Best Lawyers in America for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
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Robert D. Wolford is a member of the Firm’s Management Committee and has been practicing law since 2001. He is a corporate lawyer who represents automotive suppliers and other manufacturers ranging from publicly traded to closely held as well as nonprofit. He has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions as well as workouts and bankruptcy. Mr. Wolford serves as the Legal Counsel to several groups including the Economic Club of Grand Rapids. He is one of the founders of the West...
Colleen Lyons has represented a wide assortment of public and private companies. However, the primary focus of her practice involves the representation of small- and medium-sized entities concerning matters ranging from entity selection, formation and structuring to counseling regarding ongoing operational and governance matters. She has a broad-based transactional practice with particular emphasis in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, commercial contracts and commercial le...
Mr. Merline is a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Merline has been with the firm since 1983. He is a certified specialist in the fields of both Taxation Law, and Estate Planning and Probate Law by The Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is listed in the book The Best Lawyers in America in the following fields: Business Organizations, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Employee Benefits Law, Litigation - ERISA, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Litigation and...
Mayer S. Klein is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Litigation - Real Estate. Mayer S. practices law in Clayton, Missouri Best Lawyers has recognized Mayer S. Klein since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in wh...
Marvin C. Kloeppel is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law and Tax Law. Marvin C. practices law in Jacksonville, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized Marvin C. Kloeppel since 2021. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Marvin C. Kloeppel is held by other lawyers.
Anna Price focuses her practice in the areas of simple and complex estate planning, estate administration, tax, corporations, and probate litigation. Working with a variety of clients, Anna has developed the skillset and relationships to plan for and administer estates of all levels. She practices from the firm’s Charleston, West Virginia office. Anna’s motivation is to provide clients peace of mind by helping them complete a plan they understand and appreciate. She handles the ad...
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...
Paul E. Alpuche, Jr. is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Tax Law. Paul E. practices law in Bethesda, Maryland Best Lawyers has recognized Paul E. Alpuche, Jr. since 2018. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which P...
I chair our firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Team of 15 transactional attorneys and tax specialists and assist our firm clients with regard to achieving their estate planning objectives. Having more than 30 years’ experience as an M&A attorney and corporate advisor, combined with being a CPA and having a master’s degree in taxation, provides me with a unique background and perspective to advise the firm’s business clients in achieving their goals in the most timel...
Beth Mcintosh Irving is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Real Estate Law. Beth practices law in Rockville, Maryland Best Lawyers has recognized Beth Mcintosh Irving since 2023. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in w...
Michael Schiavone has provided legal guidance to businesses for 30 years. He concentrates his practice in the areas of business law, commercial real estate, and estate planning. Mr. Schiavone is experienced in regularly counseling clients in a wide array of legal matters, including: Commercial lending and financial transactions Mergers and acquisitions Corporate, partnership, and limited liability matters Business formation Business succession planning Contract negotiation and dispute resolut...
JIM O'SULLIVAN represents closely-held businesses, including law firms and other service professionals. Serving as general counsel and primary contact for businesses and their owners, Jim focuses on the ongoing legal needs of these clients, as well as strategic planning for growth and ownership succession opportunities. Jim leverages his considerable planning, negotiation and contract drafting experience to counsel clients through key events such as business formation, joint ventures, mergers...
Dan's practice focuses on the representation of businesses and individuals in a wide range of corporate, finance, contract and tax-related matters. His work spans entity formation, business and shareholder planning, as well as the negotiation and drafting of virtually every type of commercial contract. In addition to these areas, Dan's practice includes advising clients in a variety of corporate finance transactions. This portion of Dan's practice focuses on secured financings, inventory fina...
Sean P. Murphy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law . Sean is also recognized by Martindale-Hubbell with an AV-Rating, denoting preeminence in law practice and peer-rated for the highest level of professional excellence and ethics. After founding The Law Offices of Sean P. Murphy & Associates, Sean was recruited to open the Naples, Florida office of The Lynch Law Group - a full-service firm representing bu...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
