Partner
Stephen W. Kidder
Stephen W. Kidder concentrates his practice in the areas of taxation and professional fiduciary services.

Practice Focus

Stephen W. Kidder concentrates his practice in the areas of taxation and professional fiduciary services. Stephen counsels a number of New England’s leading nonprofit organizations in the areas of governance, regulatory and compliance issues. In addition, he serves as a private fiduciary for many family trusts. Stephen represents major professional sports players associations nationally on both state and local tax issues.

Stephen was formerly the firm’s managing partner, and serves as a Managing Director of Hemenway Trust Company, a private fiduciary firm based in Salem, New Hampshire.

Prior to joining Hemenway & Barnes LLP in 1991, Stephen served as Commissioner of Revenue (1987 to 1991) and as General Counsel to the Secretary for Administration and Finance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Kidder also was a Clerk for the Honorable A. David Mazzone, Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Representative Experience

  • Serves as tax counsel to all professional athlete players associations, including the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Basketball Players Association, the National Football League Players Association, the National Hockey League Players Association and the Major League Soccer Players Association. Stephen represents the players associations on tax issues across the country.
  • Serves as General Counsel to Citizens Energy Corporation.
  • Obtained regulatory and court approval for the expansion and renovation of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
  • Stephen has written and spoken extensively about the taxation of professional athletes
  • Stephen has spoken to various groups about the PILOT program including the recommendations and impact on nonprofit organizations
  • Author, “A task force on reforming the corporate tax system arrives at a timely consensus,” CommonWealth Magazine, Spring 2008
  • Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, Vice Chair
  • Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc., Trustee
  • Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Trustee, Former President
  • Boston’s PILOT Task Force, Chair (2009 through 2010), appointed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino
  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts Study Commission on Corporate Taxation, Member (2007-2008), appointed by Governor Deval Patrick; Chair, Subcommittee on Combined Reporting
  • Wellesley College, Past Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
  • Massachusetts Biomedical Research Corporation, Past Trustee
  • Museum of Science, Past Trustee
  • First Night Boston, Past Trustee
  • Massachusetts Association of the Blind, Past Trustee
  • Recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a 2022 "Go-To Lawyer" for Taxation
  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America List
  • JD, Boston College Law School (magna cum laude, Editor in Chief Boston College Law Review)
  • AB, Harvard University (cum laude)
  • Massachusetts
  • Washington, D.C.

Related News & Resources

Event

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

News

Hemenway & Barnes Achieves National and Regional Recognition in 2026 Best Law Firms® Rankings

News

Law360 article features "How Hemenway & Barnes, Raines Feldman Beat Pa. ‘Jock Tax’"

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