Michael Franco

Michael J. Franco

Principal
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Michael Franco has been a practicing attorney for thirty years.  His primary areas of practice are commercial and residential real estate, business law, estate planning, and probate.  He is licensed to practice law in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Franco spent seven years as a corporate attorney in the real estate business.  During four of those years he was corporate counsel for Hovnanian Enterprises Inc., a national residential real estate development company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  As counsel for Hovnanian, Mr. Franco assembled land deals for large subdivisions and condominium developments.  This gave him extensive experience in contracts, real estate transactions and land use law.  He also gained direct experience in drafting and negotiating partnership agreements on large real estate transactions.  When Mr. Franco opened his private practice in 1993, he continued his area of expertise in the field of real estate and has been doing residential and commercial transactions since then.  Mr. Franco has established himself as a premier real estate attorney in Fairfield County, Connecticut.Mr. Franco’s practice also includes business formation in the areas of limited liability companies, corporations and partnerships.  He has helped clients form enterprises and secure funding from investors and lenders.  He has drafted and reviewed numerous private placement memorandums and has helped his clients raise millions of dollars in private equity sales.  Mr. Franco also acts as a general counsel to these firms, assisting in matters ranging from contract preparation and negotiation to employee matters.  Mr. Franco’s strong background in business and taxation helps him provide sound counsel to his clients by applying both business and legal perspectives.

Mr. Franco has an extensive trust and estates and probate practice.  He has a strong background in taxation and has used this knowledge to help his clients plan their estates.  Mr. Franco has also developed significant experience in drafting special needs trusts for parents of children with disabilities. Franco & Associates has an active presence in the local probate courts for probating estates and handling related probate matters.

Mr. Franco is BV® Distinguished Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell® for his professionalism and ethics.

Practice areas

Admitted

  • Vermont, 1985
  • Massachusetts, 1986
  • New Hampshire, 1987
  • Connecticut, 1987

Education

  • Vermont Law School, J.D., 1985
  • Merrimack College, B.A., 1981

Associations and memberships

  • Connecticut Bar Association (Member, Planning and Zoning Section)
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • New Hampshire Bar Association
  • Rotary International

Biographical details

  • President, Student Bar Association, Vermont Law School, 1983-1985
  • Formerly with Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.