David M. Gilden

Partner

David is a transactional lawyer with substantial experience as counsel on mergers and acquisitions for companies in a wide range of industries. He also represents developers, owners, financial institutions, manufacturers, and other entities in all aspects of commercial real estate law.

David represents privately held business organizations involved in manufacturing, distribution, insurance, and a variety of other industries. He has extensive experience providing advice regarding transactions, shareholder agreements, buy and sell agreements, producer and other employment agreements, business valuations, and related issues.

In his work with insurance agencies, David handles operational issues as well as transactions, including restructuring ownership interests, resolving family generational issues, negotiating producer contracts, managing shareholder buyouts, negotiating and closing purchases, sales and mergers of agencies, and representing agencies with respect to real estate, both owned and leased. He currently represents several agencies in all of their legal matters, many of which are located in Massachusetts.

David has more than 40 years’ experience representing national and regional financial institutions in asset based, working capital and other credit facilities. He regularly serves as counsel in commercial real estate transactions involving acquisition and development financing, as well as construction lending for substantial projects, complex land development, project construction, and represents owners and acquirers of office buildings, shopping centers and apartment building purchase and sale transactions. He represents developers, owners, financial institutions, manufacturers, and other entities in all aspects of commercial real estate law.

Practice Areas

Commercial Finance

Corporate & Business

Real Estate

Education

Boston University, J.D.

Brown University, B.A.

Bar Memberships

Rhode Island

Massachusetts

Personal Note

David’s background is retail – his family owned and operated a fine jewelry store in Connecticut. He chose, much to his family’s chagrin, not to take his place in the business when he graduated from Brown. Instead he waded right into the oft-maligned world of politics, working directly for then-Senator Lowell Weicker, Jr. in his short-lived but amusing presidential campaign (We’ll bet you don’t remember that one!). The day after he withdrew from the 1980 race, David went to work on the first George H. W. Bush presidential campaign, and enjoyed several months of accompanying Mr. Bush to events in New England. David has expressed what a pleasure and honor it was to get to know him, albeit briefly, and Barbara Bush (and even to meet the Bush sons). As the campaign started to gear up in earnest, David realized that this was not his calling, and so he left the campaign to start law school. He managed to keep one finger in the political pie, however, being elected Democrat (yes, that’s right) Town Committee Chair in the small Republican town of Barrington, Rhode Island in the 1980’s. When the Democrats won their first Town Council majority in dozens of years, it was time for David to declare victory and end his brief political career.

Professional Affiliations

Rhode Island Bar Association
Massachusetts Bar Association
American Bar Association

Boards

Centreville Bank
- Trustee
- Chair, Nominating and Governance Committee
Crossroads Rhode Island
- Director and Member of Executive Committee
Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce
- Former Legal Counsel
Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Former Legal Counsel
Providence Mutual Fire Insurance Company
- Director
White Family Foundation
- Former Board Member
Rhode Island Philharmonic
- Former Director

Representative Transactions

Represented manufacturing company in financing of major acquisition.
Represented management in management buyout of insurance agency.
Represented several insurance agencies in transactions, including acquisitions of agencies and shareholder buyouts.
Represented shareholders of several corporations in sale of stock.
Represented manufacturing companies in restructuring of operations.
Represented several acquirers of Class A office buildings in downtown Providence.
Represented owner of multiple office buildings in several real estate projects in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Represented investor in construction and development financing of an upscale, regional mall with over one million square feet of premier retail space.
Represented developer group in rehabilitation of major commercial properties in Rhode Island.
Represented developers of mixed-use projects in Rhode Island.
Represented manufacturer in plant expansion, including real estate acquisitions and permitting.
Represented owners of Class A office buildings in Providence in leasing and tenant issues.
Represented lenders in several complex construction loans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Represented lenders in several construction and development loans for construction of shopping centers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Represented purchasers of large apartment complexes.

Honors

Chambers USA – Consistently ranked as leading attorney in the Corporate/Commercial: Banking & Finance and Real Estate areas
Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Banking and Finance Law and Real Estate Law
Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year – Providence, RI Banking and Finance Law (2018)
Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year – Providence, RI Real Estate (2012)
Named for peer recognition and professional achievement in The Super Lawyers directory
AV® Preeminent Rated from Martindale-Hubbell, highest possible rating on both legal ability and ethics based upon the confidential opinion of peers and judges