Thomas J. Leonard

Email: tjleonard@lawyersnh.com

Thomas J. Leonard is a New Hampshire native educated at Dartmouth College and University of New Hampshire School of Law (formerly Franklin Pierce Law Center).  Jay, as he is called, is a trusted attorney with extensive legal and business experience advising closely held businesses – with a particularly strong understanding of the issues commonly faced by family owned entities.  His career has had two distinct phases: 10+ years in private practice in Nashua, New Hampshire; and 10+ years as in house General Counsel to a group of closely held family owned businesses which operated in 4 New England states.

Jay’s experience includes counseling closely held businesses regarding entity formation and structuring, resolving matters of governance and succession for family owned entities, and successfully crafting tax-free corporate reorganizations and restructurings to enable smooth transitions in ownership and management. He has provided practical direction and counsel to small businesses on a wide range of legal issues involving state taxes, governmental relations, commercial contracts, bank financing, and human resources.

Because he has specific experience operating and dealing with closely held businesses, Jay has a keen understanding of value in a going concern. He has used his business experiences in creative ways, crafting solutions in buy-sell agreements, dissolutions, and other business value disputes – including divorces.

Jay also has extensive experience in land use permitting and real estate development. He has successfully lead and coordinated legal and regulatory aspects of commercial and residential real estate developments.  These developments necessarily involved resolving complex real estate regulatory matters such as land use, water source, wetland, and sewage disposal permitting. His experience includes drafting documents for complex real estate developments creating easements, covenants, and restrictions to establish and protect the different rights and interests in dynamic planned developments.

Jay has a proven capacity to articulate a client’s message with professionalism and sensitivity to diverse audiences.  He has demonstrated a unique ability to facilitate agreement, and he takes pride in developing thoughtful and creative solutions.

On a personal level, Jay and his wife Joan attended Nashua schools.  They raised their three children in Hollis, NH.  Jay has served on the City of Nashua Board of Aldermen, and was interim Mayor.  In addition, he is actively involved in the community volunteering for local governmental committees and participating in local youth sports.  He also plays competitive tournament golf.