We are sorry to report the passing of Ernie Klein, a retired Hale and Dorr partner, who remained a regular presence at the Boston office long after his retirement in 2003.
Ernie established the preeminent Investment Management Practice at Hale and Dorr some 30 years ago after already having been a leading investment management lawyer at the former law firm of Gaston & Snow. As group chair, he concentrated his practice on the mutual fund industry and led the group representing many different fund boards and their independent trustees. Clients looked to Ernie for sage counseling and innovative advice. Ernie helped establish the first money market fund that had check writing privileges, as well as the first tax-exempt money market fund. He was involved in the organization of many mutual funds and pooled investment vehicles, including a wide variety of equity and income funds, exchange funds, and international funds. His accomplishments and clients are too numerous to name, and some of them and their successors remain firm clients today. They included Eaton Vance, Fidelity, John Hancock, Harbor Capital, Morgan Grenfell, and Weiss, Peck & Greer.
After retirement, Ernie’s passion was his Boston Midsummer Opera. Ernie was the executive director and chairman of the board and the driving force behind the production of first-rate operas each summer in the Boston area. Ernie was instrumental in arranging the productions of Carmen, Così fan tutte, L’elisir d’amore, The Barber of Seville, and numerous others.
Both before and after retirement, Ernie was a fixture at 60 State Street, always enjoying the presence and mentoring of younger attorneys and sharing his love of opera. He was particularly fond of socializing with staff and attorneys over meals in the cafeteria and at CAMS.
Ernie was a graduate of Brown University, where he was captain of the tennis team, and of Georgetown University Law Center. He leaves behind his beloved family, including his wife Susan, four children, and four grandchildren.
The family hopes to hold a memorial service in the spring.