Find Lawyers in Ohio, United States for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Practice Area Overview
Depending on the jurisdiction, closely held company law may differ significantly from the law of the same jurisdiction that is applicable to corporations and other enterprises that are publicly held. For example, in many jurisdictions owners in closely held companies are subject to heightened fiduciary duties to one another, which may preclude structural actions or transactions that would be permissible in the public company sphere. On the other hand, closely held companies are free from many of the disclosure and other regulations that constrain publicly held enterprises in their activities. This is true even when the closely held company is of equal size as a publicly held participant in the same industry. Practitioners in this area must be experts in recognizing these legal and regulatory differences and also be aware of the alternative governance frameworks available in other jurisdictions.
The key challenge in family business law is to structure an environment in which familial goals and interests and enterprise goals are mutually reinforcing. This requires empathy and creativity on the part of the practitioner, particularly the ability to translate essentially non-legal concepts such as stewardship into legal script, all in a tax-efficient manner.
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James F. Contini is a director of Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., L.P.A., and currently serves as a member of the firm’s management committee. His focus is primarily in estate planning, business succession planning, probate, estate and trust administration, elder law, business law, and real estate law.
Eric Estadt joined Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP in 2022 and is a member of the firm’s Business Law Practice Group. He has experience supporting a wide range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to individuals, protecting and enforcing their trademarks in a wide array of industries. Eric specializes in utility and design patents in the mechanical, medical device, pharmaceutical, and electronics industries.
Paul Fidler joined the firm in 1996 and became a Partner in 2003. He works with individuals, businesses, and foundations, and his practice emphasizes estate planning and administration; trust administration; income taxation of estates, trusts, and individuals; planning for charitable gifts and foundations; and business succession planning. Paul is a frequent speaker and author on a wide range of estate planning topics. In particular, he has a strong expertise in qualified retirement plans and...
Stephen H. Gariepy chairs Hahn Loeser’s nationally respected Estate Planning and Business Succession Group. Steve focuses his practice on leading-edge estate planning techniques. His ability to design creative and comprehensive plans – and make them practical and understandable – has attracted clients nationwide from the ranks of Forbes 400, business owners, families and nonprofit organizations. Steve regularly counsels owners of privately held companies and guides business ...
Ann Gerwin is a general business and corporate lawyer. She concentrates her practice on the representation of closely-held businesses and their owners and management, assisting with financing and venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, distribution, employee issues, shareholder disputes, succession planning for management and ownership. Ann’s transactional practice includes stock/asset purchases of diverse operating entities, including all related due diligence and ne...
Stan serves his colleagues as Hahn Loeser’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s Cleveland office, and co-chair of its Business Practice Area. Stan handles a wide range of complex matters involving real estate, general corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, financing and gaming. Stan has experience leading major acquisitions throughout the United States, representing clients establishing operations overseas, representing lenders and borro...
For his near four decade career as an attorney, Kevin's practice has been concentrated within the areas of business and tax law for closely held businesses and real estate and tax for companies and governmental agencies involved within the real estate industry. His expertise in federal and state tax law has allowed him to counsel his clients within the business community and real estate industry to structure the transactions on a tax-advantaged basis. His business law practice involves merger...
Mr. Hirsch focuses his practice on representing individuals and companies engaged in real estate and business transactions. His clients include manufacturers and service providers in various industries, as well as tenants, landlords, developers, and lending institutions. Mr. Hirsch has experience in commercial real estate acquisitions, sales, development, financing, leasing and joint venture formation. He is also experienced in business acquisitions and sales, corporate organization/governanc...
Bryan K. Hogue is the Managing Partner of Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP. He has been a lawyer for 35 years and concentrates his practice in the representation of business owners and closely held businesses concerning their general business matters, estate, tax and business succession planning. He currently co-chairs the Business Department at CPM, which provides a wide range of services for corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and other business organizations. He previou...
Jim Jansing is co-leader of the firm’s Business Representation and Transactions Group . His practice is concentrated in the general corporate, finance and international corporate areas. He acts in a general counsel capacity for several firm clients. He has substantial experience in private aircraft financing transactions, ship construction, ship financing and logistics (container, generator and chassis) matters. He represents both public and closely-held corporations pertaining to inter...
Stephen J. Knerly, Jr. focuses his practice on matters involving art transactions, nonprofit corporate law, closely held and family-owned businesses and international commercial transactions. Josh serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Non-Profit Institutions section. In his art law practice, Josh has represented museums, foundations, trusts and collectors in the acquisition, disposition, lending and borrowing of and estate planning for works of art, including domestic and international trans...
David C. Krock has over 34 years of experience as a lawyer, CPA (non-practicing), trust officer and tax advisor. His law practice is concentrated primarily in the areas of estate planning, business succession planning, charitable planned giving, probate, tax and providing general counsel to small and medium size businesses. Mr. Krock is a member of Eastman & Smith. Mr. Krock graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1982 where he was a member of the law review. He is a mem...
Jane Higgins Marx joined Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP in August 2000 and practices estate and business planning, probate, probate litigation, business succession planning and elder law. Jane counsels individuals, business owners, executives and caregivers on matters of estate planning, estate and gift taxation, income taxation of trusts and estates, charitable giving, business succession and probate. She provides comprehensive planning for disability, including counseling on special needs...
Don Rafferty combines his experience in the areas of business restructuring, commercial finance, corporate law, and litigation to provide legal and strategic advice to the firm’s business clients on a wide range of issues. Don frequently counsels clients who either are experiencing financial stress or are dealing with distressed companies. He has advised on sales, acquisitions, and restructurings for numerous middle-market companies. Don has significant experience in transactions, dispu...
Brent Rosenthal joined Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP in July 2007. Brent focuses on representing closely-held businesses and their owners in a broad scope of their legal needs including – business formation and structuring, finance, transactions (including acquisitions and contract preparation and analysis), employment and general business and legal counseling. Brent’s commercial real estate practice includes representing buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and developers in th...
Jennifer is a partner at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP. She serves as a high net worth family counselor with knowledge and understanding of sophisticated estate planning techniques and the broader needs of high net worth families. Her strength lies in communicating complex matters in plain terms and working collaboratively as part of an advisor team to provide practical counsel to multigenerational families consistent with their risk tolerance, goals, family dynamics, and desire for comple...
Dave has over 35 years experience counseling clients on all aspects of business law. His advice includes the legal aspects of the formation, operation, disposition, merger and acquisition of closely held enterprises. Dave has significant experience in estate and gift planning, advanced retirement plan designs, and the operation of tax-qualified plans. He also represents clients in IRS tax controversies, particularly those arising out of retirement plan audits and estate gift tax audits.
James M. Zimmerman is a partner in Taft’s Business and Finance Group and co-chair of the firm’s private equity and venture capital practice. He represents businesses, entrepreneurs and investors on a range of matters, including financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, technology licensing agreements, and stock options/executive compensation. James serves as outside counsel for numerous startups and growth companies, and represents private equity and ...
Mike Schauer is a Partner in the Business and Real Estate practice groups. Prior to joining the firm, Mike served as in-house counsel for closely held companies and worked closely with ownership to facilitate rapid and sustained growth across business units throughout the United States. Mike advises and assists clients on transactional, employment, cybersecurity, and real estate matters. His day-to-day corporate practice encompasses entity formation, commercial contracting, mergers and acquis...
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