLC

Family Businesses and the Harbert Family Conflict

I do not know anything about the Harbert scandal other than what is reported in the papers. (See article linked to below.) But as I read the stories, I think myself and every corporate lawyer in the city gets a little nervous. Knowing the large-scale amounts of money involved, I have no doubt that the best lawyers assisted in the negotiation of this transaction. Yet even with all the legal firepower brought to the table, the transaction still ended in two factions of the family going to war with one another.

There are several points that I can take away from this ugly episode:

First, even the best laid plans and most well documented transaction can end in litigation.

Second, family situations always complicate matters. Family businesses are a tough nut to crack, and books have been written about how to manage a family business. This is a classic example of a transition from the first generation to the second generation, and given the financial success of Harbert currently it is somewhat unique in that the transition happened as well as it did. However, a conflict always exists between family members who were working in the business and family members who are out of the business. To what extent should the family member working in the business bring value to the family members who are out of the business. There is no easy answer to this question, and perhaps each situation is different.

Finally, always consider getting a lawyer. These documents that we ask you to sign do have consequences. I have had people sign documents in all sorts of situations, as apparently the documents were signed by the sister. Quite frankly as a transactional attorney when I get to the table while you are free to read the document, it is my hope and expectation that you have already familiarize yourself with the documents, had questions answered, and prepare to sign them. Otherwise, I'm going to be at the table for very long time, and this usually is not the best and most efficient use of my time. Often I perform a transaction “for the deal". I can do this (see rule below), but the ethical obligations make such representation difficult. A lot of times you need to do it, otherwise you are going to over burden what should be a simple deal. Nonetheless, I think people – particularly business people – bear some of the burden of realizing the competing loyalties in any transaction.

I expect the clients to know what they're signing. If they do not understand that I do expect that they will take up their disclaimer and get their own lawyer. If I'm working with a lawyer on the other side of the transaction, I have much more confidence that their representation in the transaction will help complete the deal in a much more professional manner and frankly much more enforceable as there is no discussion about whether the parties understood what they were signing. In short, I always encourage people (assuming that they are not going to charge my client) to get their own lawyer.

From a lawyer's perspective, I think we as a profession need to do a better job to get the knowledge of the representation down, understand this fundamental deal points in the transaction, and review the deal in an efficient manner which does not cause undue cost, but also adequately represent the interest of the client. I think that is the challenge for me, but also think it is a challenge that our profession (if we want to remain relevant in the business world) needs to address.

Mike Goodrich, Goodrich Law Firm, LLC

LINKS:
"Harbert Heiress Sues Brother Over Family Cash," Birmingnam Business Journal (12/22/06)

Review of Restrictive Covenants of Employers' Employees

Not long ago I posted a blog about a recent Alabama Supreme Court case concerning restrictive covenants. Since that time, I've come across two articles that reflect the dynamic and conflict between employers concerned and employees concern. First in the employee context is an article in the New York Times (see below) that details how the employee in has to handle being asked to sign a non-compete clause and shows how little bargaining power employee has.

But on the other hand is a recent lawsuit by the University of Alabama Birmingham against a former professor who allegedly stole a certain goal of property rights developed at wall being a professor at the University. If the allegations are true, then this professor took an asset that is now valued at $24.3 million and used it for her own personal gain.

LINKS:

The Noncompete Clause: Balk at Your Own Risk, New York Times Online (1/21/07)

"Ex-professor's Company Sued," The Birmingham News (1/21/07)

Mike Goodrich, Goodrich Law Firm, LLC

Tech Tip: Jott Yourself a Reminder

Have you ever wished that there was an easy way to send yourself a note or a reminder while out of the office or away from home? Now you can. Just pick up your cell phone and dial Jott. The service not only forwards recorded messages to you via e-mail, it also transcribes them into text. Best of all, it's free!

In my initial tests, Jott did an impressive job turning my messages into text. If you are like a friend of mine that often leaves herself reminders using voice mail, Jott is a high-tech alternative that's worth a try.

Link to Jott.

N. DeWayne Pope, DeWayne Pope LLC

SBA Provides Free Small Business Podcasts

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering a series of podcasts free on its website. Podcast feeds deliver audio broadcasts to your desktop. You can also listen to these files on your computer or download them to your MP3 player. Current topics include: Check List for Starting a Business, SBA Programs Support Entrepreneurial Veterans, Is Entrepreneurship for You?, The SBA Small Business Training Network—Log On!, Selecting a Business That Fits, Disaster Preparedness for Business Owners, Financing a Small Business, Creating a Business Plan, and Making Your Business Plan Work for You. If you would rather read than listen, the site also offers Word-formatted transcripts of the podcasts. The SBA will be adding additional feeds every month on small business topics.

N. DeWayne Pope, DeWayne Pope LLC