Marcel J. Bernier

Marcel Bernier is the Chair of the firm’s Business Practice Group, the Chair of the firm’s Privately Owned Business Group and a member of the Tax Practice Group, the Health Care Practice Group and the Trusts and Estates Department.

Marcel has practiced corporate, limited liability company and tax law for over thirty five years and is very effective at assisting clients with achieving their objectives. He serves as general counsel to many businesses and provides advice with respect to structuring new business entities, acquisitions, sales, mergers, reorganizations, deferred compensation, phantom equity plans, buy-sell agreements and business succession planning. He has drafted over 100 operating agreements, employment agreements and buy-sell agreements. He has completed hundreds of business purchase and sale transactions. His accounting and tax background are helpful in structuring and negotiating business transactions and business succession agreements.

Marcel represents many family businesses with respect to general business matters and business succession planning. He is the author of “Preserving Your Business for the Next Generation,” Chapter 3 of The ABA Practical Guide to Estate Planning, published by the ABA, 2011. (Click here to read Chapter 3 of the Guide).

He is the author of "Business Exit Strategies" published by the Hartford Business Journal. (Click here to read the article). He is also the author of "The Connecticut Uniform Limited Liability Company Act" published by the Connecticut Lawyer in May of 2017. (Click here to read the article).

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

Marcel advises high net worth clients with respect to estate planning, minimizing federal and Connecticut estate taxes and probate and trust administration matters.

He majored in accounting and finance 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.

Marcel was a Co-Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association Committee which drafted the Connecticut Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. (Click here to view his testimony supporting the Connecticut Uniform LLC Act). He was a member of the Connecticut Bar Association Committee which drafted the Connecticut Entity Transactions Act. He is a member of the Business Law Section Executive Committee and the Tax Section Executive Committee.