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Farmer_Malcolm

Malcolm Farmer III

Retired PartnerProvidence

During his time at the firm, Mac’s practice focused on the area of financial transactions of all kinds, combined with a general corporate practice. His clients included in-state and out-of-state banks and other types of financial institutions, as well as U.S. and foreign corporations of all sizes. He had experience in real estate loans, secured and unsecured commercial loans, industrial revenue bond transactions, including sale/leaseback structures, and other specialized banking transactions such as letters of credit, syndicated financings, leveraged buyouts, and loans tailored to specific industries. Mac’s general corporate practice area involved mergers, acquisitions, and purchase and sale of businesses. Mac chaired the Firm’s Nonprofit practice group. He had an extensive practice representing Nonprofit organizations of all kinds.

Embedded with his broader corporate and nonprofit practice, Mac extended his legal experience in sports and entertainment. His legal counsel has not only shaped the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s trajectory but also extended to advising a minor league baseball team, negotiating sponsorship deals in professional golf and platform tennis, and representing the visionary founder of a team in an ambitious international professional hockey league venture.

Work Experience

  • Hinckley Allen
    • Chair, Nonprofit Law Group
    • Partner (1971-Present)
    • Associate (1964-1965; 1969-1971)
  • Lawyers' Constitutional Defense Committee - Jackson, Mississippi
    • Staff Attorney (1965-1967)
  • Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency & Criminal Administration
    • Executive Director (1967-1969)

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America® (1993-2021, 2025-2026)
    • Lawyer of the Year (2013)
    • Banking and Finance Law
    • Public Finance Law
  • Lucy's Hearth, Community Hero Award (2024)
  • Super Lawyers
    • Rhode Island (2008-2018)
    • Massachusetts (2004)
  • Family Service of Rhode Island, Brighter Futures Award (2015)
  • Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame, (2007)
  • Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business in the categories of Corporate/Commercial: Banking & Finance (Senior Statesmen)
  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV Peer Review Rating, Recipient
  • Municipal Bond Attorneys of the United States, The Bond Buyer's Directory of Municipal Bond Dealers of The United States (the "Red Book")

Charitable & Civic Involvement

  • Cloister of Distinguished Alumni, St. Mark's School - Southborough, MA (2017-present)
  • Family Service of Rhode Island, Inc.
    • Board President (2002-2015)
    • President Emeritus; Strategic Planning Committee Chair (2016-Present)
  • International Tennis Hall of Fame, General Counsel
  • Providence City Council
    • Councilman (1979-1991)
    • Minority Leader (1983-1991)
  • Secretary, Assistant Secretary, or Member of Board of Directors for a number of corporate and nonprofit clients

Professional Affiliations

  • Agawam Hunt Club
  • American Bar Association
  • Mill Reef Club (Antigua)
  • Rhode Island Bar Association
  • Rhode Island Commodores

Bar Memberships

  • Massachusetts, 1985
  • Rhode Island, 1964
  • United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, 1966
Publication

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Implications for Tax-exempt Entities

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enacted at the end of 2017 had an immediate impact on all taxpayers, including tax-exempt entities. Nonprofits are faced with new excise taxes, changes to…

Publication

Family Service of Rhode Island Announces Board Appointments

Family Service of Rhode Island has announced that the Honorable Malcolm Farmer, III, has been elected president emeritus of the non-profit's board of directors. Mr. Farmer has served as president of the…

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Firm News

Hinckley Allen Recognized for Excellence: 75% Attorneys Honored in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026

Hinckley Allen is proud to announce that 127 of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, representing 75% of the firm’s legal team.

Firm News

Community Leader Malcolm Farmer III Recognized as 2024 Community Hero by Lucy’s Hearth

Malcolm Farmer III, Partner and lifelong Rhode Islander, has been recognized with the 2024 Community Hero Award by Lucy’s Hearth at the recent Fall for Lucy’s Hearth event. “We are so grateful…

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Case Study

Hinckley Allen Represents International Tennis Hall of Fame in the Sale of its Association of Tennis Professionals Tournament

Hinckley Allen represented the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) in the successful negotiation of the sale of its Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournament, currently known as the Infosys Hall of…

Case Study

Acquisition of tax-exempt status and regulatory approvals for a national non-profit

Hinckley Allen organized the nonprofit organization, obtained qualification under IRC §501(c)(3) and structured the governance and organizational policies and provisions of a multi-state educational reform advocacy organization. Compliance with federal and state…