John is a member of the firm’s Business Practice Group and chair of the Family Owned Business Group. John’s primary practice comprises two separate but related areas: (i) counseling family-owned and closely held businesses and (ii) buying and selling businesses and, in many cases, acting as a general counselor for the business on an ongoing basis after the transaction is completed.

Counseling Family Owned and Closely Held Businesses
John’s work in this area is extremely varied and from the broadest standpoint, John acts as a virtual in-house counsel to these businesses. In this “in-house counsel” role, John learns about the business, the owners, the objectives, and the outlook of the owners, and then combines this information with his legal knowledge and the expertise of his colleagues at Barley Snyder to provide comprehensive counsel to the business on legal and business-related issues. 

John has been involved in specific family-related matters such as succession planning, developing both advisory boards and boards of directors with outside directors, developing family councils, facilitating family meetings, mediating owner disputes, and negotiating and implementing Shareholder Agreements (Buy-Sell Agreements). With nearly 30 years of experience working with family businesses, John has a deep understanding of the unique dynamics that come into play and how to effectively navigate them with care and expertise. Of course, John also advises on general business issues such as contract review and negotiation, real estate purchases or sales, employment issues, strategic planning, and general business strategy. 

Barley Snyder is one of the founding members and a corporate sponsor of the S. Dale High Family Business Center at Elizabethtown College – a cornerstone for family and privately held businesses in the region, offering executive peer groups, leadership development, succession planning, and best practice education. John leads the firm’s efforts at the Center and is a frequent speaker and a regular resource for the Center, currently serving as the lead facilitator for a CEO Peer Group and previously as a member of the Sponsors Advisory Group. His dedication and leadership at the Center underscores his commitment to the long-term success of family enterprises throughout the region.

Buying and Selling Businesses
John regularly represents clients buying or selling businesses. This representation can include very complicated transactions involving mergers of entities, multi-level financing and equity arrangements, earn-out provisions, and floating purchase prices or straightforward deals. Further, he advises clients on the proper entity to form for a purchase, negotiating and drafting letters of intent and term sheets, guiding the due diligence portion of the investigation, negotiating and securing financing, analyzing financing options, determining value, and leading the team of advisors in the negotiation of the deal. His practical, business-minded approach helps clients navigate the complexities of transactions while positioning them for long-term success.

Outlook
John finds working with family businesses and their owners extremely rewarding. Barley Snyder has a tradition of representing generation after generation of family businesses. Family business owners have a very different outlook and approach to business than the Fortune 500s. The family business owner does not base his or her decisions on what will maximize profits for the next month (and his or her bonus) but rather makes decisions keeping in mind that he or she is merely holding the business in trust for the generations to follow. These owners view themselves as stewards of a legacy, making decisions with future generations in mind to ensure the business’s longevity and continuity. John understands this approach and acts as a partner and strategic advisor with his family business clients. 

In addition to his legal work and when he is not spending time with his family, John is actively involved in the community. Since settling in Lancaster many years ago, he has made community involvement a high priority. He believes the community is made stronger through dedicated volunteers and that a stronger community results in a stronger and more stable business environment. The central Pennsylvania region is proof of that reasoning. John’s long-standing commitment to civic engagement reflects the same values he champions in his legal practice: responsibility, sustainability and leadership.