June 5, 2025
–Press Release
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Boston, MA – Sullivan & Worcester has announced that its practice groups and attorneys have been highly ranked by Chambers USA in its annual rankings of the foremost law firms and attorneys in the country.
In the 2025 guide, Sullivan Partner Louis Monti was newly ranked nationwide, and Sarah Wellings was newly ranked in the Up & Coming category. Partner Ameek Ashok Ponda retained a Band 1 nationwide ranking for REITs: Tax and a Band 1 ranking in Massachusetts for Tax. Partner Cameron Cosby also retained a Band 1 nationwide ranking for REITs: Tax. Partner Amy Sheridan was elevated to Band 1 and Partner David Guadagnoli retained a Band 1 ranking in Massachusetts for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation. Partner Stephanie Monaco retained a Band 1 ranking nationwide in Investment Funds Regulatory & Compliance.
Each year, the Chambers USA guide ranks firms and attorneys based on in-depth research, as well as client and peer interviews. Chambers evaluates attorneys based on their legal knowledge and experience, ability and effectiveness, and client service.
Sullivan Practice Group Nationwide Rankings
Registered Funds
REITs
Sullivan Practice Group Regional Rankings
Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Massachusetts)
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Massachusetts)
Litigation: General Commercial (Massachusetts)
Real Estate (Massachusetts)
Tax (Massachusetts)
Individual Rankings/Client Comments
Ashley Brooks – Real Estate (Massachusetts). She leads Sullivan’s Real Estate Group and manages a Boston-based practice. She represents a broad range of clients, including international developers, institutional investors, government agencies, and public and private companies on all aspects of commercial development, debt and equity structures, acquisitions and dispositions, and leasing transactions.
Cameron Cosby – REITs: Tax (Nationwide). Cosby advises clients on complex tax issues, with a focus on the REITs, partnership and real estate industries. "He has lots of experience in the space, is a creative lawyer and a go to for someone looking for tax counsel."
Patrick Dinardo – Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Massachusetts). Dinardo is co-director of the Litigation Department and represents clients in complex contract, trust and estate, and insolvency-related issues. "He's a fantastic bankruptcy lawyer, strategist and tactician."
David Guadagnoli – Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Massachusetts). Guadagnoli is widely known for his experience with tax aspects of retirement plans and welfare benefits and for his skill in negotiating employment and severance agreements. "David is thorough and consultative in his approach. He is a great partner to the business."
Richard Jones – Tax (Massachusetts). He leads Sullivan’s Tax Group and represents clients in state and local tax litigation and controversies and transactional planning related to personal income, sales and use tax. "If you give him a good case, he will know how to win it through effective advocacy."
David Leahy – Registered Funds (Nationwide). He advises investment advisors and independent directors of a wide range of funds on regulatory compliance matters related to federal laws. "David balances the role of being an advocate with good commercial sense."
David Mahaffey – Registered Funds (Nationwide). He is managing partner of Sullivan’s D.C. office and is widely regarded for his work with independent trustees for ETFs and open-end funds. "David is very knowledgeable and he listens to the client."
Stephanie Monaco – Investment Funds: Regulatory and Compliance (Nationwide). She advises investment management firms on a wide range of regulatory compliance issues related to business inception, SEC registration and transactional matters. "She has a great business sense of the law and understands its practical application. She is a strong advocate and defends our position with accuracy."
Louis Monti – REITs (Nationwide). He represents public and private companies in a wide range of real estate transactions, with a focus on REITs. "Louis is a fantastic lawyer, who is strong technically and easy to work with. His awesome disposition helps to keep difficult deals on track."
Ameek Ashok Ponda – Tax (Massachusetts) and REITs: Tax (Nationwide). He is director of the firm’s Tax Department. His practice focuses on domestic and international taxation, and he is nationally known for his work in REIT conversions and REIT cross-border matters. "Ameek's sophisticated handling of legal issues, coupled with his profound grasp of the commercial REIT landscape, enables him to offer strategic, business-focused advice."
Domenick Pugliese – Registered Funds (Nationwide). He has four decades of experience representing mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and their boards of directors. Regarded as a pioneer in the ETF space, he represents a wide range of ETFs of all product types.
Nicole Rives – Private Equity, Fund Formation (Massachusetts). She leads the firm’s Private Investment Funds and Institutional Investor Groups and advises clients on all aspects of private investment fund formation. She also works with investors and investment managers in alternative asset classes, particularly timberland and agriculture.
Gregory Sampson – Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Massachusetts). He leads Sullivan’s Permitting & Land Use and Energy, Infrastructure & Sustainability Practice Groups. He advises clients on all aspects of real estate development, including transactions, financing and permitting and public approvals. "Gregory has really deep knowledge particularly on the regulatory side. He has an environmental planning background which really helps in his permitting advice."
Amy Sheridan – Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Massachusetts). She is widely regarded for her work with companies in designing, structuring and addressing compliance issues related to compensation and benefits plans. "Amy is strong on ERISA and executive compensation work for private companies."
Douglas Stransky – Tax (Massachusetts). He leads Sullivan's International Tax Group and concentrates his practice on international tax planning for clients in a wide range of industries with a particular emphasis on U.S.-based clients investing in foreign jurisdictions. "He has great tax expertise and is able to communicate complex concepts in an understandable manner. He has vast knowledge of international tax law and is incredibly responsive."
Sarah Wellings – REITs: Tax (Nationwide). She advises public and private REITs, both domestic and foreign, in a wide range of industries. She focuses on structuring and compliance matters, including cross-border transactions. “Sarah’s dedication to understanding and addressing client’s needs is unparalleled. Her blend of superior client service, legal expertise and commercial insight sets her apart as a top legal advisor.”
Amy Zuccarello – Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Massachusetts). She focuses her practice on corporate trust and represents borrowers and creditors in distressed transactions, bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court restructurings.
Practices/Client Comments
Bankruptcy & Restructuring Group – “The Sullivan & Worcester attorneys I work with are very knowledgeable and protective of my interests.”
Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – “Sullivan & Worcester has a deep bench of lawyers and builds teams with expertise to tackle a wide range of complex issues on behalf of our organization.”
Litigation Group – “Sullivan & Worcester are experts in specialized matters.”
Real Estate – “The team has a great ability to compete real estate transactions. They have a strong team, know where to focus their time and energy and have experience across varying asset cases.”
Registered Funds – “They are knowledgeable and see a wide swath of the industry. I am pleased with their advice.” “They are real experts in the fund space and are extremely detail-oriented.”
REITs – "The team at Sullivan & Worcester provides timely and complete guidance and solutions. The law firm is quick to rally the necessary resources for complex issues."
Tax – “The Sullivan & Worcester tax and corporate departments are experienced, extremely smart and very responsive.”
About Sullivan
Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) is a global, mid-sized law firm with lawyers in Boston, London, New York, Tel Aviv and Washington, D.C. Sullivan’s clients, including Fortune 500 companies, leading financial services firms and asset managers, boards of directors, real estate companies, and emerging businesses, rely on Sullivan’s ability to navigate complex legal and operational landscapes, the impeccable judgment of its lawyers, and its commitment to best-in-class client service.
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