Practice Focus

Nancy Gardiner advises multigenerational families on wealth management, tax and legacy planning strategies that support their goals and values. She is experienced in all facets of family office creation, operation and management and on providing sophisticated philanthropic advisory services. Nancy also serves as a trustee to individuals and families as well as nonprofits and foundations.

Working with nonprofits and artist foundations, Nancy counsels development offices on issues relating to major gifts, governance and advancement. Nancy’s clients appreciate her unique perspective and valuable insight gained from serving on nonprofit boards and representing donors.

Nancy works directly with families on the transition of wealth from one generation to the next, with a focus on legal, financial, philanthropic and family legacy objectives. She provides a full range of philanthropic advisory and grant-making services to private foundations, trusts, individuals, families and other entities. In addition to providing specialized family governance expertise, she works with her team to help clients accomplish everyday tasks and other issues related to "life management."

Nancy served as the firm's Managing Partner from 2020-2024. She is also Managing Director and Secretary of Hemenway Trust Company, a New Hampshire-based private fiduciary firm.

Representative Experience

Nancy's clients include families and individuals throughout New England.

• Serves as Co-Trustee of Jane's Trust Foundation, a leading charitable trust in New England, Polly Thayer Starr Charitable Trust and other charitable trusts and foundations.
• Facilitates family governance and meetings, wealth education of children, and addresses complex family dynamics and special needs.
• Advises individuals and families on all aspects of charitable giving, including the creation of charitable vehicles, such as private foundations and donor-advised funds, and the structuring of individual gifts.
• Advises families on developing and implementing tax-efficient, wealth-transfer strategies for a variety of complex assets, including planning for family lands, the dynamics of passing on family businesses, and the sentimental connection to special collections and art.
• Advises nonprofit organizations throughout New England on issues relating to governance, structuring of gifts and creating agreements to protect the interests of both the donor and the recipient institution.