Hinckley Allen’s Privately Held and Family-Owned Business Practice Group has been a trusted partner to numerous thriving privately held and family-owned businesses throughout the Northeast for many years. Our dedicated team of attorneys brings a wealth of expertise in various legal disciplines, including governance, succession planning, labor and employment, and tax considerations. Serving businesses in a wide range of industries, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with being a privately held or family-owned business.
Creating partnerships that last.
Our award-winning attorneys serve as both legal advisors and business consultants, delivering a comprehensive suite of legal services essential to our clients’ success. With an unwavering commitment to strong, enduring relationships, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with every enterprise we serve. Our legal representation is marked by a proactive and adaptable approach, adeptly addressing the ever-evolving demands of our clients. At Hinckley Allen, we understand the importance of creating strategies and protocols that safeguard our clients’ business interests, all while preserving valuable interpersonal relationships.
We offer comprehensive services aligned with your business needs, including:
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Trusts & Estates
- Real Estate
- Labor & Employment
- Construction
- Tax
- Cybersecurity, Privacy & Data Protection
Across a wide range of industries and types of business, including:
- Construction
- Manufacturing and Distribution
- Medical Practices
- Personal Service Firms
- Real Estate Management and Development
- Family Office
Representative Experience
- Hinckley Allen assisted client Halloran Consulting Group, Inc., a woman-owned, life sciences consulting firm, in establishing an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The company was built and grown by the founder, and as part of her long term planning, she saw the ESOP as a way to recognize the important contributions of employees. The Firm analyzed succession-planning options with the founder, evaluated trustees for the employee stock ownership trust, and collaborated with the company’s tax advisors and trustee’s counsel to structure and establish the ESOP. The Firm then represented the Estate of Laura Halloran in the sale of the company, which was partially owned by the ESOP, to a global provider of comprehensive healthcare services.
- Hinckley Allen advised the owners of a 3rd generation family-owned manufacturing business in connection with its sale of the business to a private equity buyer. The transaction involved tax planning for the individual and trust shareholders, navigating competing interests among the shareholders, and addressing real estate which was separately owned by a different set of family members.
- Hinckley Allen represented the shareholders of a family-owned manufacturing business in connection with its sale to a private equity buyer. The transaction involved navigating numerous issues among the shareholders, each of whom were to take on different roles and responsibilities with the buyer. Hinckley Allen has continued to represent the company post-closing, working closely with the legacy family shareholders and new ownership.
Hinckley Allen Guides Complex ESOP for Family-Owned Construction Firm
Hinckley Allen represented Rifenburg Holdings, Inc. (“Rifenburg”) in the sale of 100% ownership interests to the organization’s newly formed Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Rifenburg, one of Upstate New York’s oldest and largest family-owned …
New Connecticut Workplace Legislation: What Employers Need to Know
May 13, 2026Connecticut employers, take note: sweeping workforce legislation was signed by Governor Ned Lamont on May 11, 2026, and the compliance clock is ticking. On April 29, 2026, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed Substitute House Bill No. 5003, “A…
DOL Proposes a Rule Reverting to 2021 Framework for Classifying Workers
February 27, 2026The classification of employees versus independent contractors continues to be a hot topic, especially in an economy where more businesses outsource work to independent contractors. Classification matters because it determines which workers are covered by …
Libbie Howley O’Keeffe Named a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Go To Lawyer for Business Transactions
February 23, 2026Hinckley Allen Partner Libbie Howley O’Keeffe has been named a 2026 Go To Lawyer for Business Transactions by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, recognizing her leadership and deep experience advising closely held and family-owned businesses on compl…
Hinckley Allen Accelerates Growth with Partner and Counsel Elevations for 2026
January 7, 2026Hinckley Allen is pleased to announce that Janelle A. Pelli has been elevated to Partner and Seta Accaoui has been elevated to Counsel, both effective January 1, 2026. These promotions reflect the firm’s sustained growth over the past year and its ongoin…
