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Service to the community is a highly valued and long-standing tradition at Sullivan. Members of the firm provide pro bono or reduced-fee legal services, volunteer their time, and make financial donations to numerous public-interest organizations and charitable causes, including educational and cultural institutions, environmental initiatives, civil rights agencies and organizations against domestic violence and child abuse.
Sullivan has a documented pro bono policy and encourages and supports active participation by all its attorneys in a broad spectrum of pro bono activities that reflect the diverse interests and experience of the lawyers in the firm. Pro bono matters are given the same professional attention and billable hour credit as other matters handled by the firm.
Sullivan provides pro bono legal support to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a national nonprofit dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. Founded in 1987, AFSP funds scientific research, trains clinicians in suicide prevention, advocates for life-saving public policy and works to make mental health a priority in schools, workplaces and communities across the country. Today, the organization reaches over 500,000 people annually through its prevention programs and outreach activities.
Founded in 1969, BCNC is the leading social services provider for Greater Boston’s Asian immigrant families. Its mission is to ensure that the children, youth, and families that BCNC serves have the resources and supports they need to achieve greater economic success and social well-being.
In June 2026, Sullivan lawyers — led by Ashley Tan and including Spencer Stone and Shannon Marini — worked with BCNC on the closing and funding of an award of an Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. The grant was made to fund the installation of a new roof and new rooftop children’s playground, and security updates for BCNC’s childcare classrooms and building.
A great example of the work we do with specific communities is our work in Dorchester, Massachusetts. In 1965, Sullivan lawyers helped create Uncornered, Inc. (formerly known as Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, Inc. and College Bound Dorchester, Inc.) by merging several settlement houses. Today, Uncornered’s goal is to transform neighborhoods in Boston that have been stuck in cycles of shootings, violence and gang activity by helping citizens thrive and realize their full potential in safe, prosperous communities. Countless lawyers and paralegals have devoted thousands of hours of pro bono time to Uncornered, Inc. in a variety of disciplines including tax, litigation, real estate, general corporate, financing, and employment and benefits. Several of our lawyers have also served as clerks and/or directors.
NBC Nightly News featured a piece on College Bound Dorchester, highlighting its place in the community and goals for the future. Click the links below to view the segments:
Boston Uncornered on NBC Nightly News
In his own words: Former gang member describes his work with Boston Uncornered
Founders of Boston Uncornered talk paying gang members to go to school
In the mid-1990s, Uncornered, Inc. (then known as Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, Inc.) established and later spun-off the Neighborhood House Charter School (NHCS), one of the original charter schools in Massachusetts and a model of success within the charter school movement. Today, NHCS operates grades K-7 out of the Charles C. Cabot, Jr. Building, named for a late partner of the firm, and grades 8-12 out of space at St. Mark’s in Dorchester. Our lawyers have since inception fully supported the legal needs of NHCS and its related foundation on matters that have included real estate, general corporate, financing, tax, and employment and benefits and have provided support as clerks and trustees.
Coalition for the Homeless is the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women and children. It believes that affordable housing, sufficient food and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. Since its inception in 1981, the Coalition has worked through litigation, public education and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized.
The Coalition’s First Step Job Training Program was launched in 1991 to give homeless and low-income women the training, social support, education and work experience they need to overcome those obstacles, empowering them to build a better life for themselves and their families. The program enrolls roughly 200 women per year, offering computer instruction, literacy workshops, communication and interpersonal skills development and other hands-on activities to give students a thorough and practical understanding of the job market and workplace. After placing students in internships with major corporations or non-profit organizations, First Step also provides a lifetime of post-graduate services, including job placement assistance, ongoing mentoring from staff and volunteers, support groups, additional training seminars, and numerous networking opportunities with alumni and business professionals.
Corporate partner Natalie Lederman has been involved with First Step in various capacities since 2011, and has been a member of the program’s advisory board since 2019.
Family Legal Care combines legal guidance, easy-to-access technology, and compassionate support to help unrepresented parents and caregivers self-advocate on critical family law issues, while working on reform that improves the system for everyone. All Family Legal Care programs are free and open to everyone with questions regarding New York family law or Family Court matters. Family Legal Care serves over 25,000 people each year.
Sullivan lawyers work with Family Legal Care to provide unrepresented parents and caregivers the legal support and guidance they need to navigate New York State Family Court. Our lawyers meet monthly with parents and caregivers for consultations during crucial phases of their court cases, in such matters as child support, custody and visitation, guardianship and domestic violence.
Sullivan serves as pro bono counsel to the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fosters dialogue and cultural exchange between Finnish and American professionals in contemporary art, design and architecture. Founded in 1990 as a residency center for Finnish creatives, the Institute has since evolved into a multidisciplinary platform for exhibitions, performances and collaborative projects. Its work is supported by leading cultural institutions in Finland and informed by a diverse advisory board of prominent figures in the arts, diplomacy and public life.
Sullivan's pro bono client OncArt, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts that connects clinicians with artists to create illustrated health education materials that are available worldwide. OncArt materials are designed especially for people in low-resource regions where advanced stages of disease are high, literacy levels are low and clinicians do not speak the same language as their patients. Through a responsive, web-based app, OncArt is able to offer a unique collaborative design tool and a free library of works searchable by user-generated hashtags for electronic sharing or downloading to print. The websites of the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the site’s sources for supplementing and fact-checking all content for medical accuracy.
OncArt is a member of the global health campaign Healthcare Information For All (HIFA), including support from the British Medical Association (main funder) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Sullivan is proud to support OncArt in its mission: "Art for Health Literacy, Everywhere." Click here to check out their web app.
The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. is located in Malden, MA and is a not-for-profit providing free basic English literacy classes for adults who have no or very limited English skills (and sometimes have no language in which they are literate). It also offers free classes leading to application for U.S. citizenship. Its classes are available regardless of documentary status. The firm has supported the ILC throughout its twenty-nine year existence, initially through its incorporation as a not-for-profit and obtaining federal tax exempt status, and assisting thereafter in general corporate, employment and benefits, litigation and intellectual property matters.
Sullivan attorneys collaborate with PioneerLegal, the first non-profit, public interest law firm of its kind in New England that defends and promotes educational options, accountable government and economic opportunity across the Northeast and around the country. PioneerLegal aims to create a robust community of professionals committed to leveraging the law to advance equal opportunity and responsive, responsible government.
The firm has an ongoing working relationship with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association. For more than a decade, at least one of our partners has been a member of the steering committee, and we have acted as co-counsel with the committee on numerous important civil rights cases involving such matters as racial discrimination, bilingual education, housing integration and public transportation.
Sullivan has also worked for almost twenty years with Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), New England's leading legal rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and gender identity and expression. We acted as tax counsel for GLAD in its filing of the first concerted, multi-plaintiff legal challenge to Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Our lawyers have written and filed amicus briefs in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) on a 2013 DOMA case (United States v. Windsor) as well as the Proposition 8 case that was vacated for lack of standing (also in 2013). Since then, we have written and filed amicus briefs for GLMA in the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth and Tenth Circuits, and the Supreme Court.
In conjunction with Greater Boston Legal Services, our lawyers provide direct representation to victims of domestic violence seeking restraining orders, child support and custody. We also participate in and host meetings of the Domestic Violence Council (DVC), an unincorporated association of legal service providers. For more than ten years, the DVC has been instrumental in creating and strengthening Massachusetts case law to protect victims of domestic violence. We also host trainings for the Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC). We handle restraining order cases regularly for both DVC and the VRLC, and we have also assisted in privacy rights cases and immigration matters for survivors of sexual assault. In 2022, Sullivan received the “Champion’s Award” from the Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC), the first nonprofit law center in the country solely focused on the legal needs of sexual assault survivors. On behalf of the VRLC, for the past ten years Sullivan lawyers have represented dozens of sexual assault survivors, including minors. Throughout the pandemic, when many survivors were in need of emergency assistance, pro bono attorneys at Sullivan consistently stepped up to champion survivors.
Sullivan is proud to partner with The New England Innocence Project (NEIP) to help further its mission of fighting injustice within the criminal legal system on behalf of innocent people imprisoned for crimes they did not commit in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Our attorneys assist NEIP by reviewing applicant cases, conducting in-depth factual investigations and drafting legal memoranda on the applicant’s potential path to exoneration.
On numerous occasions, Sullivan has acted as co-counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. As a result of one such action, Massachusetts lawmakers modified regulations to ensure that individuals alleged to have committed abuse have the right to a hearing to contest that finding.
Sullivan has provided extensive corporate, real estate and environmental representation to the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), New England's leading environmental advocacy organization. In addition, we have advised the CLF on a number of its environmental-protection efforts.
The firm believes deeply in being involved in community activities throughout the year in each of our offices. In addition to the many organizations that we support as a firm, our lawyers and professional staff are also very involved in their own communities and with organizations that are near and dear to their hearts.
A holiday "necessities-gift-packing" event to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
Preparing to deliver the wrapped gifts to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
A holiday "necessities-gift-packing" event to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
Preparing to deliver the wrapped gifts to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
A holiday "necessities-gift-packing" event to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
Preparing to deliver the wrapped gifts to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
A holiday "necessities-gift-packing" event to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
Preparing to deliver the wrapped gifts to benefit Rosie's Place women's shelter.
Ryan Rosenblatt was quoted in Law360's article, "Upon Review: The 2026 World Cup's Biggest Legal Stories," which examines the legal, regulatory and policy disputes that emerged during the 2026 World Cup, including issues involving FIFA's disciplinary decisions, immigration challenges, public art protections and the legal dispute surrounding Gillette Stadium's hosting of World Cup matches. Discussing the agreement reached between FIFA's affiliate Boston 2026 and the Town of Foxborough over security fees
Molly Depew will present “Basics of Estate and Trust Administration” at the American Bar Association (ABA)’s Skills Training for Estate Planners, a virtual conference taking place September 17–18 and sponsored by the ABA Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section. The program offers a streamlined, practice-focused introduction to estate planning for attorneys building skills in trusts and estates. Ideal for young lawyers and those transitioning into the field, the course provides
Sullivan & Worcester was featured in Law360 Real Estate Authority's "NYC Real Estate Week In Review," which highlighted the largest New York City real estate transactions recorded during the week. The publication recognized Sullivan's representation of Fattal Hotel Group in its acquisition of the Blakely Hotel, a Manhattan hospitality property located at 136 West 55th Street. The approximately $38.5 million transaction was among the week's largest deals to hit public records.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced on July 7, 2026, the creation of the Retail Fraud Working Group, a new initiative within the Division of Enforcement designed to identify and combat fraud targeting main street investors. The announcement formalizes a priority that SEC Enforcement Director David Woodcock previewed in his May 13, 2026, remarks to the Managed Funds Association Legal & Compliance Conference, reflecting the current Commission’s broader
Hiring a new employee is typically a moment of optimism—and sometimes, the relationship really does go wonderfully for its entire length and ultimately ends on good terms. But when that hope is treated as an assumption, companies make themselves vulnerable. If a client-facing employee does not have a non-solicitation agreement, a business’s customers could be poached. A new employee, hired because of their great industry relationships, might actually have an
Sullivan & Worcester represented Fattal Hotel Group, owner and operator of 329 hotels across 22 countries and based in Tel Aviv, in its acquisition and financing of The Blakely Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The acquisition marks the client's first hotel investment in the United States and is a milestone in its evolution from a leading European hospitality operator into a global hotel group. The acquisition was completed on July 7,
On July 16, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed a new rule, Regulation E-Delivery, that would expand the ability of issuers, including registered investment companies, investment advisers, and broker-dealers, to use electronic delivery (“e-delivery”) to satisfy information delivery requirements under the federal securities law. If adopted as proposed, Regulation E-Delivery would broadly address the e-delivery of “covered information” by “covered entities” to “covered recipients” (each as described further
Geoffrey Wynne will participate in a panel discussion at ITFA's 52nd Annual International Trade and Forfaiting Conference alongside Ailsa McNeil, Director at Texel, and Hernan Mayol, Board Member and Representative of ITFA Americas and Chair of ITFA’s Latin America Regional Committee (LARC). The session, titled “Financing the future: From defence to critical raw materials,” will be moderated by Clarissa Dann, Editorial Director at Deutsche Bank AG. The session will explore how trade
Simon Cook, in his role as ITFA's Head of Education, will jointly moderate a Q&A on “The next generation: Three emerging leaders, three ideas”, together with Charlie O'Mulloy, chair of ITFA’s Emerging Leader Committee and Associate Banker at EBRD, at ITFA’s 52nd Annual International Trade and Forfaiting Conference in Split, Croatia on September 9. The Q&A will follow the presentations made by the finalists of the 2026 ITFA Emerging Leader
The U.S. Congress passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (the “Housing Act”) and presented it to President Trump on June 29, 2026. At midnight on July 10, 2026, the Housing Act became law because the President did not return it to Congress within ten days (Sundays excepted). The Housing Act includes a wide range of housing reforms designed with the goal of making housing more available and affordable. This alert
Ryan Rosenblatt was quoted in Law360's article, "Upon Review: The 2026 World Cup's Biggest Legal Stories," which examines the legal, regulatory and policy disputes that emerged during the 2026 World Cup, including issues involving FIFA's disciplinary decisions, immigration challenges, public art protections and the legal dispute surrounding Gillette Stadium's hosting of World Cup matches. Discussing the agreement reached between FIFA's affiliate Boston 2026 and the Town of Foxborough over security fees
Molly Depew will present “Basics of Estate and Trust Administration” at the American Bar Association (ABA)’s Skills Training for Estate Planners, a virtual conference taking place September 17–18 and sponsored by the ABA Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section. The program offers a streamlined, practice-focused introduction to estate planning for attorneys building skills in trusts and estates. Ideal for young lawyers and those transitioning into the field, the course provides
Sullivan & Worcester was featured in Law360 Real Estate Authority's "NYC Real Estate Week In Review," which highlighted the largest New York City real estate transactions recorded during the week. The publication recognized Sullivan's representation of Fattal Hotel Group in its acquisition of the Blakely Hotel, a Manhattan hospitality property located at 136 West 55th Street. The approximately $38.5 million transaction was among the week's largest deals to hit public records.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced on July 7, 2026, the creation of the Retail Fraud Working Group, a new initiative within the Division of Enforcement designed to identify and combat fraud targeting main street investors. The announcement formalizes a priority that SEC Enforcement Director David Woodcock previewed in his May 13, 2026, remarks to the Managed Funds Association Legal & Compliance Conference, reflecting the current Commission’s broader
Hiring a new employee is typically a moment of optimism—and sometimes, the relationship really does go wonderfully for its entire length and ultimately ends on good terms. But when that hope is treated as an assumption, companies make themselves vulnerable. If a client-facing employee does not have a non-solicitation agreement, a business’s customers could be poached. A new employee, hired because of their great industry relationships, might actually have an
Sullivan & Worcester represented Fattal Hotel Group, owner and operator of 329 hotels across 22 countries and based in Tel Aviv, in its acquisition and financing of The Blakely Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The acquisition marks the client's first hotel investment in the United States and is a milestone in its evolution from a leading European hospitality operator into a global hotel group. The acquisition was completed on July 7,
