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Practice Focus and Experience
Bill Griffin practices in the Business Law Group, the Commercial and Real Estate Finance Group, the Land Use and Real Estate Group, and the Public Finance Group. He primarily represents privately owned and publicly held businesses in a variety of business and real estate transactions. He has also acted as bond counsel in many tax-exempt bond financings.

Versatility has been the watchword of Bill's professional career. He has extensive experience with sophisticated business and financial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions; public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities; venture capital financing; tax-exempt bonds; tax shelter syndications; equipment lease transactions; state and municipal finance; foreign investment in U.S. real estate; and bank and utility regulation. He also has extensive experience in real estate transactions, including condominiums, subdivisions, mortgages and mortgage foreclosures, commercial leasing, construction and permanent financing, as well as zoning practice, litigation, work-outs and asset recoveries.

Although primarily a business and real estate lawyer, Bill has briefed and argued numerous appellate cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the Maine Supreme Court. He is the author of numerous articles on bank holding companies, commodity pools, government-assisted financing and tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Bill has also conducted or been a panelist at continuing legal education seminars on corporate practice, mergers and acquisitions, fiduciary duties of officers, directors and business owners and the new Massachusetts Business Corporation Act.

Representative Matters
  • Obtained a $7 million award for a large Boston landowner in arbitration proceedings involving eminent domain takings and contract disputes with a public transportation authority.
  • Served as bond counsel for eight Massachusetts Development Finance Agency tax-exempt bond issues totaling $24 million during the first six months of 2007. List of Representative Bond Counsel Experience
  • Served as underwriter’s counsel for a $150 million tax-exempt bond issue for a large urban development project.
  • Represented the seller in a $200 million Boston real estate transaction.
  • Represented a regional bank in a $62 million financing of a Pennsylvania energy company.
  • Represented the issuers in two initial public offerings of $83 million and $69 million, respectively.
  • Represented the selling shareholders of a high-tech manufacturing firm in an arbitration case involving financial projections in a corporate merger and successfully negotiated a settlement of the dispute.
  • Served as an expert witness in a legal malpractice case involving a golf course development on Martha's Vineyard.
  • Represented a local bank lender with respect to $5 million term, bridge loan and working capital financings for the purchase of four nursing homes.
  • Represented a regional bank lender with respect to $12.5 million in working capital and term loan financings for a medical imaging company, a $12 million secured line of credit for a real estate investor, $5.2 million in line of credit and construction mortgage financings for a defense subcontractor, and a $3 million line of credit for a collection services company.
  • Represented a long-standing client with respect to the financing of the purchase of the Los Angeles Dodgers and related real estate.
  • Represented the successful bidder for a municipal golf course management contract in a contested bid dispute in Middlesex Superior Court.
  • Represented a potential purchaser of the Boston Red Sox and New England Sports Network, including planning for the development of a new ballpark.
  • Represented a state economic development agency and a western Massachusetts municipality in a $12 million financing for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, including a $3.8 million loan under the HUD Section 108 Loan Guaranty Program.
  • Represented a venture capital investor in an early-stage investment in a local bio-pharmaceutical company.
  • Represented a real estate developer in a $28 million term loan from a major insurance company.
  • Represented Micro Robotics Systems, Inc. in its $65 million acquisition by Newport Corporation for publicly held securities and cash.
  • Represented a client in the acquisition of a 9.9% equity interest in a publicly traded retail chain, including regulatory compliance, proxy solicitation and poison pill issues.
  • Represented the owners of 50% of a large privately held convenience store and retail gasoline business in proceedings before the Delaware Chancery Court involving proposals for the tax-free division or sale of assets of the company.
  • Represented a principal stockholder of a privately held chain of garden centers in the tax-free reorganization and spin-off of its Martha's Vineyard subsidiary.
  • Represented a national health food distributor in a $7.5 million refinancing of bank debt and a $9.2 million recapitalization of subordinated debt for preferred stock.
  • Represented a distributor of household products in a refinancing of a $17.5 million senior line of credit, a $5 million senior term loan and a $7 million recapitalization of senior subordinated debt and junior subordinated debt.
  • Represented a distributor of plumbing, heating and industrial supplies in a reverse like-kind exchange of real estate for a branch location.
  • Represented a regional bank lender in a $2.8 million line of credit and letter of credit financing for a Boston law firm.
  • Represented the owners of a seafood distribution center in the remarketing of $4.4 million of tax-free revenue bonds.
Professional
  • Distinctions: Peer review "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest bestowed rating; Massachusetts Super Lawyer, 2004, 2005.
  • Admitted: Massachusetts; United States Supreme Court; United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts; United States Tax Court.
  • Member: Boston Bar Association; Massachusetts Bar Association; Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts; National Association of Bond Lawyers; National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (Member, Economic Development Committee).
Community Involvement
  • Director of the Melrose YMCA (1983 - date).
  • Vice President and General Counsel of Bellevue Golf Club (1980 - date).
  • Special Counsel to the City of Melrose and member of the Melrose Water and Sewer Advisory Committee (1992 - 1998).
  • Chairman of the Melrose Youth Commission (1973-1975).
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William F. Griffin, Jr.
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phone 617.367.2500
fax 617.523.6215
wgriffin@davismalm.com
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Education
  • J.D. (cum laude), Harvard Law School, 1967.
  • B.A. ( magna cum laude), Harvard College, 1964.