Cofounding partner, George Menden, describes MendenFreiman this way, “MendenFreiman LLP is a boutique law � rm with practice specialties in business

formation, representation and transactions, estate planning and estate administration. Our clients are a� uent individuals, families and business owners. � ey hire us because we are uniquely able to navigate highly complex issues that can have a long-term impact on their businesses and their families.”

Menden feels he had been preparing to run his own law � rm since before he graduated from high school. While growing up with a father who owned several businesses, he realized if he

Vol. 2 Issue 1 Attorney at Law Magazine® Metro Atlanta | 15

Life Can Be Complicated ...And simplifying the “complicated” is where we stand out!MendenFreiman LLP

Law Firm of the Month

wanted to work with larger businesses he would have to learn to read � nancial statements; and where better to learn that skill than as an accounting major at Brigham Young University. He began his career as a certi� ed public accountant with Ernst & Young, focusing on the accounting and tax complexities of mergers and acquisitions, until he received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Brigham Young in 1985. He then joined Alston & Bird as an attorney specializing in corporate transactions and � nance. Returning to E&Y to head up their new personal � nancial planning initiative out of three o� ces, he also taught estate and gi� tax to E&Y employees. He returned to law when he joined a

Lawrence (Larry) H. FreimanGeorge D. Menden

By Beverly Molander

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Boutique Law Firm of the MonthBoutique Law Firm of the Month

Freiman says, “We think of ourselves as tax geeks who not only relish the

opportunity to apply what we know to solving complex client problems but to do

that in a caring and supportive way.”

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midsize Atlanta law � rm in 1989. A� er Menden started his own � rm

years later, the practice got too busy to handle on his own. He took the bold move of hiring an industrial psychologist to help him � nd the right partner, and Lawrence (Larry) Freiman was at the top of the list. Freiman graduated � rst in his class with a J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Florida in 1993. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics, magna cum laude, from University at Albany-SUNY in 1989.

Menden and Freiman had crossed paths years before as Menden was � nishing his tenure at the midsize law � rm Freiman had joined as a summer clerk. � ey had been mentored by the same lawyer at the � rm and had similar philosophies as to the type of practice they wanted to build. Coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit that both possessed and a signi� cant overlap in their experiences, the combination was a perfect match. MendenFreiman LLP celebrated its 15th

anniversary last year. � e di� erence in age (Menden is ten years older) and religious beliefs (Menden is Mormon and Freiman is Jewish) helps to broaden the reach and strengthen the bond that is based on intelligence, knowledge, human value, ethics – and zeal.

A former Mormon Bishop, Menden holds compassion and respect in high regard; and he has built the � rm around these core values. To Freiman, the � rm’s attention to client care is exempli� ed in its “muscadine preserve” story – providing sage estate- and tax- planning advice with a mix of TLC. A south Georgia woman in her late 70s, whose husband of 50 years had recently passed away, was referred to Freiman by another estate-

planning lawyer due to the complexities of the client’s circumstances. Margaret was overcome with the enormity of her situation and the loss of her husband. But “Long Island” Larry and “south Georgia” Margaret got along spectacularly. “We work a lot with clients in sensitive places who are dealing with real-life issues,” says Freiman. “We are able to guide nice people like Margaret through an intricate maze of laws, rules and administrative procedures that can have a long-term e� ect on the well-being of their family and business.” When it was time for the � nal o� ce conference for the project, Margaret placed a brown bag down on the conference table and said, “Larry, this is for you.” � e thank-you present was a jar

of Margaret’s muscadine preserves. � ere was something else in the bag – a second jar of preserves for a paralegal at the � rm who had worked closely with Margaret on so many issues over those long months. To Menden and Freiman, this little act carried a big message – clients feel cared for at every level of the � rm. � is became the � rm’s “muscadine preserve” story.

Distinctively Di� erentWhile the � rm specializes in

business formation, representation and transactions, estate planning and estate administration, both partners agree – the more complex the better.

“Since all our lawyers have strong tax, accounting and � nancial backgrounds, there is an opportunity to analyze each client situation from a number of points of view,” Freiman says. “We think of ourselves as tax geeks who not only relish the opportunity to apply what we know to solving complex client problems but to do that in a caring and supportive way.”

Case in point: MendenFreiman represented a client in a transaction with a public company that was formed to acquire accounting practices and consulting practices. When the � rm received transaction documents from the large Philadelphia law � rm that represented the public company, Menden saw clearly that the � nancial

covenants and tax provisions did not � t his client’s situation. � e Philadelphia � rm argued that there had been 63 other cases handled in this particular manner and would not budge on the issues. � e public company stood by their law � rm. Menden remarks, “By appreciating certain tax consequences and accounting principles uniquely applicable to our client’s situation, we were able to secure millions more for our client.”

When another MendenFreiman client wanted to purchase an oil distributorship, the � rm saw an opportunity to structure the transaction di� erently. � e client was also purchasing separate transportation

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Estate Planning and Estate Administration Team.  From L to R (standing):  Megan L. Richards, Bridget W. Christian, Amanda H. Klier, Amanda P. McDaniel.  From L to R (sitting):  Paige P. Baker, Anne H. Goehring

“We stay in our own areas of passion and expertise. We have relationships with

other specialty � rms and we are quick to refer work that can be best handled by others. “In the end, our focus is always on excellent and cost-e� ective work for

our clients,” says Menden.

assets and a trucking business, all with di� erent kinds of liabilities attached. “We resolved disparate issues – created separate LLCs and restructured the purchase and transaction – and positioned the client to save millions of dollars in eventual estate taxes,” Menden explains.

But it’s not just about moving businesses around like pieces on a chessboard to win – there are real people behind those companies. For instance, a real-estate magnate had built a tremendous company. However, with the recession, the company was hemorrhaging money; and the magnate was in advancing stages of Alzheimer’s. � e wife came to Menden for advice on the entire situation. � e process involved a lot of empathy and counseling

because there were many human pieces on the chessboard. Menden was able to navigate the family dynamics to restructure the family business: keeping creditors at bay, selecting properties to sell, and, � nally, emerging with a 21st-century company

structure that would mean a positive cash � ow for the company and the family for decades to come.

Menden is quick to point out that the � rm has signi� cant industry expertise with clients who are automotive dealers, franchisees, manufacturers, distributors and professional services practices. However, there is a limit to what they will take on. “We stay in our own areas of passion and expertise. We have relationships with other specialty � rms, and we are quick to refer

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18 www.AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com

At A Glance MendenFreiman LLPTwo Ravinia Drive, Suite 1200, Atlanta, GA 30346www.mendenfreiman.comPh: (770) 379-1450

• Co-Founders – George D. Menden and Lawrence H. Freiman

o Year - 1997

• Practice Areas – Business Formation, Representation and Transactions, Estate Planning and Estate Administration

• Community/Civic Involvement

o Ravinia Club Board of Governors (Lawrence H. Freiman)o Georgia Eye Bank, Inc. (Paige P. Baker)o Atlanta Junior League (Megan L. Richards, Rebecca J. Barnes)o Technology Association of Georgia (Allison S. Cook)o Zoo Atlanta (Rebecca J. Barnes)

• Memberships

o American Bar Association (Lawrence H. Freiman, Bridget W. Christian)

o Georgia Bar Association (George D. Menden, Lawrence H. Frei-man, Megan L. Richards, Janet E. Fortune, Bridget W. Christian, Paige P. Baker, Amanda H. Klier, Allison S. Cook)

o Atlanta Bar Association (Lawrence H. Freiman, Bridget W. Christian, Megan L. Richards, Amanda H. Klier, Allison S. Cook)

o Estate Planning Council of North Georgia (Lawrence H. Freiman, Bridget W. Christian, Megan L. Richards)o Atlanta Estate Planning Council (Lawrence H. Freiman, Paige P. Baker)o Decatur/DeKalb Estate Planning Council (Janet E. Fortune)o Society of Financial Services Professionals (Lawrence H. Freiman)o American Institute of Certi� ed Public Accountants (George D.

Menden)o Lawyer’s Club of Atlanta (George D. Menden, Lawrence H. Freiman) o Georgia Association of Women Lawyers (Allison S. Cook)

• Awards

o Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory ‘AV Preeminent’ (George D. Menden, Lawrence H. Freiman, Janet E. Fortune)

o Five Star Wealth Manager (George D. Menden)o Georgia Trend Legal Elite (George D. Menden, Lawrence H.

Freiman, Janet E. Fortune, Paige P. Baker)o Georgia Super Lawyers (George D. Menden, Lawrence H. Frei-

man, Janet E. Fortune)o Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Stars (Paige P. Baker, Megan L.

Richards)

Business Formation, Representation and Transactions Team.  From L to R (standing):  Bridget W. Christian, Megan L. Richards, Allison S. Cook.  From L to R (sitting):  Rebecca J. Barnes, Paige P. Baker.

work that can be best handled by others. In the end, our focus is always on excellent and cost-e� ective work for our clients,” says Menden.

While the lawyers and sta� are the backbone of the organization, internal operations and technology provide the e� ciency that is so important to getting the job done in a cost-e� ective manner. Freiman continues, “We have a state-of-the-art, client-tailored document-production system that saves time and money. � e e� ciency and cost e� ectiveness of this system have earned excellent client reviews and are among the hallmarks of our practice.”

Up to the Challenge - Avoiding the 2013 Fiscal Cli� For a law � rm dedicated to estate planning for highly

successful individuals, the end of 2012 was a particularly exciting time; and the entire sta� worked feverishly to make sure clients took advantage of year-end planning opportunities. Before January 1, 2013, there was an expiring opportunity to transfer wealth to successive generations. Although Congress pulled the country back from the brink of the � scal cli� at the literal eleventh hour, it is likely that in the foreseeable future favorable interest rates, at lows not seen in our lifetimes, will almost surely increase; charitable deductions may be severely limited; valuation discounts for family-controlled businesses and other e� ective wealth-transfer and tax-minimization strategies may be legislated or regulated away. Menden con� rms, “Our � rm put in long hours to protect our clients and create a happy, wealthy New Year for all of them.”

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