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Doran_Jennifer

Jennifer V. Doran

Partner Boston

Jennifer focuses her practice on business law, with an emphasis on closely held and family owned businesses, commercial transactions, and creditors’ rights.

She specializes in advising closely held businesses on intergenerational issues, succession planning, and growth strategies, including mergers and acquisitions, ESOPs, and intra-company transactions. Jennifer also counsels clients on formation issues, joint ventures, contract preparation, security issues, equipment leasing, distribution rights, licensing, and other commercial matters. She has particular expertise in the construction and distribution industries.

Jennifer also represents creditors in insolvency and bankruptcy matters including workouts, preference and fraudulent transfer actions, the assumption of real estate leases, single purpose entity structures, the acquisition of assets from bankruptcy, and other issues facing both secured and unsecured creditors.

Jennifer serves on Hinckley Allen’s Executive Committee and as Co-Chair of the Privately Held & Family Owned Business group.

Experience

Representative Closely Held Business Matters

  • Advise multi-generational business on a restructuring transaction to transition ownership to the next generation
  • Represent life sciences consulting firm in connection with sale of minority interest to an Employee Stock Ownership Trust
  • Represent construction business in connection with sale of minority interest to an Employee Stock Ownership Trust
  • Represent distribution business in the sale of all of its assets
  • Prepare succession plans and contingency plans for numerous clients
  • Serve as outside general counsel to numerous companies
  • Advise clients in connection with the acquisition of assets
  • Draft joint venture agreements for clients, particularly those in the real estate, construction and distribution industries

Representative Bankruptcy Matters

  • Chief workout and restructuring counsel to heavy civil construction company with over $1 billion in annual revenues, and subsequent role as special counsel in company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case
  • Counsel to numerous third party plan proponents in Chapter 11 cases of equipment leasing, real estate and commercial/industrial companies culminating in confirmation of plans of reorganization
  • Counsel to landlords in national bankruptcy cases, including Circuit City, Divine Inc., Nortel Networks and Polaroid Corporation
  • Counsel to reclamation creditors in Federal Mogul and Delphi bankruptcy cases
  • Extensive experience representing purchasers in asset sales under § 363 with respect to a wide variety of assets, including commercial real estate, shopping mall leases, asphalt plant, hotels and manufacturing businesses
  • Counsel to numerous construction companies in the bankruptcy of owners, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, addressing issues including project close-out, mechanics’ liens, settlement of claims and joint venture issues
  • Represented major financial institution in the bankruptcy of its principal contractor and addressed project close-out and mechanics’ lien issues
  • Counsel to creditor in a dispute over copyright ownership with a debtor attempting to sell assets free of the copyright interest
  • Represented holder of right of first refusal in bankruptcy of property owner
  • Successfully defended numerous preference and fraudulent transfer representing millions of dollars of exposure in bankruptcy cases throughout the United States

Representative Corporate Trust Matters

  • Counsel to two large financial institutions in prosecuting their claims against Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. (“LBHI”) in connection with defaults occurring under securitized residential mortgage loans for which the financial institutions served as trustee.  Representation included the formal mediation of claims against LBHI
  • Represented three large financial institutions in connection with the sale of over $60 billion in mortgage servicing rights from Aurora Loan Services LLC, a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., to Nationstar Mortgage LLC
  • Served as counsel to two large financial institutions in connection with a resignation and appointment of a successor indenture trustee and a successor Delaware trustee on multiple Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch residential mortgage-backed securitization programs
  • Represented financial institutions in connection with the sale of numerous portfolios of mortgage servicing rights
  • Advise financial institutions with respect to default issues relating to default issues arising in securitized transactions

Credentials

Work Experience

  • Hinckley Allen
    • Executive Committee Member
    • Chair, Bankruptcy, Creditors' Rights & Workout
    • Partner (2009-Present)
    • Associate (2001-2008)
    • Summer Associate (2000)
  • Health Law Advocates, Inc.
    • Research Assistant (1999)

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America® (2018-2024)
    • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Boston Magazine, Top Lawyers (2022-2023)
    • Corporate Counsel
  • Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Go To Lawyer (2022)
    • Business Transactions
  • Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Massachusetts (2005-2016)
  • Boston Bar Association, Law Day Honoree, Public Interest Leadership Program (2009)

Charitable & Civic Involvement

  • Boston YMCA, Education and Training Branch, Advisory Board Member
  • Johns Hopkins, Alumni Association; Second Decade Society, Member
  • MCLE 17th, 18th and 19th Annual New England Bankruptcy Law Conference, Co-Chair
  • New England Network of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, Co-Chair (2013-2015)

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • American Bar Association
  • Boston Bar Association
    • Bankruptcy Committee, Co-Chair (2017-2019)
    • Co-Chair (2014-2016)
    • Young Lawyers Committee, Bankruptcy, Co-Chair (2004-2006)
    • Public Interest Leadership Program, Member (2006-2007)
  • International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation
  • Rhode Island Bar Association
  • Turnaround Management Association

Bar Memberships

  • Massachusetts, 2002
  • Rhode Island, 2002
  • United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, 2002
  • United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, 2010

Newsroom

Publication

Is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) the Right Succession Tool for You?

Succession planning is complicated but essential for any closely held business. A business needs to consider the next generation of leadership to ensure that the business remains viable, retains its value and fulfills its obligations to employees, customer…

Publication

'Permanent scars': Kane's lawsuit not the only family feud to rattle a Mass. business

The Boston Business Journal spoke with Partner Jennifer Doran, a member of Hinckley Allen’s Privately Held & Family Owned Business industry group, about the sibling fight within Kane’s Donut chain and her thoughts on the importance of planning ahea…

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Firm News

Hinckley Allen’s Legal Excellence Recognized by Boston Magazine

Hinckley Allen is pleased to announce that numerous attorneys have been recognized by Boston Magazine, earning the prestigious title of "The Top Lawyers of 2023." This annual accolade, initiated in 2021, is designed to highlight outstanding legal talent in…

Firm News

Hinckley Allen Attorneys Named in Best Lawyers in America® 2024

A multitude of Hinckley Allen attorneys are recognized in their respective practice areas in Best Lawyers® 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. In addition, 11 Hinckley Allen attorneys were named in the “Lawyers of the Year” category, as wel…

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Case Study

Hinckley Allen Secures Complex Financing Package for Construction of Medical Campus at Rock Row in Westbrook Maine

In a remarkable display of legal acumen, Hinckley Allen successfully closed a highly intricate financing transaction, marking an exciting moment for long-time client Waterstone Properties Group. The over $100 Million financing will help facilitate the cons…

Case Study

A Wrongful Termination – Power Plant Contract Cut Short is Made Right

After three years of litigation, global energy leader and Hinckley Allen client Iberdrola Energy Projects, Inc. ("IEP") won an international arbitration against Footprint Power Salem Harbor Development, LP ("Footprint") with an award of $237 million, inclu…

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Events

Past Event

WEBINAR: Governance Issues for the Family Business

June 2, 2022

On behalf of the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Partner Jennifer V. Doran will be joined by Alexis Dunn, Esq. of A.A. Will Corp. to discuss governance in privately held and family businesses. Participants will be able to hear best …

Past Event

Acquiring Financially Distressed Businesses During the Pandemic: How to Avoid Traps for the Unwary

November 30, 2021

The current pandemic has created financial and other disruptions to numerous businesses throughout the country. As a result, the possibility of acquiring a distressed business has become a real opportunity for numerous companies that might not otherwise ha…

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