Acquisitions and Sales

Whether buying or selling, clients generally want the same things from their attorneys.  They want issues spotted and resolved; promptly and effectively.

Prospective purchasers routinely turn to Hemenway & Barnes to determine and conduct appropriate due diligence activities.  Our attorneys review due diligence materials, analyze the potential impact of any issues raised, and then ensure that these issues are properly addressed in the purchase and sale documentation.

When our clients are selling real estate, we work to complete the transaction in a timely and efficient manner.  Clients depend on the members of the firm's Real Estate Group to appropriately resolve any problems that may be identified in the course of the buyer's due diligence.

Representative Experience

• A state college planned to acquire a former industrial site and convert it to additional campus property.   Hemenway & Barnes drafted legislation that created a nonprofit support organization.  We then went on to represent the newly formed entity in acquiring the property.
• An American division of an international company hired us to represent them in the sale of surplus industrial property, including a former quarry located in Quincy, Massachusetts.
• A successful real estate investor hired us to help with the purchase and sale of real estate structured as IRC Section 1031 exchanges to take advantage of favorable tax deferral treatment.
• A family planned to purchase a farm on the West Coast.  They engaged us to negotiate and draft an agreement between the seller and buyer which imposed restrictions on future development of the purchased property and the seller’s remaining property. We went on to represent the family in the purchase transaction.
• A religious organization sought our assistance in the sale of church property, including notification to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office pursuant to Chapter 180, Section 8A.
• A national clothing retailer engaged Hemenway & Barnes to represent it in the sale of its regional properties following a corporate merger.
• A leading private university hired us to represent it in the purchase of a $16 million off-campus retreat center.
• A developer of low-income housing sought to acquire an abandoned mill complex.  Hemenway & Barnes structured a joint venture arrangement with the seller in order to facilitate the transaction.