Business Law

Government & Regulatory Compliance

Clients seek our help because we know how government works and the people who make it work. We routinely interface with government agencies at all levels including federal, state and local. Our attorneys have deep roots in public service, having previously held legal and policy-making positions in the White House, Massachusetts Governor’s Office, Massachusetts Senate, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service. We also counsel clients on election law, ballot and campaign finance issues, and the operation of social welfare and other advocacy groups. In addition, we represent clients seeking real estate development permits and approvals from federal, state and local authorities and we serve as outside counsel to regional planning authorities, and municipalities in land use matters.

When interacting with the government, our approach is to avoid problems wherever possible. But where aggressive advocacy is necessary to solve problems, we are well-equipped to provide it.

Representative Experience

• Drafting tax opinions for clients concerning a wide variety of state tax matters, including combined reporting, sales tax nexus and state tax conformity to federal non-recognition provisions.
• Representing numerous large public corporations in resolving contested state tax assessments, including companies in the utility, biotechnology, medical, and technology industries.
  
• Guiding owners, developers and other entities through local, state and federal permitting processes in complex real estate development projects.
• Representing public and private real estate clients in land use and environmental disputes at all stages of litigation, including mediations and appeals.
• Navigating the oversight relationship between the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the state’s vibrant nonprofit sector.
• Providing advice to companies, nonprofits, and elected officials navigating lobbying and ethics laws at the state and federal levels.
• Counseling clients on election law, ballot and campaign finance issues, and the operation of social welfare and other advocacy groups.
• Authoring legislation and regulations that apply to growing and diverse industries, including transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft.
• Assisting investment advisors with registering with the SEC and Massachusetts Securities Division, creating compliance policies and procedures, and advising on ongoing compliance matters.
• Representing companies and individuals before commercial and professional licensing boards with registration, licensing and disciplinary actions.
  
• Crafting and submitting appellate and amicus curiae briefs to various federal circuit courts and the Supreme Judicial Court on behalf of prominent nonprofits, industry associations and government officials on a variety of topics, including federal and state constitutional issues.