What happens to your business if you’re suddenly not there to run it? 

For too many business owners, the honest answer is: no one really knows, until it’s too late.

In this NH Business Review webinar, experienced legal and financial advisors will walk through real-world scenarios where unexpected death or incapacity triggered chaos: forced sales, collapsing valuations, family distress, and millions of dollars lost to unnecessary taxes and rushed decisions.

You’ll learn:

• Why successful businesses often become financial liabilities overnight
• How the absence of liquidity and succession planning leads to fire-sale exits
• The critical role of buy-sell agreements and why most owners don’t have them
• How misaligned estate documents quietly sabotage even “good” plans
• What simple, proactive steps can protect your company, your family, and your legacy

This session is designed for business owners, partners, and senior executives who want to ensure that years of hard work don’t unravel in a moment of crisis and that their families inherit value, not problems.

Mark is a member of the firm’s Estate Planning Group, focusing his practice on trusts and estates with extensive experience in estate planning, trust and fiduciary administration, and probate matters. He works closely with individuals and families to design and implement strategies that preserve wealth, minimize taxes, protect assets, and achieve charitable and legacy planning goals.

His practice includes:

• Estate Planning: Wills, trusts, tax planning, charitable giving, and legacy planning
• Trust and Fiduciary Administration: Advising trustees, beneficiaries, and fiduciaries on administration and governance
• Probate and Estate Settlement: Guiding families through probate proceedings and estate administration
• Wealth Preservation and Asset Protection: Strategies to safeguard assets and minimize risk
• Charitable Planning: Structuring and administering charitable gifts, foundations, and philanthropic goals

Nichole D. Raftopoulos, CFP®, CDFA™, AIF®, MPAS℠
CEO & Founder, Nvest Financial, LLC
Principal, The Nvest Group, LLC

Valerie joined Ledyard Financial Advisors in September of 1998 and has over 35 years of experience in taxation, banking, and wealth management services. Valerie has worked in the area of taxation for the MA Department of Revenue and Coopers and Lybrand. She was in-house legal counsel to the Trust Division of State Street Bank and Trust Company. Prior to joining Ledyard, Valerie had a legal practice in which she focused on estate planning, taxation, trusts, and charitable organizations.

Valerie graduated from Boston University Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. She has a Juris Doctor degree from Boston College Law School with a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Boston College Carroll School of Management. Valerie is an active member of the New Hampshire Bar Association, is a current member and past chair of the Trust Committee of the NH Banker’s Association, and is currently a member and a Past President of the New Hampshire Estate Planning Council.

Valerie grew up in the Upper Valley and returned to raise her family here. She is very involved in the local community, serve on the boards of many local nonprofit organizations including the Upper Valley Children’s Center, West Central Services, WISE, and the Upper Valley Humane Society.