PRACTICE AREAS

 

Business and Corporate. Tennant & Ewer, P.C. represents and counsels its business clients from formation through operation through sale. We represent all types of businesses, including consultants, independent contractors, partnerships, limited liability companies, business corporations, and professional corporations. We guide our clients through the development of business plans, choice of entity considerations, corporate and limited liability company structuring decisions, equity compensation arrangements, lease and contract negotiation, and real estate matters. Smart business and legal planning is essential upon formation to ensure long term success and business growth. We endeavor to ensure that our clients are well prepared to operate their businesses and avoid common legal pitfalls. Please visit the Articles section of our website for material that will answer certain basic questions relating to business formation and operation. Please contact us if you are thinking of starting a business, if you own a business and require legal guidance, or if you need assistance in selling your business.

Civil Litigation. Tennant & Ewer, P.C. has more than thirty years experience in representing clients in all manner of civil litigation. The success of our clients’ litigation matters is grounded on establishing a strategy early in the process that strives to ensure an efficient, cost effective result. The firm handles a wide range of civil disputes including business litigation (contract disputes, partnership and stockholder disputes, franchise disputes, unfair competition, unfair business practices), real estate litigation (purchase/sale disputes, buyer/seller disputes, title issues, adverse possession, partitions, commercial leasing disputes), insurance litigation (claims, bad faith, property damage, coverage issues, indemnity issues), and personal injury litigation (serious auto and pedestrian accidents, premises liability, construction site accidents, slip and fall, product liability, dog and animal attacks, general liability, and wrongful death).

Elder Law. We are experienced in the legal issues confronting persons as they age and those with disabilities and related issues of capacity, and the potential for undue influence by caretakers and others. Many of these issues are common estate planning issues, and include the preparation of Wills, Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney and Health Care Proxies. Some issues are unique to elder law, such as the creation of special trusts for disable persons receiving government benefits, planning to minimize long term care costs, and the determination of eligibility and filing of applications for MassHealth coverage of nursing home expenses.

Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxation. We educate our clients about Federal and Massachusetts transfer taxes, including the estate tax, gift tax, and generation-skipping transfer (commonly referred to as “GST”) taxes. We incorporate tax planning into the estate planning process, and work with clients to minimize transfer taxes, frequently through the use of trusts. We prepare estate, gift and GST tax returns for individual and fiduciary clients.

Estate Planning. We provide a wide range of estate planning services, ranging from the simple to the complex. Documents include Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies and Living Wills, along with a vast array of trusts. A trust may be revocable or irrevocable, for the purpose of gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, creditor protection, special needs planning, segregating assets in the context of today’s non-traditional families, or carrying out the terms of a divorce agreement. Our goal is to educate our clients on the various issues and options relevant to their estate plan, and to create documents which meet their needs and reflect their considered choices.

Guardian ad Litem. Attorney Craig serves as Guardian ad Litem in Category D matters in the Suffolk, Middlesex and Norfolk Probate County Courts. Category D matters include actions involving Probate of Wills, Proceedings for arbitration or compromise by fiduciaries, Accounts and settlements, Complaints or Petitions for Instructions, Commissioner for Insolvent estates, Administrators and Trustees.

Mediation/Arbitration. Attorney Ewer provides alternate dispute resolution (ADR) services. Please visit the Mediation/Arbitration page of this site for additional information about these services.

Probate and Estate Administration. The death of a loved one can be among the most devastating events of our lifetime, which is often only compounded by a sense of confusion about what to do or what to expect. We can help. We represent Executors and Administrators in obtaining their official appointment from the probate court, understanding and carrying out their role and responsibilities as fiduciaries, and minimizing potential personal liability. We frequent the probate courts of Middlesex, Norfolk and Suffolk Counties. We also represent beneficiaries of estates and trusts in understanding the process and enforcing their rights.

Probate Litigation. Probate Litigation includes legal disputes that arise when someone has died. Cases typically include issues concerning wills, trusts, estates, assets, joint bank accounts, gifts, capacity to serve as the legal representative, and other related issues and matters.

Real Estate. We represent a diverse range of real estate clients from individuals to major financial institutions in matters ranging from simple to complex transactions. Areas of practice include, but are not limited to, commercial and residential acquisitions and sales, residential mortgage closings for lenders and borrowers, commercial real estate financing transactions for lenders and borrowers, commercial and residential development, commercial and residential leases, landlord-tenant disputes, commercial and residential evictions, formation and conversion of condominiums, title insurance and title issues, and real estate litigation.