Hardt, Stern & Kayne

John C. Stern serves as a business and legal counselor to his clients. His clients look to John for advice outside of their areas of expertise so that they can concentrate on what they know best; their own business. Clients want John’s critical and creative thinking applied to their projects and are confident that he will advise them to utilize the best strategy to achieve their objectives.

John’s practice is concentrated in representing closely held businesses and their owners, with an emphasis on motor vehicle dealerships. His business clients range in size from small, one or two person operations, to those with sales in the hundreds of millions of dollars. John has substantial experience in the areas of commercial real estate, estate and succession planning and corporate transactions.

Representing a closely held business involves making choices at the onset that will have consequences long into the future. At the beginning, John will assist a new business to choose the correct entity in which to operate and to make appropriate tax decisions. As the business grows and evolves, the business will need shareholder agreements, employment contracts and loan agreements. And of course, John also has assisted many buyers and sellers in negotiations leading to the purchase or sale of their businesses.

John has assisted many business owners, their families and individuals with estate and succession planning. These estates have ranged from the individual who has just begun his career to the successful business owner or executive with a substantial net worth and complex assets. Many business owners desire to have their children and grandchildren continue to operate the business that they have built over many years of their life. To do this successfully often involves multi-generational planning.

In connection with his real estate practice, John has negotiated a number of economic incentive agreements with local municipalities and other taxing bodies for automobile dealerships and other retail concerns. A properly structured agreement can greatly assist a business to offset costs that may be incurred in connection with a relocation or a large initial capital investment.