ATTORNEY WRIGHT - Key Persons
Andrew Black concentrates his practice in defending companies and professionals in business disputes, products liability litigation, and employment matters. He regularly represents large manufacturers of industrial equipment and consumer products in fire and personal injury litigation. Andrew defends hospitals, doctors, nurses, EMTs, and dentists in many types of health care matters, including in medical malpractice actions and before the boards of registration. He is also experienced at drafting, negotiating, and interpreting contracts.
Prior to practicing law, Andrew was a consultant and project manager for a software company in the telecommunications industry. He has two engineering degrees from Northwestern University in Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Gerard Butler Address the Massachusetts Society for Healthcare Risk Management
For 35 years, Barbara Hayes Buell has been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell with an "AV" Preeminent rating, the highest possible peer review rating in Legal Ability and Ethical Standards. She has attained the rank of Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates, the premier national association of civil trial attorneys from both plaintiffs' and defense bars. She is licensed to practice before the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Rhode Island. She also has authored articles and book chapters for practicing attorneys in Massachusetts and has lectured to healthcare providers regarding regulatory and other matters.
Barbara frequently handles matters before the State Boards, which license Physicians, Dentists, Nurses, Social Workers and other health professionals. She has represented hospitals in matters of policy, credentialing, and delineation of privileges. To support her interest in health law, Barbara earned a Masters of Public Health at Boston University's School of Public Health in the School of Medicine in 1994. In addition, she has been involved in Charter Schools in Massachusetts since the enabling statute was passed in 1995 and has represented over eighteen of the authorized schools in Massachusetts since that time.
She also practices in the field of mental health by representing hospitals in commitment procedures and families in guardianship procedures.
Barbara's experience as an attorney and trial lawyer has been enhanced by her business acumen acquired as the owner/manager of both commercial and residential real estate and her ownership of a graphic design studio.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founder and Board Member of Lawyers Honoring COVID - 19 Caregivers, Inc
- Member of the Massachusetts Historical Society
Chris is a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Boston Athenaeum, and the Bostonian Society. He also enjoys golf, tennis, poetry and literature.
Chris is also a founder and board member of Lawyers Honoring COVID-19 Caregivers, Inc., a most deserving Charity created by leading members of the Massachusetts Bar to provide financial support for those who have so bravely cared for the citizens of the Commonwealth and continue to do so selflessly and at great personal risk.
Dana is a seasoned trial lawyer who has been elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates and serves on the Executive Committee of its Massachusetts Chapter.
His practice includes business litigation, employment law, trade secrets, unfair and deceptive trade practices, construction, antitrust, and personal injury. Dana has obtained significant victories for clients both prosecuting and defending these claims. Here are just a few examples of the many important cases in which he has prevailed.
Served as lead counsel in a complex antitrust case in which he represented 116 plaintiffs who opted out of a class action settlement and sought over $110 million in damages. The case garnered national media attention and settled on the eve of trial.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Featured in Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel Text
David M. Governo has over 35 years of experience counseling and representing corporations, insurance companies and individuals. He helps clients with a broad range of both business-related and litigation-related issues, including regulatory compliance, litigation management and trial strategy. His focus has been on highly technical, scientifically or medically complicated matters that require a creative, yet practical problem-solving approach. David has a national reputation as a leader in the fields of toxic torts, products liability and building-related legal issues including asbestos, lead, mold, insurance and indoor air quality.
David's most recent (October 12, 2018) trial victory resulted in a defense verdict in favor of his client. This trial involved novel claims against two tobacco companies and David's client, an automotive brake rebuilder, in which the plaintiff argued that the "synergy" between smoking and asbestos in the brakes caused a brake mechanic's lung cancer and death. After a six-week, the jury returned a $43 million verdict for the plaintiff against one of the tobacco companies.
David has been actively involved in training other lawyers and educating insurance and corporate clients throughout his career. In 1992, he organized and chaired the first national litigation conference on lead poisoning. Since then, he has chaired eight national litigation conferences and has been invited to present papers at many conferences throughout the country on topics that include defending complex litigation, asbestos, lead, mold, indoor air quality, regulatory compliance and insurance coverage. David has attained Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating ("AV") and has been voted a Super Lawyer every year for over a decade. He has co-authored text books including Toxic Torts: Law and Science Manual and has published hundreds of articles, chapters and papers for legal and industry trade groups.
David's charitable work includes serving as a Trustee of the Windsor Club and as Chairman of the Board of Healthy Housing Solutions, a subsidiary of the National Center for Healthy Housing.
Gerard, an accomplished trial advocate, has been lead counsel in more than one hundred jury trials. He focuses his practice on business disputes, health care litigation, products liability defense, eminent domain defense, and personal law litigation. In addition to his civil litigation practice, he represents clients in administrative hearings and investigations.
He honed his trial skills as former prosecutor in Middlesex County, where he not only served as lead trial lawyer in one hundred jury trials, but was lead counsel in one hundred, jury-waived trials as well. He is also a sought after lecturer on trial strategy for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Special Counsel to the Massachusetts Senate Redistricting Committee
Reed Witherby has extensive experience presenting and defending civil cases, including constitutional law cases, in trial and appellate courts. He concentrates his practice in the litigation of issues involving public law, including administrative and constitutional law, as well as on appeals in a wide variety of civil cases.
Mr. Witherby's public law experience stems from his service as an Assistant Attorney General in the Government Bureau (now called the Administrative Law Division) of the Massachusetts Attorney General's office from 1982-1989, where he handled scores of administrative law and constitutional law cases.
Mr. Witherby has served as Special Counsel to the Massachusetts Senate Redistricting Committee for redistricting the Massachusetts Congressional and Senatorial districts following the U.S. Census of 2000, and again in 2010. He has also participated in redistricting litigation in Arizona, New York, and Rhode Island. He taught a Voting Rights seminar at Northeastern University School of Law in 2001. He heads the firm's voting rights practice area.
Mr. Witherby has briefed and argued dozens of appeals in state and federal courts, including the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. He heads the firm's appellate practice area.
Reed Witherby has extensive experience presenting and defending civil cases, including constitutional law cases, in trial and appellate courts. He concentrates his practice in the litigation of issues involving public law, including administrative and constitutional law. He heads the firm's public law practice area.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Town Meeting Representative
Mr. Clancy is a Town Meeting Representative and serves as the Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Town of Chelmsford.
Job Titles:
- Top Rated Lawyer, International Law and International Trade
Matthew Walko has a broad-based civil litigation practice. He is experienced in all aspects of litigation before Massachusetts state and federal courts, ranging from discovery through trial and appeal, including mediation. He represents business, insurance, and individual clients in all aspects of civil litigation and appellate practice. He has more than 20 years of experience in trial practice in state and federal courts. His practice includes products and premises liability litigation, insurance defense and chapter 93A litigation, coverage opinions, construction, business and commercial litigation, and indoor air quality litigation.
Matt has achieved excellent results for product manufacturers and service providers in fire and explosion litigation involving multi-million dollar claims, for public authorities and contractors in defense of insured-risk, personal injury and property damage lawsuits and construction defect claims, for businesses and individuals in civil lawsuits, and for insurance companies, including non-admitted carriers, with respect to insurance coverage disputes, manuscript-policy and surplus-lines CGL coverage issues, subrogation and chapter 93A and 176D litigation.
He has successfully represented business clients at jury trials before the Massachusetts Superior Court, and has argued and won appeals before the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. In particular, his appellate advocacy on expert witness and premises liability issues has secured favorable results for clients.
Matt has been a partner of Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo since 2001; he served as Administrative-Managing Partner from 2009 through 2016.
Melissa has more than ten years of experience in intellectual property law. She regularly advises clients on a wide range of intellectual property matters and related corporate business transactions, with a particular emphasis on domestic and international trademark and copyright searching, prosecution, enforcement, counseling and litigation. She specializes in trademark, copyright, domain name, trade dress, and related areas of Internet, e-commerce, unfair competition and advertising law, and represents clients in administrative proceedings and in federal civil litigation. Her practice also encompasses intellectual property licensing, domestic and international portfolio management, and trademark and copyright infringement matters. She works with IP firms worldwide in protecting and enforcing her clients' IP rights.
Nicole Cordeiro has been practicing law since 2006. Her practice focuses on estate planning, estate administration, divorce, guardianship matters, and complex probate litigation. She has broad experience in business disputes and premises liability. She also represents health care providers in civil proceedings.
Nicole is an experienced trial attorney who has served as lead counsel in many jury trials. She honed her skills as a prosecutor in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office prosecuting a wide variety of felonies. She has extensive experience in litigation before the Massachusetts Superior Court and U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Prior to practicing law, Nicole was a high school Italian teacher. She credits her years of teaching for providing her with the ability to present a persuasive case and engage a jury. She is fluent in Italian and in French.
Mr. Rufo has advised an array of clients in matters involving the acquisition and sale of real estate, as well as financing, use, and leasing; the prosecution and defense of complex commercial lawsuits and personal injury litigation; and various corporate formation, funding, and employment issues. Mr. Rufo has developed many strong relationships within the legal, financial, and political communities in the City of Boston and throughout Massachusetts.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Partner With Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP
Polly Jauquet is a partner with Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP. She has extensive experience in the litigation of claims before the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents, the Massachusetts Superior Court, and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Her practice primarily focuses on the defense of workers' compensation claims and health care law, along with art and cultural property, product liability, aviation law and premises liability.
Polly has extensive experience representing self-insured employers and hospitals in workers' compensation cases. Since 2010, Polly has represented Mass General Brigham Incorporated (formerly Partners HealthCare System, Inc.) in the defense of workers' compensation claims in each of the DIA regional offices.
In the area of art and cultural property, she has assisted in the representation of universities and museums in the successful recovery of artwork and artifacts. In major product liability cases, she has assisted during discovery and at trial in the defense of some of the world's largest manufacturers and companies.
Polly graduated cum laude from Suffolk University Law School in 2007 and obtained a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.
Robert Mueller is a litigation attorney concentrating in civil and commercial litigation, travel and recreation law, personal injury and wrongful death defense, insurance coverage disputes, regulatory issues, and employer/employee relations. He has over twenty years of experience representing businesses and individuals in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country, as well as in mediations and arbitrations.
Robert L. Boston has defended national and international companies in asbestos litigation, toxic tort and product liability claims involving electrical distribution equipment, automobiles, appliances, commercial piping, metal halide lamps, medical devices and a variety of other products. His practice is focused on asbestos litigation and products liability. He has also defended manufacturers and distributors of generic pharmaceuticals in ANDA and Hatch-Waxman litigation in mass torts and multidistrict litigations. His wide ranging litigation experience also includes commercial disputes, construction litigation, premises liability, and the defense of healthcare professionals, lawyers and engineers in professional liability actions.
His courtroom experience includes leading and assisting in numerous bench and jury trials. He also has extensive appellate experience having briefed and argued several cases before the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Rob also has experience representing individuals and developers before municipal boards in zoning matters. His municipal law experience also included appointment as solicitor for a township zoning hearing board.
Most recently, he co-authored a major treatise, Litigating International Torts in U.S. Courts, (West 2017). Prior to joining Smith Duggan, Rod was a partner at Rubin Hay and Gould P.C., and served as Vice President and General Counsel at International Weekends Charter Vacations. He also served as Group Counsel at Digital Equipment Corp and as Assistant Regional Director, Boston Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission.
Job Titles:
- School of Law, Guest Lecturer ( Fall 2013 - Fall 2016 ) .
Thomas D. Herman heads Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo's corporate and international law practices. He represents corporations, LLC's, partnerships, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. His clients include privately held companies, both large and small; start-up, emerging and established technology, manufacturing, and service companies; foundations, and family-owned businesses.
He counsels clients on entity selection, organization and governance, capital structure (including angel and venture capital financing), employment law, executive employment and separation agreements, mergers and acquisitions, trademarks, copyrights, intellectual property protection and licensing, and export compliance (including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, sanctions, embargoes, and export licensing). He also maintains an entertainment practice, representing authors and independent film makers.
Tom began his career as a litigator with WilmerHale and provides attractive, cost-effective alternatives to legal services available at much larger law firms.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Adjunct Professor at Northeastern University School of Law's
- Named Partner at Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP
Vincent's courtroom experience includes securing a defense verdict in the first joint asbestos-tobacco trial in Massachusetts history. This six-week jury trial, which Vincent handled with David Governo, garnered national attention and resulted in a $43.1 million verdict against a co-defendant tobacco company. The jury found the firm's client, a brake rebuilder, not liable on all counts.
Vincent has been published in both legal and scientific journals. As an undergraduate, he assisted in research regarding cancer genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital's world-renowned Neuro-radiation Oncology Laboratory. As an attorney, Vincent extensively researched attorney-directed voir dire and jury dynamics. That work culminated in a law review co-authored with Associate Justice Dennis J. Curran and published in the Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy, entitled "Attorney-Directed Voir Dire Comes to Massachusetts: The Republic is Safe." In addition, Vincent co-authored the Massachusetts law chapter in the Claims Professional Desk Reference published by the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.
Vincent currently serves as an adjunct professor at Northeastern University School of Law's LLM and Master of Legal Studies programs where he teaches Torts, Negotiation & Advocacy, and Financial Transactions. He has also given undergraduate lectures at Brown, Tufts, and Northeastern Universities and lectured law students at Roger Williams School of Law. In addition, Vincent frequently presents at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) and Massachusetts Bar Association programs; he has also presented at national conferences, including Defense Research Institute (DRI).
He currently serves as a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Judicial Administration Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Justinian Law Society.