Business Litigation
Our Business Litigation practice group offers the experience of seasoned lawyers who recognize the value of solving problems to promote your business success.
Complex Tort Defense
Since its founding in 1988, a staple of Conn Kavanaugh’s practice has been the defense of business entities in serious and complex personal injury or property damage actions.Construction
Whether you are the owner, design professional, general contractor, project administrator, subcontractor, or supplier on a construction project, our Construction practice will assist you in achieving a successful project outcome.Corporate / Transactional
Our Corporate/Transactional practice has a broad range of skills. This versatility allows them to remain a principal point of contact with our business clients and to move freely across multiple disciplines to ensure continuity of representation.
Criminal / White Collar / Regulatory
We have extensive experience advising businesses and individuals who are the subject of criminal or regulatory investigations or proceedings.
Employment Litigation / Counseling
Employers and employees alike look to Conn Kavanaugh’s employment lawyers for advice in navigating the increasingly complex web of state and federal statutes,Estate Planning / Administration
Our Estate Planning attorneys help individuals and their families plan for the future and protect their assets. We handle all aspects of estate planning.
Family Law / Probate Litigation
Our experienced Family Law/Probate Litigation attorneys work zealously to ensure rightful asset distributions in these emotionally charged proceedings. Our group handles a wide range of areas including prenuptial agreements, custody disputes, and post-divorce support or estate modifications.
Insurance Litigation
Land Use / Real Estate Litigation
Our Land Use/Real Estate Litigation practice has extensive experience in handling real estate disputes of all kinds and at all levels. We can develop a strategy for your dispute.Mediation / Arbitration
Having litigated hundreds of cases, the Mediation/Arbitration practice is well-equipped to effectively value cases to resolve disputes according to your needs and goals.
Product Liability
Conn Kavanaugh’s lawyers regularly represent manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in defending against product liability claims.Professional Liability
Our trial attorneys are accomplished in defending claims against attorneys, health care professionals, insurance agents and brokers, and other professionals.Real Estate
Our Real Estate practice provides skilled representation in a variety of transactions, including the financing, leasing, acquisition and disposition of commercial properties.
- Business Litigation
- Complex Tort Defense
- Construction
- Corporate / Transactional
- Criminal / White Collar / Regulatory
- Employment Litigation / Counseling
- Estate Planning / Administration
- Family Law / Probate Litigation
- Insurance Litigation
- Land Use / Real Estate Litigation
- Mediation / Arbitration
- Product Liability
- Professional Liability
- Real Estate
Architects/Engineers
Conn Kavanaugh has a wealth of experience advising and representing architects and engineers in many aspects of their businesses.
Cannabis
Closely Held/Family Businesses
Conn Kavanaugh’s business attorneys have a broad range of skills and are very experienced in providing legal services to family-owned and other closely-held businesses.
Construction
Conn Kavanaugh has provided an array of services to private and public clients in the construction industry, including the manufacturers of building materials and systems.Financial Services
Conn Kavanaugh draws upon a wide range of disciplines to meet the needs of individual and institutional clients in the financial services industry.
Food and Beverage
Our decades of work in the food and beverage industry, including alcohol regulatory and distribution, have permitted us to gain expertise and insight into the typically fast paced and challenging world of our clients engaged in the food and beverage industry.Government
Conn Kavanaugh provides an array of services to clients in the public sector, including state agencies, municipalities, and public officials.Healthcare
The Conn Kavanaugh team has the skills and experience necessary to successfully maneuver our clients through the increasingly complex and highly regulated environment of the health care industry.Insurance
Our lawyers work with our insurance industry clients in a variety of ways. We represent their insureds in virtually every type of lawsuit for which insurance coverage is available. We represent insurance companies directly in bad faith actions, and in high-exposure losses or losses that present unusual or challenging coverage issues.Law Firms
Since the firm was founded in 1988, our attorneys have been known as “lawyers’ lawyers.”Manufacturing
Conn Kavanaugh has broad experience in representing the interests and needs of various manufacturers.
Real Estate
Conn Kavanaugh has a wealth of experience in the real estate field.Staffing and Recruiting
Staffing companies and Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) are playing an increasingly important role in many aspects of human resource management, as employers are relying more and more on staffing companies and PEOs for payroll and employee benefit administration, risk management, and other increasingly complex administrative burdens.News
Publications Archive
- July 29, 2020
- Colleges and Universities May Be Liable to Intoxicated Students for Failing to Take Reasonable Steps to Protect Them From Harm
- June 25, 2020
- Tenant May Not Recover Personal-Injury Damages Under Implied Warranty of Habitability for Slip and Fall on Icy Driveway
- May 15, 2020
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Strengthens Weapons Available to Defendant Landowners Facing Defective Claims Allegedly Involving Title to Real Estate
- April 3, 2020
- The Thought Leadership Clients Need Now
- March 10, 2020
- An Ounce of Prevention...
- March 9, 2020
- Abutter Must Prove Particularized Injury to Confer Standing in Zoning Appeals
- February 28, 2020
- How to Own Your Vacation Home
- February 26, 2020
- Law at Work: Changes in Employment Laws
- February 18, 2020
- More Than You Bargained For: Potential Ethical Violations for Soliciting Gifts or Additional Business From Clients
- February 12, 2020
- Understanding Your W-2
- February 10, 2020
- When Does the Statute of Repose Begin to Run in Phased Development Projects?
- January 8, 2020
- New Year's Resolutions for your Estate Plan
- January 3, 2020
- Important Changes in Retirement Planning
- December 17, 2019
- To Gift or not to Gift?
- December 10, 2019
- What to Consider as an Organ Donor
- November 26, 2019
- Types of Tenancies for Home Ownership
- November 25, 2019
- ERISA class action plaintiffs not entitled to jury
- November 21, 2019
- The Law at Work - "White Collar" Exemption Salary Level Increase
- November 12, 2019
- How to Own Your Vacation Home
- October 29, 2019
- Don't Forget Asset Ownership When Evaluating Your Estate Plan
- October 15, 2019
- Health Care Proxies in Massachusetts: Have the document, then have the conversation
- October 3, 2019
- The New Rule is Better than the (Almost) Old Rule
- October 1, 2019
- Discussing Death and Dying
- September 17, 2019
- Keeping Up With Johnsons
- September 3, 2019
- Check Your Withholdings!
- August 29, 2019
- Future of E-Cigarette Litigation Question Mark for Product Liability Bar
- August 21, 2019
- Law at Work – Family Medical Leave
- August 20, 2019
- Before Your Child Leaves Home
- June 21, 2019
- Special Permit Applicants Must Prove That Proposed Use Complies With Bylaws
- June 13, 2019
- Developers Must Explicitly Reserve Construction Right in Phased Condominium Project
- April 4, 2019
- Can Lawyers Respond to Negative Online Reviews?
- March 12, 2019
- Cannabis Foes Lose in Land Court on Traditional Zoning Argument
- February 6, 2019
- An End to Estate Taxes? Or Just the Beginning?
- February 1, 2019
- Product Liability Desk Reference, 2019 Edition
- January 24, 2019
- Lawyers' duties to prospective clients: a cautionary tale
- January 10, 2019
- Attorneys take ‘rare' step, disavow client's testimony
- January 9, 2019
- SJC Says Spouses are Entitled to Part of Significant Other's Estate When They are Left Out of Will
- December 27, 2018
- Top Five Employment Law Blog Posts from 2018
- December 16, 2018
- Fidelity Not Buffaloed
- December 4, 2018
- Home Ownership Myths
- November 1, 2018
- Acting as Local Counsel: Ethical Issues and Words to the Wise
- August 6, 2018
- Boston Firm Disqualified in Patent Infringement Case
- July 26, 2018
- NLRB Issues Guidance on New Employer-Friendly Standard for Handbook Rules
- March 20, 2018
- Pregnant Workers Fairness Act — Our Analysis -- Client Advisory
- March 19, 2018
- Preparing for the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act — Effective April 1, 2018 -- Client Advisory
- March 5, 2018
- Massachusetts Attorney General Equal Pay Act Guidance -- Client Advisory
- February 14, 2018
- Two Recent SJC Decisions Clarify the Scope of the Wage Act
- January 2018
- Summary of the Provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act -- Client Advisory
- August 2017
- Lessons from a Pioneer
- August 2017
- Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: What to Know and How to Prepare
- July 2017
- Do Anti-SLAPP Statutes Protect Bloggers?
- July 2017
- Massachusetts’ Highest Court Recognizes Employment Protections for “Qualifying Patients” under the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Act
- June 2017
- Carol Starkey in the Boston Globe- "Federal Leaders Need To Know How Costly It Would Be To Cut Legal Aid"
- June 2017
- Trump’s Labor Department Rescinds Guidance Letters on Employee Misclassification and Joint Employment
- June 2017
- Mixed Bag For Developers In SJC Decision
- April 2017
- Massachusetts Appeals Court Takes Narrow View of "Reasonable Alternative Design" Requirement in Design Defect Claims -- Client Advisory
- March, 2017
- The Law at Work: Requirements for Employees Working Through Lunch.
- December 2016
- The Law at Work: Salary Test for Employees.
- December 2016
- Alimony Awards Impacted by a New SJC Decision. -- Client Advisory
- November 2016
- Carol A. Starkey pens a letter to all BBA members.
- October 2016
- Harnessing Legal Talent in the "City of Innovation".
- October 2016
- The Law at Work: Pay equity is the law.
- September 2016
- A Refresher on Retaliation Based on the EEOC’s Revised Retaliation Guidance.
- August 2016
- The Law At Work: Non-compete Agreements
- July 2016
- Litigation Finance Enterprises: Some Further Words to the Wise (part 2 of 3)
- June 2016
- Law at Work: Restroom rights for transgender individuals
- June 2016
- Bane of the Unwary Landlord - SJC Rules on Security of Deposit Violation
- May 2016
- Law At Work: Employee Deductions for Inventory Losses
- April 2016
- Some Words to the Wise on Litigation Finance Enterprises (part 1 of 3)
- February 2016
- What Would Antonin Scalia Say?
- February 2016
- Law at Work: Minimum wage changes and website accessibility
- January 2016
- No 'Good Reason’ for a Second Bite at the Apple: Recent Nevada Supreme Court Decision on Nonmutual Claim Preclusion May Prove Useful for Legal Malpractice Defense Counsel
- January 2016
- 2016 Minimum Wage Sheet -- Client Advisory
- January 2016
- A User’s Guide to the Common Interest Doctrine
- December 2015
- Beware the Stamp?
- December 2015
- Changes to rules on juror contact pose ethical issues
- December 2015
- Law at Work: Guidelines for year-end bonuses; increases in minimum wage
- October 2015
- Law at Work: Unpaid vs. paid lunch breaks and overtime considerations
- September 2015
- Buyer Beware When Purchasing Real Estate From Nonprofits
- August 2015
- Law At Work: Transgender rights in the workplace
- July 2015
- Discipline for conduct unrelated to law practice
- July 2015
- Club Patron Wins Protection From SJC - SJC Rules Dance Club Should Have Anticipated Slip-and-Fall Injury
- April 2015
- New Parental Leave Act -- Client Advisory
- April 2015
- More on cybersecurity and the rules of professional conduct
- April 2015
- Law at work: Family leave and same-sex relationships
- February 2015
- Cybersecurity and the rules of professional conduct
- February 2015
- Law At Work: New Year, new updates to the law
- January 2015
- Law At Work: Paid sick leave requirements
- November 2014
- Massachusetts Employees Entitled to Earned Sick Time -- Client Advisory
- November 2014
- SJC Extends Constitutional Protection For Signature Collection To Private Property
- October 2014
- Massachusetts Employees Entitled to Domestic Violence Leave -- Client Advisory
- October 2014
- Mid-engagement conflicts: lateral hires, firm mergers
- October 2014
- Law at Work: Domestic violence leave -- Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine
- August 2014
- Law at Work: Important changes to employment laws at the state and federal level -- Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine
- August 2014
- Mid-engagement conflicts: practice points for the wise -- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
- July 2014
- Hiring Now: What Every Employer and Job Seeker Should Know -- Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine
- June 2014
- Surprising pronouncement on forfeiture of affirmative defenses -- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
- June 2014
- Law at Work: Social Media Management -- Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine
- April 2014
- Commission-Based Compensation Plans -- Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine
- February 2014
- Dress Code Regulations -- Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine
- September 2013
- Are A Lawyer’s Communications with the Firm’s In-House Counsel Privileged? -- International Association of Defense Counsel
- July 2013
- Billing Disputes and Some Thoughts on how to Avoid Them -- Lawyers Weekly
- December 2012
- Rule Change Requiring Written Fee Agreements Poses Challenges -- Lawyers Weekly
- March 2012
- Erin K. Higgins and Andrew R. Dennington recently co-authored "The Rule Against Claims Splitting as a Defense to Legal Malpractice Claims,"
- March 2012
- Massachusetts Prohibits Discrimination Based on “Gender Identity” -- Client Advisory
- March 2012
- Tort Justice Deemed Basis for 93A Award -- Lawyers Weekly
- February 2012
- An insurer that fails to settle a case in which liability is reasonably clear may be liable for up to three times the amount of any judgment that enters against its insured -- Client Advisory
- February 2012
- Insurer Required To Pay $22.6MM for Untimely Settlement Offer -- Client Advisory
- Winter 2012
- The Rule Against Claims Splitting as a Defense to Legal Malpractice Claims -- ABA Newsletter
- November 2011
- What Do You Mean You Want Your Client File? -- Lawyers Weekly
- August 2011
- Trademark Licensors Potentially Subject to Strict Liability -- Lawyers Weekly
- May 2011
- Excellence in the Law; 2011 Up & Coming Lawyers -- Lawyers Weekly
- April 2011
- Employers Take Care not to get Burned by Reach of the Cat’s Paw -- Client Advisory
- March 2011
- Commercial Landlords Can be Held Liable for Unsafe Conditions Within Tenant Rental Spaces -- Client Advisory
- March 2011
- Insurer Must Pay Insured’s Counsel a Reasonable Hourly Rate When Reserving Right to Deny Coverage -- Client Advisory
- February 2011
- Massachusetts law now requires an insurer to pay “market hourly rates” to an attorney defending under a reservation of rights -- Client Advisory
- February 2011
- Verdicts and Settlements: Developer’s President Sued Over Unpaid Judgment -- Lawyers Weekly
- February 2011
- Important Development in Massachusetts Insurance Law -- Client Advisory
- January 2011
- Massachusetts Passes New Lien Law to Protect Design Professionals -- Structural Engineers Association Massachusetts (SEAMass) Newsletter
- January 2011
- Expert Owes No Duty to Party in Suit -- Lawyers Weekly
- January 2011
- Interpreting the New Federal Estate Tax Law Changes for 2010, 2011, and 2012: Opportunities and Considerations
- November 2010
- Federal Estate Tax Law Changes for 2011; The Continuing Case for Estate Planning Independent of Federal Estate Tax Law Changes
- October 2010
- New Life For Old Permits -- Client Advisory
- September 2010
- Employers’ Use of Criminal Record Information in Hiring Process Restricted -- Client Advisory
- September/ October 2010
- Re-Tying the Gordian Knot: Hindson v. Allstate and it’s progeny -- Rhode Island Bar Journal
- August 2010
- Massachusetts recently reformed the law concerning criminal offender record information (CORI). -- Client Advisory
- June 2010
- Attorney Conflicts of Interest: Recent Decisions and Lessons -- Lawyers Weekly
- February 2010
- Congress fails to pass Estate Tax Reform before year end. What does this mean?
- February 2010
- Should you talk to your loved ones about your Estate Plan?
- Fall 2010
- BBA Endorses Report Recommending Revisions to Massachusetts Attorney General Consumer Debt Collection Regulations -- BBA Business Law Section Newsletter
- December 2009
- Prosecutorial Decisions and Deals – The Case for a New Rule of Professional Conduct -- DRI
- September 2009
- Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors: Can Employers Afford It? -- Client Advisory
- June 2009
- Court Clarifies Restrictions on Employer Vacation Pay Policies -- Client Advisory
- April 2009
- COBRA Continuation Coverage Under ARRA -- Client Advisory
- October 2008
- A Word To The Wise About Payments To Experts -- Mass. Lawyers Weekly
- August 2008
- Defense Tactic Clears Way For A Major Victory In Class Action -- Lawyers Weekly
- March 2008
- Witness Immunity in the Post-Daubert World -- For The Defense
- January 2008
- Mid-Trial E-Mails Constitute Binding Settlement Agreement -- Lawyers Weekly
- June 2007
- Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Employer Mandates Effective July 1, 2007 -- Client Advisory
- February 2007
- Deal Carefully With Employee Complaints -- The Journal of New England Technology
- December 2006
- Town's Lawyer: Easy Does it in Subdivision Case -- Lawyers Weekly
- August 2006
- Massachusetts Construction Law and Litigation -- Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
- August 2006
- Construction Law In The Public Sector -- Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
- August 2006
- Managing Complaints in the Workplace -- Client Advisory
- April 2005
- New Wetlands Regulations -- Client Advisory
- December 2004
- New COBRA Notice Requirements -- Client Advisory
- November 2004
- Public Construction Law Overhaul -- Client Advisory
- July 2004
- The Uninjured Plaintiff: New Frontiers of Liability -- Defense Counsel Journal
- January 2004
- Employment Matters / Annual Review - 2003 -- Client Advisory
- November 24, 2003
- Reporting Ethical Claims to Liability Carriers -- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
- April 2003
- Unlicensed Use of Software -- Client Advisory
- March/April 2002
- Employers’ Obligations to Employees on Active Duty -- Boston Bar Journal
- November 19-25, 2001
- Subleasing Unwanted Space Is Not Quite So Simple -- The Journal of New England Technology
- October 5, 2001
- What To Do When OSHA Knocks On Your Door -- Boston Business Journal
- January 2001
- Court Backs Trade Secret Laws -- The Journal of New England Technology
- November 1999
- Employers Must Plan Ahead When Drafting Employee Non-Competition Agreements -- Article
- October 1999
- Defending Your Client's Choice of Forum -- 66 DEF. COUNS. J. 562 (1999)
- September 1999
- Small Necessities Leave Act, Maternity Leave Act and Other Miscellaneous Statues Governing Time Off -- Article
- January 1999
- None of Your .Biz -- Or Is It? -- Article
- October 1998
- Secrets to a Successful Public Construction Project -- Article
- 1998
- Practical Estate Planning In Massachusetts
- September 1998
- Medicaid Planning Update
- 1995
- Advanced Estate Planning Techniques In Massachusetts
- 1994
- Massachusetts Probate: Beyond the Basics
- November 1993
- Annual Update On Estate & Fiduciary Tax Laws
- March 1993, October 1994
- Estate and Medicaid Planning for the elderly
- January 1993
- Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples
- 1993
- Preparing Documents for Simple Estate Plans
- 1992 & 93
- Estate Tax Reforms; The New Massachusetts Sponge Tax
Practice Areas
Our team of seasoned attorneys provides an impressive breadth and depth of expertise across these practice areas:
Our team of seasoned attorneys provides an impressive breadth and depth of expertise across these practice areas:
- Business Litigation
- Complex Tort Defense
- Construction
- Corporate / Transactional
- Criminal / White Collar / Regulatory
- Employment Litigation / Counseling
- Estate Planning / Administration
- Family Law / Probate Litigation
- Insurance Litigation
- Land Use / Real Estate Litigation
- Mediation / Arbitration
- Product Liability
- Professional Liability
- Real Estate
Message from
Managing Partner
Thomas J. Gallitano
Welcome to Conn Kavanaugh. We are pleased to have the opportunity to introduce ourselves to you and explain our commitment to our clients and community.
We are a disciplined, dedicated, and loyal team of professionals with a singular goal: to provide our clients with the highest caliber of legal service in an intelligible and cost effective manner. Our lawyers, staff, and assistants understand that treating all clients with respect is the cornerstone of our success. There is a remarkable sense of teamwork and camaraderie within the firm and an ever-present satisfaction that comes from knowing that what we do makes a difference. We are exceptionally proud of our many trial and business successes, the leadership positions taken by our lawyers in both Bar and community activities, and the measurable impact we have in changing lives for the better by providing pro-bono services to those most in need.
As Managing Partner, it is my privilege to assure that our core values remain intact and that, as a Firm, we continue to meet the needs of our clients. We know that clients have a choice when it comes to legal services, and it is incumbent upon our team to prove each and every day that your confidence in us is well-placed.
To our existing clients, I would like to say thank you for your trust and confidence. To our prospective clients who may be viewing this website for the first time, we look forward to having the opportunity to earn your trust and to exceed your expectations.
