Qualified small business stock (“QSBS”) tax incentives have sometimes been described as the holy grail of tax planning, and for good reason. QSBS rules, where applicable, can provide a complete federal income tax exemption for large portions (and potentially all) of the otherwise taxable gains recognized by founders, employees and early-stage investors from the sale of stock in many technology and other companies. The panel will address strategies and techniques for maximizing QSBS benefits at formation and throughout holding periods, transactional structures for realizing these benefits in M&A, IPO and other exit events, as well as critical advance planning steps which are needed post-exit in order to preserve and defend these benefits during audits with taxing authorities.