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Home > People Search > People > Marcel J. Bernier

Mr. Bernier serves as the co-chair of the Privately Owned Businesses Practice Group and has extensive experience in corporate, limited liability company, estate planning and tax law. He serves as general counsel to many businesses and provides advice with respect to forming and structuring new business entities and joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and sales and business succession planning. His accounting and tax background are particularly helpful in structuring and negotiating business transactions.

He also represents many professional service firms, including accounting, law, engineering and physician practices, with respect to practice acquisitions and sales, the admission of partners, the retirement of partners, employment agreements, operating agreements, practice succession planning and buy-sell agreements.

Mr. Bernier also advises high net worth clients with respect to estate planning, minimization of federal estate taxes and probate and trust administration matters.

He majored in accounting at Florida State University, received his law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and received a Masters of Laws degree in Taxation from the Boston University Graduate Tax Program.

Mr. Bernier is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association Subcommittee which drafted the Connecticut Limited Liability Company Act and is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association Subcommittee which drafted the Connecticut Entity Transactions Act.  He is also a member of the Business Law Section Executive Committee and a Co-Chair of the Business Law Section LLC Committee.

Publications:

• "Preserving Your Business for the Next Generation," Chapter 3 of The ABA Practical Guide to Estate Planning, published by the American Bar Association, 2011
• "Business Exit Strategies" published by the Hartford Business Journal, May 2010
• "Limited Liability Companies in Connecticut" published by the National Business Institute

Speaking Engagements:

• "Exiting Your Business, Protecting Your Wealth - Legal Agreements" for Pinnacle Equity Solutions, June 2009 and September 2010
• "Avoiding Liability as Directors" for Connecticut State Medical Society, May 2010
• "Tax Considerations in Choice of Entity:  LLCs" for the Connecticut Bar Association, December 2009
• "Buy Sell Agreements and Business Exit Strategies" for business owners, October 2009
• "Choice of Entity:  To LLC or Not to LLC?" for business owners, October 2009