Joseph M. Donohue

Managing Member 
Member of the New York & New Hampshire Bar Associations

Attorney Joseph Donohue, Managing Member of Donohue, O’Connell & Riley PLLC, has expertly advised hundreds of clients on how to structure their personal affairs and businesses to minimize taxes, reduce their exposure to unforeseen liabilities and assure the smooth transition of assets between generations. Joe has a unique ability to efficiently process all the complexities of a situation, explain the best strategy in simple terms and craft a plan that protects families and preserves his clients’ legacies. Affluent families and business owners trust Joe to maximize the tax efficiency of their real estate, investment and insurance assets and work with their team of trusted advisors to manage their plans.

Joe began his legal career working in the New York and Paris offices of Leboeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae, LLP which had over 20 offices around the world.  Fluent in French and German, Joe was based in the New York and Paris offices and worked with clients such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (which developed the 9/11 memorial site at the new World Trade Center), the Art Students League and the American Museum of Natural History, on matters ranging from real estate finance to charitable giving programs. Joe also has significant firsthand experience as a real estate investor in residential and commercial buildings, which he draws upon to advise clients.

Driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, in 2008 Joe established his own practice in Warwick, New York. His clients appreciated his warm character, ingenious approach and results that saved them money. Word traveled fast and Joe’s practice grew organically and through acquisition and is currently multi-jurisdictional in nature, with six offices in three states, including New Hampshire, so clients can access that state’s favorable trust laws.

Joe graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Art History and a minor in French. He was elected as a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated with distinction. He then went on to study for three years at Oxford University, where he graduated with a Masters of Philosophy in English Literature. He went on to pursue his legal studies at Boston College Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor with honors and served as executive editor of the BC Law Review.

Education

  • Boston University – Bachelor of Arts in English and Art History, with a minor in French
  • Oxford University – Masters of Philosophy in English Literature
  • Boston College Law School – Juris Doctor with honors

Practice Focus

  • Complex Income & Estate Tax Planning
  • Trust Administration & Fiduciary Services
  • Business Formation & Succession
  • Grantor & Non-Grantor Trusts
  • Charitable Legacy Planning
  • Grantor-Retained Annuity Trusts
  • Estate & Gift Tax Planning
  • Real Estate Tax Planning for Acquisition, Management & Disposition