PRACTICE AREAS
Trust, Estates & Taxes
The firm’s trusts and estates group provides a comprehensive range of legal services to assist our clients in the management of their assets and estates, including estate planning, tax consultation and business succession planning. We work closely with our clients to understand their specific needs and objectives and draft individualized documents, including wills trusts, healthcare proxies and power of attorneys, designed to meet their objectives and minimize or avoid taxes and expenses. We counsel our high net worth clients in sophisticated estate planning practices utilizing established and approved methods of minimizing estate taxes including, irrevocable life insurance trusts, charitable lead and remainder trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, grantor retained income and annuity trusts, dynasty trusts, family limited partnerships, family foundations and planned gifting programs. We also draft specialized trust documents to address the needs of individuals with disabilities or to preserve the estate assets in the event of prolonged illness or incapacity.
The firm also provides a full range of services for the probate and administration of estates. We represent our clients in their capacity as executors, administrators or beneficiaries of the estate. We are sensitive to the needs and issues that arise during this often difficult period and work to efficiently and professionally complete the probate process and resolve any issues or disputes that occur during this time. The firm also provides counsel and advice to clients regarding post mortem planning options that may meet their objectives or reduce taxes. We prepare when necessary all state and federal estate tax, and income tax, returns and represent the client if any of the returns are audited.
The firm offers other probate services including appointments of guardians or conservators, and approval of estate plans for individuals that lack the required legal capacity to execute these documents individually. We can also provide continuing administrative and accounting services for trustees, guardians and conservators. The firm also counsels fiduciaries of all types on their legal obligations including permissible investment practices.
Contact us today if you have questions about Trust, Estates & Taxes
Donald L. Graham
Partner
(617) 479-5000 dgraham@mhtl.comMr. Graham is a managing partner with Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP and directs the firm’s corporate and commercial law practice areas. Mr. Graham has over thirty-five years experience in corporate organization, commercial contracting, business acquisition and sales, license and royalty agreements, intellectual property protection, commercial financing (bank, private placement and venture), commercial real estate acquisition, sale, leasing and construction, as well as general business counseling and advice. He has served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association Read More
Clifford R. Rhodes
Attorney
crhodes@mhtl.comMr. Rhodes received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa where he was a University Honors Scholar. In 1992, Mr. Rhodes received his. J.D. from the University of Iowa, College of Law graduating with distinction, and serving as a member of the Iowa Law Review. He obtained his MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and received his LLM in Taxation, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Alabama School of Law. He has extensive experience in health care Read More
Peter T. McNulty
Attorney
(617) 479-5000 pmcnulty@mhtl.comFormerly corporate counsel at a large Massachusetts Community Bank, Mr. McNulty’s practice is primarily focused on corporate and financial transactional work. Mr. McNulty handles the full spectrum of corporate and real estate matters and has assisted clients with entity formation, real estate transactions, mergers & acquisitions and investments, as well as commercial and residential acquisitions and dispositions. Additionally, Mr. McNulty represents and advises various financial institutions on a wide range of topics, including corporate governance, compliance, construction and secured lending, Read More
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner Prevails in U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Attorney Felicia Vasudevan, a partner at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, received a favorable decision on behalf of her client, Marshfield Public Schools. The Plaintiff appealed the district court’s judgement that upheld a decision of the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals (“BSEA”). However, as the notice was filed more than 30 days after entry, the First Circuit ultimately dismissed the appeal for being untimely. The Plaintiff also appealed the district court’s order, denying her motion to vacate. Read More
New Features of Public Participation at School Committee Meetings
Following our Alert from March 16, 2023, Civility is Dead – The Supreme Court Rules Municipal Control of Public Speak Limited to Reasonable Time/Place/Manner Restrictions, which discussed the holding to the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in Barron v. Kolenda and the Town of Southborough (SJC-13284), we promised to bring you more detailed guidance on developing a Public Speak policy for your public body or municipality. The Barron case involved a constitutional challenge to the Town of Southborough’s public comment policy, which attempted to impose a code of civility on members of the public who participated in public comment before public bodies. In Barron, the court interpreted the state constitution to mean that public bodies may request, but not require, that public commentators be respectful and courteous. Instead, a public body may set restrictions on reasonable time, place, and manner comments to ensure that the meeting retains an orderly and peaceable manner.

Braintree, MA
50 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 410,
Braintree, MA 02184
Boston, MA
75-101 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110
Tel: (617) 479-5000
Tel: (888) 841-4850
Fax: (617) 479-6469
Quincy, MA
Crown Colony Plaza
300 Crown Colony Drive, Suite 410
P.O. Box 9126
Quincy, MA 02169-9126