Sullivan
Microsoft has discontinued support for Internet Explorer. To access the Sullivan website, please install a modern browser like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

Biography

After decades of counseling clients and dispensing advice (and sometimes trying cases) involving construction, family disputes, employment discrimination, bankruptcy, 93A issues, sanitary landfills, land use and permitting and all manner of real estate transactions, John now concentrates on preparing his clients and the affordable housing industry for the future, whether it is "succession planning" or drafting documents which survive the test of time.

Having authored zoning decisions for municipal boards as well as legislation and regulations at federal and state levels, John is renowned for his mantra "words matter," emphasizing the art of careful drafting of legal transaction documents of every description (for example, letters of intent, purchase agreements, partnership and joint venture agreements).

In recent years, John has served as Chair of Preservation Massachusetts and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NHRA). In 2018, John was awarded the "Vision Award" by NHRA for his contribution to affordable housing. More recently, he was named to the National Law Journal’s list of 2021 Real Estate/Construction Law Trailblazers.

Education
  • Boston University School of Law (J.D.)
  • Yale University (B.A.)
Bar & Court Admissions
  • Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Supreme Court
Professional Qualifications
  • Director Emeritus, National Rehabilitation and Housing Association (2025)
  • Director, National Rehabilitation and Housing Association (2010-2024)
  • Boston Bar Association
Awards & Honors
  • National Law Journal Trailblazer, Real Estate/Construction Law (2021)
  • The Legal 500 U.S. (2019)
Community Engagement
  • Chair, Preservation Massachusetts
  • Director and Treasurer, Yale Basketball Association

John W. Gahan, III

After decades of counseling clients and dispensing advice (and sometimes trying cases) involving construction, family disputes, employment discrimination, bankruptcy, 93A issues, sanitary landfills, land use and permitting and all manner of real estate transactions, John now concentrates on preparing his clients and the affordable housing industry for the future, whether it is "succession planning" or drafting documents which survive the test of time.

Having authored zoning decisions for municipal boards as well as legislation and regulations at federal and state levels, John is renowned for his mantra "words matter," emphasizing the art of careful drafting of legal transaction documents of every description (for example, letters of intent, purchase agreements, partnership and joint venture agreements).

In recent years, John has served as Chair of Preservation Massachusetts and has been a member of the Board of Directors of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NHRA). In 2018, John was awarded the "Vision Award" by NHRA for his contribution to affordable housing. More recently, he was named to the National Law Journal’s list of 2021 Real Estate/Construction Law Trailblazers.

John W. Gahan, III

John W. Gahan, III