Partner
Michael J. Puzo
Michael J. Puzo concentrates on wealth management, primarily through serving as a trustee of private trusts and charitable foundations. He also advises individuals and families on complex estate planning, charitable giving and a host of personal issues.

Practice Focus

Michael J. Puzo concentrates on wealth management, primarily through serving as a trustee of private trusts and charitable foundations. He also advises individuals and families on complex estate planning, charitable giving and a host of personal issues.

At Hemenway & Barnes, Michael chairs the firm’s Trust Investment Committee and has served as managing partner and chair of the firm’s Private Client Group. Michael is also a Managing Director and Chair of the Investment Committee of Hemenway Trust Company, a New Hampshire-based private fiduciary firm.

Representative Experience

Along with many private clients, trusts and foundations, Michael counsels a number of nonprofits including Boston College and the Archdiocese of Boston. His practice includes:

  • Providing counsel on a broad range of family issues, including sophisticated estate and charitable gift planning.
  • Advising extended families on generational wealth planning, asset allocation and discrete investments. He often works with clients who have lost a spouse and are coping with the new responsibilities and uncertainties that follow.
  • Working with entrepreneurial and business clients to preserve hard earned capital, while continuing to focus on asset growth.
  • The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow
  • Boston Bar Association
  • Massachusetts Moderators Association
  • On-Demand Webinar: "Introduction to Serving on a Nonprofit Board" (October 2025)
  • Michael has spoken before the Planned Giving Group of New England, both on respecting donative intent in charitable giving and on legislative developments and the current state of federal estate and gift taxes
  • Former faculty member for educational programs presented by MCLE, the American Law Institute, American Bar Association, ACTEC, and the Boston Estate Planning Council

A resident of Hingham, MA, Michael has been active in the town's civic affairs for over 40 years.

  • Hingham Town Moderator, presiding at Hingham Town Meeting, with responsibility for appointing citizens to various town boards and committees
  • Hingham Personnel Board, Former Chairman, with responsibility for the town's employee relations, union negotiations, and personnel policies

Additionally, Michael is involved with various organizations in a wide range of leadership capacities.

  • Boston Lyric Opera, Member, Board of Directors and Executive Committee and Immediate Past Chair
  • Boston College Law School, Long-time Member, Dean's Advisory Board
  • Founder’s Medal Recipient, Boston College Law School, awarded to a graduate who embodies the tradition of professionalism, scholarship and service that the law school seeks to instill in its students
  • Named Alumnus of the Year by the Boston College Law School Alumni Association
  • Named to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list
  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America list
  • JD, Boston College Law School
  • BA, Boston College (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)
  • Massachusetts

On-Demand Webinar: Introduction to Serving on a Nonprofit Board

Thinking of joining a nonprofit board? This 30-minute on-demand webinar will introduce essential board roles and responsibilities, along with the practical and legal considerations of serving.

News & Resources

News

Michael Puzo Re-elected as Hingham Town Moderator

Event

Celebrating the Rule of Law at Boston College Law School’s Law Day Awards Dinner

News

Michael Puzo Welcomes Veterans to Hingham’s Observance of Veterans Day

“Being a part of the H&B and HTC communities for my entire career has been a profound privilege. Earning a client’s confidence, keeping that confidence, and helping a client through hard times – these are just some of the gifts that come with this profession. With all the uncertainties and complexities of modern financial life, being part of a firm that is committed to the individual and his or her success gives my work true meaning.”
— Michael Puzo’s Comment on Trends in Trusts and Estates

Related Services

Wealth Management
We help individuals and families enhance and protect their wealth by building enduring relationships rooted in high-quality, practical, and distinctly personal service.
Estate & Tax Planning
Our comprehensive approach is flexible, so it's tailored to each client’s unique financial situation, family, goals, values, and more.
Trust & Estate Administration
Our dedicated team of trust, estate and tax professionals efficiently handles all aspects of trust administration and probate work.
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