SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Local law firm Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, serving Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York, today announced eight of their attorneys were listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2023.
Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Best Lawyers’ listings are published in dozens of countries around the world. The 2023 edition includes more than 67,000 attorneys in 148 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and inclusion in this year’s publication is based on more than 9.4 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.
The following attorneys received special designations from Best Lawyers including “Lawyer of the Year” and “One to Watch”:
Attorney Steven J. Schwartz, was named a “Lawyer of the Year” in the field of Business Organizations. He was also selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, and Corporate Law. Attorney Schwartz concentrates his practice in the areas of family business planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law and estate planning. His practice involves representation of principals in family business planning, representation of individuals and corporations in the purchase and sale of business enterprises, strategic planning for the future of clients’ businesses and providing advice as to alternatives in financing through loans and venture capital.
Attorney Michele J. Feinstein, a resident of Longmeadow, was named a “Lawyer of the Year” in the field of Trusts and Estates and was also selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Litigation–Trusts and Estates, Elder Law, and Trusts and Estates. She concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning and administration, elder law, probate litigation, health law and corporate and business planning, including all aspects of planning for the succession of business interests, representation of closely held businesses and their owners, and representation of physicians in their individual and group practices.
Attorney Mark J. Esposito, a resident of Northampton, was named “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers in the field of Litigation–Labor and Employment. He concentrates his practice in these areas as well as, trusts and estates litigation, administrative law and criminal law. He has counseled various public sector labor unions and employees in collective bargaining, arbitration and litigation, and represents clients in state and federal courts as well as before administrative agencies.
The attorneys below were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2023:
Attorney Gary S. Fentin, a resident of Conway, was recognized in the fields of Banking and Finance Law and Commercial Transactions/Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Law. He concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial and real estate finance and development, industrial revenue bonds, affordable housing development and finance, business law, and business foreclosures and workouts. He manages the firm’s tax-exempt bond practice and has acted as bond counsel and/or purchaser’s counsel in hundreds of such issues since 1978.
Attorney Carol Cioe Klyman, a resident of Westhampton, was selected in the fields of Elder Law and Trusts and Estates. She concentrates her practice in the areas of elder law, estate planning, special needs trust planning, estate settlement, guardianships, trust and estates litigation and MassHealth appeals.
Managing Partner Timothy P. Mulhern, a resident of Longmeadow, was recognized in the fields of Corporate Law and Tax Law. He focuses his practice in the areas of family business planning, taxation, corporate law, commercial real estate and estate planning.
Attorney James B. Sheils was recognized in the field of Commercial Transactions/UCC Law. He focuses his practice in the areas of commercial finance law, creditors’ rights, banking law and telecommunications siting matters.
Attorney Steven Weiss, a resident of Longmeadow, was selected in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law. He concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial and consumer bankruptcy, reorganization and litigation. He supervises the firm’s bankruptcy, reorganization and workout practice and represents creditors, debtors and others in both commercial and consumer bankruptcy cases throughout Massachusetts. Attorney Weiss has been a member of the private panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the District of Massachusetts since 1987.
About Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C.
The nationally recognized attorneys at Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., concentrate their practices in the areas of business planning, estate planning, elder and special needs law, estate settlement, commercial lending and tax-exempt bond financing, commercial real estate transactions, environmental law, zoning and permitting, trust and estates litigation, commercial litigation, tax law and bankruptcy. The firm’s institutional clients range from nonprofit corporations and closely held family enterprises to multinational corporations with operations throughout New England and eastern New York. The firm’s philosophy is to place the client’s needs first by providing tailored, results-oriented, cost-effective approaches to problem-solving and keeping current with innovative strategies. Founded in 1969 by two legal services attorneys, the firm of 14 attorneys has offices in Springfield and Northampton, Mass., and Albany, N.Y. Additional information about Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin can be found on its website, ssfpc.com.