KP LAW, P.C. - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Founding Member
- Member of the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
's practice focuses on general municipal law and civil litigation in state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies. Attorney Austin's experience includes public records, Open Meeting Law compliance, civil rights, and representing municipalities in claims brought under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act and 42 U.S.C. §1983. Attorney Austin also specializes in interpretation and compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), and its implementing regulations, and data, health and personal privacy issues under state and federal law, including FERPA, as well as constitutional matters, employment law, firearms licensing, civil fingerprinting and CORI.
Attorney Austin is a founding member of the firm's Government Information and Access Group and has provided significant support and trainings to municipalities across the Commonwealth in their implementation of the Public Records Law and Open Meeting Law.
She also assists clients with a variety of other municipal law issues, including town meetings, municipal charters, ordinances and by-laws, conflict of interest, public health and safety matters, and municipal finance. Attorney Austin advised municipalities on COVID-19 related legal matters since 2020, as well as Police Departments' implementation of police reform legislation and POST Commission requirements the past several years.
Attorney Austin joined the firm in 2006. Prior to that time, Attorney Austin clerked at the City of Boston's Law Department. In addition, Attorney Austin previously earned a selective fellowship through the Rappaport Honors Program in Law and Public Policy where she worked extensively on an analysis of municipal zoning, subdivision, and environmental regulations. As a law student, she conducted research in concert with a law professor on governmental liability under federal civil rights law.
Attorney Austin serves as a Faculty Member for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) on Public Records and Open Meeting Law.
Attorney Austin has been named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers. The designation is bestowed after a rigorous selection process, including independent research, peer nomination and peer evaluations.
Attorney Collins joined the firm in 2018 as an Associate. He assists the firm's clients in all aspects of labor and employment law and general municipal law. Prior to joining the firm, Attorney Collins assisted in representing and counseling Massachusetts' public universities in labor and employment matters while interning at a mid-sized general practice firm in Boston. Additionally, during internships with a boutique Boston-based labor and employment firm and the Fair Labor Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, Attorney Collins assisted in the representation of clients in disputes arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Massachusetts Wage Act.
Attorney Matthew Skydel joined the firm as an associate in 2022 and assists the firm's clients in all aspects of general municipal law, litigation, and contracts. Prior to joining the firm, Attorney Skydel was a student law clerk in a primarily business litigation firm, focusing on federal and state securities laws. He was also an intern with the Massachusetts Senate where he worked on a variety of issues involving civil rights, constitutional law, environmental protection, and the Commonwealth's budget. Attorney Skydel is a 2022 graduate of Suffolk University Law School. During his time at Suffolk, Attorney Skydel was a member of the Business Law Association, Secretary of the Latin American Law Student Association, and a 2020-2021 Dean's List recipient.
has 30 years of experience as a public sector attorney, and assists clients with a wide range of general legal issues, including town meetings, municipal charters and bylaws, conflicts of interest, and municipal finance. She is a founding member of the firm's Government Information and Access Group, which focuses extensively on public records and open meeting law issues. Attorney Randazzo litigates cases in both the state and federal courts and administrative tribunals, and also counsels clients on labor and employment issues such as employment policy promulgation and enforcement, best management practices, and employee hiring and firing. Additionally, she advises Housing Authorities and Regional Transit Authorities on a variety of issues. Attorney Randazzo is the co-editor of, and a contributing author to, the LexisNexis® Practice Guide: Massachusetts Administrative Law and Practice.
Attorney Randazzo is an experienced Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) trainer and investigator, and has successfully completed the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination's Certified Train-the-Trainer Courses in Discrimination and Harassment Prevention. She is also a trained EEO mediator.
Attorney Randazzo previously served as the Chair and long-time member of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Public Law Section Council. She has been named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer in the area of State, Local and Municipal Law, for 2017-2021.
Attorney Richard Holland is a member of the firm's Contracts and Litigation Practice Groups and serves as Chair of the firm's Renewable Energy Practice Group. His practice focuses on the litigation of complex contract disputes, public construction and procurement law. His experience includes guiding clients through public construction projects from procurement to project close-out, and representing municipalities and other governmental bodies (including municipal airports and regional transit authorities) in construction litigation in state and federal courts; drafting and negotiating power purchase agreements, net metering credit purchase agreements, energy management services agreements, and contracts for construction, design and project management services; and drafting invitations to bid, requests for proposals/qualifications and similar procurement documents.
joined the firm in 2023 as a Senior Attorney after representing businesses large and small in commercial and banking litigation for more than a decade. Attorney Smerage has extensive experience representing clients in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration and mediation. He represents municipalities in a broad range of litigation and enforcement matters, including matters involving land use and zoning, construction, contract disputes, and torts.
Attorney Smerage has considerable experience with all aspects of pre-trial civil litigation, including the preparation of pleadings and motions to dismiss, conducting discovery, and summary judgment. Attorney Smerage has also tried cases in both jury and jury-waived settings in Massachusetts Superior Court. Attorney Smerage has significant experience prosecuting and defending civil appeals, as well. He has authored briefs submitted to the Massachusetts Appeals Court and Supreme Judicial Court and various United States Courts of Appeal, as well as worked on briefs to the United States Supreme Court. His appellate experience also includes arguing before the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Attorney Smerage is also the Town Moderator in Wenham, a position to which he was elected in 2021. In this role, he has presided over annual and special Town Meetings and also serves as the chair of the town's FinCom Appointing Committee. Incorporating this experience, Attorney Smerage also advises municipalities on Town Meeting questions, assists them in the preparation of Town Meeting warrants and motions, and counsels them on questions of general municipal law.
Prior to joining the firm, Attorney Smerage was an associate at a Boston-based business law firm and, before that, in the Boston office of a global law firm. In addition to representing clients in litigation, Attorney Smerage has also advised clients on compliance with state and federal statutory and regulatory requirements, including requirements for consumer lending, data privacy, and fair housing. He has assisted clients in the drafting of compliance policies, written information security programs, and contract terms and conditions. He has participated in guiding clients through government investigations, as well.
During law school, Attorney Smerage served as a judicial intern to the Honorable William G. Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and to the Honorable Robert McKenna, Jr., of the Boston Municipal Court.
Job Titles:
- Trustee of BD Realty Trust V. Town of Wareham, Et Al., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts C.a. No.
Barbara Deighton Haupt, Trustee of BD Realty Trust v. Town of Wareham, et al., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts C.A. No. 05-11745-RWZ (2007). Assisted in the defense of the Town securing a verdict that reduced the plaintiff's claimed value of the taken property by $1.5 million dollars.
Attorney Brian Maser's practice focuses on general municipal law, and public sector labor and employment law. In this capacity, he provides counsel to municipalities on labor issues, including compliance with state and federal labor statutes, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Massachusetts Wage Act, and the Massachusetts Paid Family Leave Act. Attorney Maser represents municipalities in labor disputes in state and federal courts, drafts and negotiates successor collective bargaining agreements, drafts and negotiates individual employment agreements, employee settlement agreements and releases, grievance and arbitration settlement documents, conducts investigations relative to employee misconduct and policy compliance, conducts pre-deprivation show cause hearings, advises clients with respect to municipal health insurance issues, and represents municipalities before the American Arbitration Association, the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission, the Department of Industrial Accidents, the Department of Administrative Law Appeals, and the Joint Labor-Management Committee. He also has experience representing school committees in state court and in labor arbitration disputes. Attorney Maser assists clients with a variety of general municipal law issues, including issues surrounding town meetings, municipal charters and by-laws, conflict of interest, public records, the Open Meeting Law, and municipal finance.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder and Management Committee Member
's practice focuses on municipal finance, labor/employment, land use, contracts, procurement, scope of municipal authority, conduct of town meeting, and compliance with state law. She serves as liaison between local officials and state officials and agencies, including Office of the Attorney General, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, the Department of Revenue, the State Ethics Commission, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Inspector General, and the State Election Division. Attorney Murray is also a frequent presenter on topics for the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative.
Attorney Chris Pollart represents and counsels publicly-owned utility systems (municipal electric utilities, rural electric cooperatives, state agencies and state authorities), municipalities, state agencies and authorities as well as a number of private clients.
Attorney Pollart's practice includes the following:
Advising clients on wholesale and retail power supply, power supply products, natural gas supply, retail energy and gas supply and hedging and contract documents;
Negotiating project agreements for renewable energy projects, including power purchase agreements, interconnection agreements and ground leases, for utility-scale solar, wind, hydro and landfill gas generation;
Advising clients on ISO-NE rules and requirements;
Negotiating and documenting natural gas purchase transactions;
Negotiating and documenting chilled water service agreements for consumers of chilled water services;
Advising clients on substation, transmission, distribution and other infrastructure projects and bidding requirements;
Advising publicly owned utility clients on general municipal, public power and general business issues. This includes researching legal issues, drafting legal opinions and meeting with and advising key personnel and governing boards;
Advising publicly owned utility clients on telecommunications issues;
Developing and negotiating project contracts for public power plant projects, including Owner's Engineer agreements, Engineering, Procurement and Construction agreements, turbine purchase agreements, long term generator service agreements, agreements for the purchase and sale of unit contingent power and capacity and governing structure;
Advising public developers of power plants on municipal zoning requirements, environmental permitting, bidding requirements and siting requirements; and
Representing clients in Massachusetts State Courts, Massachusetts Federal District Court, First Circuit Court of Appeals and before regulatory agencies including the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission.
Job Titles:
- Housing Trust Study Committee - Vice Chair
Attorney Connor Mullen joined the firm in 2021. Attorney Mullen assists the firm's clients in all facets of municipal, land use, environmental, and litigation matters. Attorney Mullen joined the firm after clerking with the Vermont Superior Court, where he worked on a broad range of civil matters involving issues of public roadway acceptance, real property interests, wrongful termination, homestead property tax assessment, election law, municipal tort liability, open meeting law, and public records requests.
Cynthia Machado and Joseph Machado v. Town of Somerset, Bristol Superior Court, C.A. No. 1973CV00593. We are pleased to report that the New Bedford Superior Court (Buckley, J.) recently issued an Order and Judgment, dismissing the appeal of the decision of the Somerset Board of Health to uphold the Health Agent's denial of the plaintiffs' permit application for the keeping of a horse on their residential property. In particular, the Court held that the minimum roaming acreage requirement for the keeping of equine in the Board of Health's Animal Regulations was valid, enforceable, and reasonably related to public health and safety. Notably, the Court disagreed with the plaintiffs' argument that they could include all land not encumbered by structures, as well as a vacant lot which they did not own, to meet the minimum acreage requirement. Accordingly, the Court held that the Board of Health did not act arbitrary, capriciously or abuse its discretion in denying the plaintiffs' permit where the roaming area was not marked in any definitive manner to delineate sufficient space designated for roaming, as opposed to areas used for walkways, driveways and the like. In addition, the Court refused to entertain newly raised due process claims where the plaintiffs appealed the Health Agent's denial to the Board of Health but requested that no hearing on their appeal be scheduled.
Attorney Darren Klein provides municipalities and school districts with legal representation, counseling and assistance in all facets of employment and labor law, school law, collective bargaining, personnel matters, human resources, and general municipal law. Attorney Klein is currently Chair of the Firm's Labor and Employment Law and School Law Practice Groups. He represents clients before state and federal courts, labor arbitrators, retirement boards and numerous administrative agencies on such issues as employment discrimination, wrongful termination, organizing petitions, unfair labor practices, employee discipline, and contractual grievances. Attorney Klein also assists clients at many different stages of negotiating collective bargaining agreements and individual employment contracts, including serving as the lead negotiator for employers in a wide range of union negotiations. He also advises clients on managing and maintaining cost-effective health insurance and employee benefits. Attorney Klein provides clients with proactive counseling, including drafting and implementing policies that strive for maintaining a diverse, non-discriminatory and efficient workplace that encourages and allows for optimal job performance and production. Attorney Klein provides counseling that reduces clients' risks, is fiscally responsible, and lowers overall employment costs.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder and Management Committee Member
has over 40 years of labor and employment law related experience. He serves as labor counsel to numerous municipal clients for collective bargaining, individual employment contracts and employee benefits, grievance and arbitration, and disciplinary hearings before state and federal agencies. He also acts as lead trial attorney in major litigation in state and federal courts and agencies such as the MCAD involving labor and employment, allegations of tort, and civil rights violations against public sector clients. In addition to his expertise in labor and employment law, Attorney Jenkins possesses broad-based knowledge in general municipal law.
Attorney Jenkins is also the primary contact for several town counsel clients assisting them in a full array of general municipal issues, including town meetings, municipal charters and by-laws, conflict of interest, public records, the Open Meeting Law, and municipal finance.
has over 30 years of experience representing clients in municipal matters. He specializes in municipal procurement, contracting, and public construction. Attorney Doneski works closely with building committees and awarding authorities in contracting with project architects and engineers and ensuring compliance with the state's designer selection law, drafting and reviewing bid and contract documents, providing general project support, and representing the interests of the public project owner in disputes with contractors. He is an experienced litigator and has tried numerous cases on behalf of municipalities in the District Court, Superior Court and Land Court departments of the Massachusetts Trial Court.
Attorney Doneski is also an authority in general municipal law and has extensive experience in matters of municipal governance, including Town Meeting, drafting of by-laws and regulations, licensing and local administrative proceedings. He previously served as Assistant Town Counsel for the Towns of Danvers and Sudbury.
Attorney Deborah I. Ecker has over 25 years of experience as a trial attorney representing both public sector and private clients. She represents clients in a broad range of complex litigation including employment law, constitutional law, land use and general practice litigation. Attorney Ecker litigates cases in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and nationally. She has also successfully represented bank clients at arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
has over 25 years of experience as a trial attorney representing both public sector and private clients. She represents clients in a broad range of complex litigation including employment law, constitutional law, land use and general practice litigation. Attorney Ecker litigates cases in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and nationally. She has also successfully represented bank clients at arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
In her employment law practice, Attorney Ecker counsels clients on a wide variety of personnel issues, including policy promulgation, implementation and enforcement, best management practices as well as employee hiring and firing. She has counseled clients on and defended them against claims brought pursuant to the Massachusetts Wage Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Attorney Ecker has conducted numerous work-place investigations into allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment and has conducted trainings on anti-discrimination sexual harassment prevention in the workplace. She was named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer in the areas of State, Local, Municipal Law and Employment Law, for 2016 - 2023.
Attorney Eric Barth assists the firm's clients in all facets of real estate and general municipal law. He joined the firm as an associate in 2022 after graduating from Suffolk University Law School. While in law school, he interned at both the Plymouth County and Norfolk County Superior Court, as well as the Massachusetts Land Court. Additionally, he worked as a law clerk at Berluti, McLaughlin & Kutchin LLP, and interned at Nixon Peabody LLP in their Affordable Housing & Real Estate department. At Suffolk, Attorney Barth was the Chief Managing Editor of the school's Transnational Law Review.
Attorney George X. Pucci has 35 years of experience as a trial and appellate lawyer, representing clients in all Massachusetts state and federal courts, and administrative agencies.
Attorney Pucci advises clients on a wide range of regulatory compliance and enforcement issues, strategy concerning pending or threatened litigation, and resolving disputes prior to or during litigation, through negotiation, mediation or arbitration. He also represents clients in real estate and land use permitting matters, including hearings on G.L. c.40B affordable housing comprehensive permit applications, and matters pending before historic district commissions, conservation commissions, planning boards, and zoning boards of appeal. Land use permitting boards and their professional staff rely on Attorney Pucci to assist in properly conditioning development and construction proposals, to deny project proposals in appropriate circumstances, and to successfully defend permit decisions in the event of appeal.
Attorney Janelle Austin's practice focuses on general municipal law and civil litigation in state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies. Attorney Austin's experience includes public records, Open Meeting Law compliance, civil rights, and representing municipalities in claims brought under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act and 42 U.S.C. §1983. Attorney Austin also specializes in interpretation and compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), and its implementing regulations, and data, health and personal privacy issues under state and federal law, including FERPA, as well as constitutional matters, employment law, firearms licensing, civil fingerprinting and CORI.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder and Management Committee Member
Attorney Joel Bard is an authority in municipal law specializing in land use and environmental law, including zoning, subdivision control, historic preservation, wetlands protection, affordable housing, and telecommunications facilities siting. He is an experienced litigator and frequently represents clients in state and federal courts and before administrative boards, primarily on land use and environmental issues, including defense against constitutional claims of regulatory takings. In addition, he has broad municipal law experience serving as town counsel to numerous Massachusetts towns.
Attorney Bard has extensive relevant practical land use experience as well. Prior to joining our firm, he was an attorney with the Central Transportation Planning Staff for five years, and General Counsel and Deputy/Acting Director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) for seven years. Attorney Bard is also actively involved in civic and community affairs in Cambridge and serves as Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the New Charles River Basin project.
has over 30 years of experience in the area of municipal law and specializes in environmental law, public sector procurement and contract law, and municipal finance. He counsels municipalities on wastewater treatment, public water supply, hazardous waste, and landfill compliance issues with a special emphasis on advising clients with respect to innovative contracting methods to achieve regulatory compliance. These methods include design build operate contracts for new wastewater treatment plants and other public works facilities, landfill operating agreements, intermunicipal agreements, and long-term leasing arrangements. Attorney Giorgio represents municipalities in NPDES and groundwater discharge permit renewals, as well as federal and state wastewater compliance enforcement actions, and solid waste administrative consent orders. He also has extensive experience on public construction matters, and solar and wind power projects.
Attorney Giorgio also specializes in municipal finance. He represents municipal clients in all aspects of budgeting and has developed several home rule petitions to address unique municipal financial challenges. He has also represented municipalities before state-imposed financial control boards.
Attorney Jonathan Eichman's practice focuses on general municipal law, land use, and real estate law. In the municipal law area, he assists clients with a variety of issues, including town meetings, municipal charters and by-laws, conflict of interest, public records, the Open Meeting Law, and municipal finance. In the area of land use, Attorney Eichman counsels municipalities on the interpretation and application of zoning by-laws, subdivision control regulations, and wetlands statutes and by-laws, with particular emphasis on the analysis and handling of zoning nonconformities and the statutory protection afforded religious and educational uses. In the area of real estate, Attorney Eichman focuses on assisting municipalities with all aspects of eminent domain takings and laying out public ways, together with negotiating and drafting purchase and sale agreements, licenses, leases, and a wide array of easements and restrictions. He represents municipalities in zoning and real estate matters before all levels of the federal and state courts, including the United States District Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, and the Massachusetts trials courts.
Attorney Joseph S. Fair has more than 25 years of experience in labor and employment law, including negotiating and drafting collective bargaining agreements, employment contracts, grievance and arbitration settlements, and other agreements. He has considerable experience proactively counseling and advising clients on a multitude of labor and employment subjects with an aim toward minimizing and potentially avoiding liability altogether. His experience includes representing clients before state and federal courts, various state agencies including the Civil Service Commission, Department of Labor Relations, Joint Labor Management Committee, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and labor arbitrations.
Attorney Fair has a well-rounded background in labor and employment law having represented public employers, labor unions, and individual employees. Prior to joining the firm, he was an associate for approximately six years at a Boston labor and employment boutique law firm where he represented labor unions and individuals in litigation and collective bargaining matters. He also served as a field representative attorney for the local chapter of a large union. His experience working on both sides of the labor and employment table has provided him with a unique perspective on ways to approach and deal with the various issues that can arise in the workplace.
comes to the firm with over twenty years' experience litigating land use, real estate, and property rights cases in Massachusetts, many involving issues of first impression in Massachusetts appellate courts and the Land Court. He has significant experience throughout the state practicing before local zoning boards of appeal, planning boards, conservation commissions, historic commissions, and boards of health. Attorney Perrotta has provided zoning and property rights risk analysis to developers for large scale commercial and residential projects. He also has extensive experience litigating commercial disputes and employee trade secret and non-compete cases, and has served as Corporate Counsel for an industry leading Massachusetts company.
works primarily with cities and towns on their real estate needs, bringing to her practice nearly fifteen years of experience with the particularized laws that govern these transactions. Attorney Klein represents municipalities in acquisitions, dispositions and leasing of properties, eminent domain proceedings and procurement issues and advises on the protection of land, including conservation and historic preservation restrictions and on the creation of affordable housing. She drafts purchase and sale agreements, requests for proposals, warrant articles, leases, land development agreements, easements, restrictions and covenants. Her practice also includes advising cities and towns on general municipal law, including town meeting, municipal finance, public records and open meeting law. She works closely with cities and towns to implement their objectives, in a reasonable, efficient and timely manner.
Prior to joining the firm, Attorney Klein practiced with private law firms in New Hampshire, where she represented governmental bodies, lenders and developers in a broad range of matters.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Managing Attorney
- President
- Shareholder
has over 25 years of public law experience advising clients on general municipal law issues, particularly with respect to municipal governance, municipal finance and administrative law. Attorney Goldberg was named by Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly as one of 2018's 50 Top Women in Law. Serving as the firm's point person for election-related issues, Attorney Goldberg represents both client and special counsel municipalities in high stakes recounts and election related litigation, and frequently advises city and town clerks, boards of registrars and election commissioners on implementation of state election law. Her practice also includes assisting clients with all aspects of Town Meeting, including preparation of warrant articles and motions and advising as to parliamentary procedure. Attorney Goldberg regularly advises municipalities concerning the Home Rule Procedures Act and the Home Rule Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution, drafts charters, by-laws and ordinances, and advocates on behalf of clients before state administrative agencies.
Attorney Goldberg joined the firm after serving as Legal Counsel to the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division. In this capacity, she drafted amendments to the state election laws and regulations and assisted city and town clerks in implementing state election laws.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder and Management Committee Member
Attorney Mark Reich has over 35 years of experience in all aspects of municipal law. He specializes in environmental law, contract and construction law, board of health regulation and enforcement, and general municipal law. Attorney Reich is also an experienced litigator representing municipal boards, public agencies, and officials in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies on environmental and contracting issues.
has over 35 years of experience in all aspects of municipal law. He specializes in environmental law, contract and construction law, board of health regulation and enforcement, and general municipal law. Attorney Reich is also an experienced litigator representing municipal boards, public agencies, and officials in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies on environmental and contracting issues.
Attorney Reich's environmental law experience includes prosecution of property contamination claims, representation of municipal clients with respect to the reuse and rehabilitation of contaminated property; compliance with G.L. c.21E and the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and federal Superfund law; and regulatory and enforcement actions by local conservation commissions and boards of health. Attorney Reich has extensive experience with solid waste disposal contracting and the permitting and construction of solid waste facilities, including site assignment procedures and enforcement. He also has extensive contract experience, including drafting complex agreements, intermunicipal agreements, and construction documents, as well as the procurement and leasing of telecommunications facilities.
In the area of general municipal law, Attorney Reich serves as the primary contact for several cities and towns. In this capacity, he advises in the areas of Open Meeting Law, Public Records Law, Town Meeting, and City and Town Council meetings; drafting special legislation; and analyzing and interpreting by-laws, ordinance, and charters.
Attorney Michael D'Ortenzio Jr. joined the firm in 2022. He assists the firm's clients in all facets of municipal, land use, education, and elections law as well as general litigation.
Before attending law school, Michael served in local government roles in his hometown, including chairing the School Committee and representing his neighborhood as a Town Meeting Member for three terms. He is currently an elected member of his community's Natural Resources Commission.
In law school, Michael focused on government and administrative coursework and represented parents of special education students as a student practitioner with his school's Children's Law Clinic.
Attorney Michele Randazzo has 30 years of experience as a public sector attorney, and assists clients with a wide range of general legal issues, including town meetings, municipal charters and bylaws, conflicts of interest, and municipal finance. She is a founding member of the firm's Government Information and Access Group, which focuses extensively on public records and open meeting law issues. Attorney Randazzo litigates cases in both the state and federal courts and administrative tribunals, and also counsels clients on labor and employment issues such as employment policy promulgation and enforcement, best management practices, and employee hiring and firing. Additionally, she advises Housing Authorities and Regional Transit Authorities on a variety of issues. Attorney Randazzo is the co-editor of, and a contributing author to, the LexisNexis® Practice Guide: Massachusetts Administrative Law and Practice.
Paul D. Adler, Trustee of 2 East Beach Realty Trust v. Town of Westport Board of Health, 82 Mass.App.Ct. 1102 (2012). In a case of first impression regarding the "grandfathering" of an abandoned septic system, successfully defended the Board of Health's denial of an on-site septic system permit.
Attorney Robin Stein's practice focuses on a wide range of municipal legal areas including land use, real estate, procurement, open meeting law, conflict of interest, general litigation and municipal governance. She also has extensive experience as a trial attorney representing both public and private sector clients and as an administrator in local government.
Attorney Roger L. Smerage joined the firm in 2023 as a Senior Attorney after representing businesses large and small in commercial and banking litigation for more than a decade. Attorney Smerage has extensive experience representing clients in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration and mediation. He represents municipalities in a broad range of litigation and enforcement matters, including matters involving land use and zoning, construction, contract disputes, and torts.
Terry Allen v. Board of Registrars of Amherst, Hampshire Superior Court, C.A. No. 2180CV00081, Summary Judgment (January 17, 2022). Superior Court granted summary judgment in favor of the Amherst Board of Registrars and Town Council with respect to a challenge to the procedures employed in processing a referendum petition and the conduct of an election on that petition where the plaintiffs were seeking to nullify an appropriation of funding for a library construction project which would have resulted in the loss of tens of millions of dollars in State grants if successful.
advises clients in all aspects of municipal law, land use, civil litigation, claims handling, insurance coverage matters and administrative agency proceedings. He has over 38 years of litigation experience representing clients before state, federal and appellate courts in both jury and bench trials. Attorney Lane also represents clients in arbitrations and mediations.
Attorney Lane's practice also includes managing the defense of Massachusetts litigation for a self-insured national car rental corporation. This involves daily interaction on litigation policy, claim evaluation, insurance coverage issues, managing case load and trying cases.