Contact Information
Biography/Practice Areas
Gary R. Pannone is a founder and Principal of Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC and has been representing closely held business owners for over forty years. He is an experienced business lawyer specializing in the areas of business formation, corporate restructuring, mergers, acquisitions and corporate compliance. In addition to representing closely held businesses, his practice includes the representation of nonprofit organizations in the areas of corporate governance, consolidations, mergers and acquisitions.
Attorney Pannone has served on multiple non-profit boards and as general counsel to several of the firm’s corporate clients. He is a former Town Solicitor and was special counsel to numerous Rhode Island municipalities. In addition to practicing law, Attorney Pannone is a frequent lecturer and author in the areas of corporate compliance, best practices and business formation. Prior to the founding of Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC, he served as the managing partner of the Providence office of an international law firm.
Attorney Pannone is a prominent member of the legal community and was honored by his peers and judges in 2023 and 2024 with the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell, which is the highest rating based on both legal ability and ethics. For over a decade, he been annually selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in his practice areas and named Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Rhode Island for multiple years. He has also been recognized by Chambers USA, Super Lawyers and Corporate Counsel. In 2020, he was a recipient of an “Excellence in the Law” and has received the Hall of Fame award by Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly for his lifetime achievements and outstanding professional accomplishments in the legal community. He is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, the nation’s leading research institute for the study of law.
Attorney Pannone received his J.D. from Suffolk Law School after earning his undergraduate degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Notre Dame. He is admitted to practice law in Rhode Island and the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Areas of Practice
- Corporate & Business
- Business Law
- Cyber Law
- Health Care Law
- Nonprofit Organizations
Bar Admissions
- Rhode Island, 1977
- U.S. District Court District of Rhode Island
Honors and Awards
- Excellence in the Law Hall of Fame, RI Lawyers Weekly
- Best Lawyers in America
- Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year
- AV Preeminent Rank, Martindale Hubbell
- Chambers USA
- Super Lawyers
Education/Professional Associations
Education
- Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts
- J.D. – 1977
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
- B.B.A. – 1974
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Rhode Island Bar Association
- American Bar Association, Business Law, Health Law and Law Practice Management
- American Bar Foundation Fellow
- Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce
- East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce
- Northern RI Chamber of Commerce
Pro Bono Activities
- Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce
- East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce
- Northern RI Chamber of Commerce
Fraternities/Sororities
- Phi Delta Phi
Representative Matters
- Counsel to a $20MM nonprofit organization with respect to acquisitions and mergers of organizations that had a similar mission. The purpose of the growth strategy was to improve efficiencies and increase funding sources.
- Counsel to a $4MM nonprofit organization providing administrative services to twenty nonprofits. PLDO has acted as general counsel in assisting the organization with respect to funding, banking relationships and increasing the number of nonprofits served.
- Counsel to $18MM nonprofit organization that created a development subsidiary through mergers and acquisitions. PLDO acts as general counsel to the combined organization.
Articles & Insights
- MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS’ RISKS AND RIGHTS IN A COMPANY SALE
-
EQUITY FINANCING STRATEGIES: KEY DIFFERENCES OF RULE 506(B) VS. RULE 506(C)
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EQUITY FINANCING PRIMER: RAISING CAPITAL THROUGH PRIVATE PLACEMENT
- HOW CLOSELY HELD BUSINESSES CAN PREVENT MANAGEMENT DEADLOCKS
- IMPORTANT STEPS & CONSIDERATIONS IF YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS IS CONSIDERING AN ESOP
- PROTECTING MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS IN A CLOSELY HELD CORPORATION
- DEALING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF A FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS
- THE ENTREPRENEUR AND THE BUSINESS PLAN
- CHALLENGES FACING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN 2023
- AVOIDING COMMON LEGAL MISTAKES MADE BY STARTUPS
- PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL
- IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DRAFTING WATERFALL PROVISIONS IN OPERATING AGREEMENTS
- MANAGING THE DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS FOR INVESTORS AND ENTREPRENEURS
- THE IMPORTANCE OF COVENANTS IN A BUSINESS TRANSACTION TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS
- CONSIDERATIONS IN PURCHASING A UNIONIZED BUSINESS
- OWNERS, KEY EMPLOYEES AND THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP
- HOW IMPORTANT IS A LETTER OF INTENT?
- 10 Key Elements of a Family Business Succession Plan
- Solutions for Reducing Challenges in Family-Owned Businesses
- Fiduciary Duties and the Business Judgement Rule
- Importance of Corporate Governance during the Pandemic
- Cyber Security in a COVID-19 World
- Post-Closing Strategy for the Investor and Founder
- Raising Capital For Startups
- Comparing Start-Up Valuation Methods
- Due Diligence Considerations for Entrepreneurs and Investors
- Investment Structures in a Business Transaction
- Industry Spotlight: Managing Impacts of the Coronavirus in the Construction Industry
- Navigating Due Diligence Planning and Equity Financing
- Keys to creating a successful succession plan for closely held businesses
- Business Succession Planning Is Not “One Size Fits All”
- Industry Spotlight: Owning a Construction Company
- Industry Spotlight: Challenges in the Construction Industry
- Married, But Not Certified: An Overview of the Rhode Island MBE/WBE Process
- Succession Planning And The Family Limited Partnership Solution
- Mergers and Acquisition Due Diligence Checklist
- Protect Your Workplace Against Spoofing
- Planning For The Next Step In The Family Business
- Powered for Business Success
- Be Prepared With A Buyout Provision In Your Business Agreement
- Buy-Sell Agreements: How They Protect You and Your Business
- When Trust Isn’t Enough
- Put It In Writing: Ownership Agreements for Closely Held Businesses
- Analysis of a Tax-Exempt Nonprofit Organization
- Fiduciary Duties For The Board Member Of A Nonprofit Organization
- Challenges For Nursing Homes
- Best Practices Checklist for Effective Nonprofit Management
- Industry Spotlight: Technology – A Key Factor Driving Success in the Construction Industry
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“What is extremely unique about PLDO is that they are great lawyers who actually care about me and my business. They make me feel as if I am the most important client in the firm and I am certain that all of their clients feel the same way. ”
President, The Droitcour Company
