Keith E. Phillis
Partner
kphillis@darroweverett.com
(401) 453-1200
Practice Areas

Bio
Keith E. Phillis is a Partner and the Chair of our Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group, and Practice Leader in our Private Wealth Services and Tax Practice Groups. Keith represents a wide range of clients, from individuals to large public and private business entities.
Keith’s private wealth planning representation includes advising individuals and businesses on estate planning, wealth and asset preservation planning, tax mitigation and business succession planning strategies. Keith routinely prepares estate planning, estate settlement, gifting, and asset preservation documentation, such as wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts (i.e. DAPTs, ILITs, IDGTs, SNTs, QPRTs, GRATs, CRUTs, SLATs, and D4A), powers of attorney, health care proxies, and living wills.
Keith assists renewable energy project developers and owners at every stage of the project life cycle. He regularly negotiates leases, easement agreements, EPC Agreements, Power Purchase Agreements and Net Metering Agreements, Payment In Lieu of Tax Agreements, decommissioning bond security agreements, asset purchase agreements and membership interest purchase agreements, and debt and tax equity financing agreements.
Keith’s tax experience includes extensive involvement with the structuring and sale of investment assets in a wide range of industries. He works with managers, accountants, and in-house counsel of companies to resolve a variety of tax-related issues, from business formation, to compensation and benefit plans, to acquisition and financing. In addition to tax planning and structuring transactions, Keith’s tax practice includes representation before the IRS and state tax authorities, Federal and State tax courts, and local tax authorities.
Prior Experience
Before joining the DarrowEverett team, Keith served as Managing Partner of a New England-based law firm, focusing his practice on providing transactional and outside counsel support to developers and owners of renewable energy projects. Keith’s practice also included providing a variety of estate and business planning services for individuals and small businesses. In addition, Keith previously served as General Counsel for a Massachusetts-based renewable energy project developer.
Accolades
- Super Lawyers – Rising Stars, 2023-2024 (Tax)
Bar Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, Rhode Island
- U.S. Tax Court
- Connecticut Bar
- Massachusetts Bar
- Rhode Island Bar
Education
- Boston University School of Law, LL.M. in Taxation
- Roger Williams University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
- Central Michigan University, B.A., French, German, European Studies, magna cum laude
- Central Michigan University, B.S., Political Science, magna cum laude
Involvement
- Rhode Island Bar Association – Member
- American Bar Association – Member
- Rhode Island Society of CPAs, RI Young Accountant Network Committee – Member