William F. Griffin, Jr.

 
 

Practice Focus and Experience


Bill Griffin practices in the Business Law and Real Estate and Environmental areas. 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.

Representative Matters


  • Representation of professional sports franchise owner in a Federal income tax appeal involving $148 million in adjustments to income.
  • Representation of long-time client in defending a nationwide consumer class action.
  • Represented two partners in a Boston law firm relating to restructuring of the firm's partnership agreement.
  • Representation of taxpayer in a $1 million deeds excise tax case before the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board.
  • Represented a regional banking corporation in providing credit enhancement for three tax-exempt bond issues totalling approximately $80 million.
  • Represented a local college requiring a bond counsel opinion in a private business use issue relating to the use of college property by a for-profit educational institution.
  • Represented the minority shareholders of a business trust which owned a small hotel in litigation contesting the extension of the life of the trust and negotiated a three-way settlement agreement with majority shareholders and purchaser of real estate.
  • Represented a non-profit community organization in a $7 million financing of the conversion of a former parochial school into a neighborhood community center, involving taxable and tax-exempt bonds, second mortgage, historic tax credits, state community service loan, and CDBG grant.
  • Represented the minority shareholders of a public company seeking representation on board of directors; settled potential proxy contest by negotiating the nomination and election of two of our clients as new directors.
  • 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 or agency counsel for 60 Massachusetts Development Finance Agency tax-exempt bond issues totaling over $280 million from 2007 to 2011. List of Representative Bond Counsel Experience

Professional


  • Distinctions: Peer Review AV® Preeminent™ 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.
  • Life Fellow: Massachusetts Bar Foundation.
  • Member: Boston Bar Association; Massachusetts Bar Association; Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Business and Commercial Law Curriculum Advisory Committee; National Association of Bond Lawyers; Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts.

Community Involvement


  • Director of the Melrose YMCA (1983 - date).
  • Vice President and General Counsel of Bellevue Golf Club (1980 - 2008).

Publications and Speaking Engagements


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