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

Ashley represents clients in all aspects of real estate transactions, leasing and land use and development. She has experience on both the legal and business side of negotiating purchase and sale agreements, resolving complex title issues and guiding clients through the permitting process. She has also represented clients in front of zoning boards, planning boards, licensing boards, and city councils all throughout Eastern Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Sullivan, Ashley was a commercial real estate associate at a regional law firm in Boston and worked for a non-profit community development financial institution. She was also a Legal Fellow for the Honorable Robert B. Foster in the Massachusetts Land Court.

Ashley graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a degree in Urban Design and Architectural Studies, and received her law degree from Boston University School of Law.

Ashley is a member of the City of Cambridge Planning Board, and she is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Education
  • Boston University School of Law (J.D.)
  • New York University (B.A., magna cum laude)
Bar & Court Admissions
  • Massachusetts
Professional Qualifications
  • Real Estate Bar Association, Member
  • Boston Bar Association, Member
  • Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, Committee Member
Awards & Honors
  • Best Lawyers in America® Ones to Watch (2023-2027)
  • "Up & Coming Lawyer," Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2023)
  • "Rising Star," Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2024-2026)
  • Recommended by The Legal 500 U.S. (2025-2026)
Community Engagement
  • City of Cambridge Planning Board, Member
  • Taiwanese American Professionals - Boston Chapter, Former Board Member
  • Urban Land Institute, Member
Languages
  • Mandarin
Viewpoints
All Viewpoints
Governor Signs Economic Development and Clean Energy Bills: Key Insights
On November 20, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a $3.9 billon economic development bill, known as the Mass Leads Act (H 5100), and also signed the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law (S 2967). These laws are aimed at stimulating economic growth, promoting real estate development, advancing clean energy infrastructure, and accelerating the permitting process for energy projects in Massachusetts. The Mass Leads Act includes several provisions designed to improve the permitting process such as the Permit Extension Act, the creation of a State Permitting Regulatory Office, and protections for municipal zoning permits. Alongside the Mass Leads Act, the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law introduces comprehensive reform to fast-track Massachusetts’ transition to clean energy. A key component of the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law is streamlining the permitting process by having the Energy Facilities Siting Board grant permits for large energy projects while municipalities grant permits for smaller ones. This law also includes initiatives to promote energy storage, renewable energy, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Key Provisions of The Mass Leads Act The Mass Leads Act has key provisions to advance economic growth, make the permitting process more efficient, and drive investment in essential industries such as data centers, life sciences, and clean energy.  Included in the Mass Leads Act is the Permit Extension Act, which extends any permit, certificate, order (however, excluding enforcement orders), and license, determination, variance, waiver, building permit, or other such approval granted by a municipal, regional, or state governmental entity, for the use or development of real property, as well as any environmental approval in effect or in existence between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2025, for a two-year period after the lawful term of the approval. The extension, however, does not apply to permits issued by federal agencies or subject to federal law.  Nor does it apply to certain specified approvals by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Department of Energy Resources, the Department of Transportation or the MBTA. Additionally, the Mass Leads Act includes an Act to Safeguard Municipal Permitting, which protects an owner or developer from needing to comply with subsequent zoning changes if the use or construction commences under a special permit or site plan approval within three (3) years after issuance of the special permit or site plan approval. Under prior law, there was only a one (1) year protection from subsequent zoning changes for special permits, and no protection for site plan approvals. The Mass Leads Act also creates a State Permit Regulatory Office under the Executive Office of Economic Development. The director of the Permit Regulatory Office will, among other things, work with other state agencies to expedite the process of obtaining state licenses, permits, and other approvals, establish a State Permit Ombudsman to assist new and expanding businesses, and review or deny municipal priority development site proposals made pursuant to M.G.L. c. 43D. The Act also establishes a separate Regulatory Ombudsman within the Permit Regulatory Office who will help businesses navigate compliance with state regulations and train state agencies on how to identify and lessen the impacts of regulation on small businesses. Key Provisions of the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law The Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law introduces significant updates designed to streamline permitting processes and establish new statewide policies for clean energy projects. This law focuses on streamlining the permitting review process for clean energy projects, including energy storage projects, by consolidating all state, local, and regional, permits into a single master permit. Under this new system, the State Energy Facilities Siting Board will review all large clean energy projects (more than 25 megawatts of power or 100 megawatts of storage) with a decision required within 15 months from submission of an application. Municipalities will continue to oversee smaller projects, with permits to be issued or rejected within 12 months. If these deadlines are not met the application will be automatically approved, but the legislature may reassess the process if too many applications receive automatic approval. Besides streamlining the process, the law creates a new division of Clean Energy Siting and Permitting within the Department of Energy Resources. The new division is tasked with developing requirements for siting and permitting of small energy projects by local governments. These requirements will standardize the review and approval processes used by municipalities across the Commonwealth. This law lays the groundwork for important statewide policies focused on clean energy procurement and renewable energy sources. It broadens the scope of “clean energy” technologies to include nuclear fission and carbon reducing technologies, while coordinating with neighboring New England states to secure long term contracts with nuclear plants. The new law mandates a significant increase of energy storage capacity targeting 5,000 megawatt hours by 2030 to support renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. The law also simplifies and removes a number of barriers to the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including providing for broader use of pole-mounted electric vehicle chargers, removal of barriers to use of EV charging infrastructure that may otherwise be imposed by historic district commissions or neighborhood or homeowner associations. The law also codifies a definition of “public service corporations” as it relates to zoning exemptions that may be granted by the Department of Public Utilities or the Energy Facilities Siting Board. Under the legislation, a “public service corporation” refers to any corporation or entity qualified to do business in the Commonwealth that owns, operates, or plans to operate assets or facilities providing essential services such as gas, telecommunication, cable, water, or other similar services to the public. Under prior law, “public service corporations” were not defined by statute, and an unnecessary amount of documentation and analysis needed to be provided in administrative proceedings to establish what, in most cases, was an obvious determination. Lastly, the new climate legislation temporarily expands the jurisdiction of the Land Court’s specialized permit session to include renewable energy and energy storage projects. Given the Court’s expertise with land use permitting, this change should expedite the permitting process and ensure more efficient resolution for these projects in advance of the broader changes to the permitting processes. The approval of the Mass Leads Act and the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law represents a pivotal step in boosting the Massachusetts economy, supporting continued real estate development, and advancing its climate and clean energy goals. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this Client Alert, please contact Greg Sampson, or any member of Sullivan’s Permitting and Land Use team.
Zoning and Development Newsletter
Sullivan's Permitting & Land Use Practice Group and Litigation Department have released the next issue of their Zoning and Development Newsletter. The publication aims to provide our firm's clients and others interested in land use and permitting issues with an update on notable developments in the law that might be relevant to their projects. This edition summarizes the following: A Superior Court decision entering summary judgment in favor of our client and against plaintiffs’ challenge to the adoption of a PDA zoning amendment in Boston; Three Land Court decisions construing protections afforded by the Dover Amendment (namely, protections for solar energy, educational, and childcare facilities); An Appeals Court decision construing the Mechanic’s Lien Statute to prohibit courts from deducting costs attributable to the non-use of equipment from mechanic’s liens; An Appeals Court decision underscoring that courts may reach different findings from special permit granting authorities, even where the evidence presented in both proceedings is the same; A Land Court decision ruling that a special permit for a multi-family housing project required a supermajority (rather than bare majority) vote of the special permit granting authority because the project did not provide affordable housing on-site; An Appeals Court decision underscoring the bright line rule against overloading easements; and Two decisions construing and applying the Derelict Fee Statute.
44 Sullivan & Worcester Lawyers Selected as “Best Lawyers” Award Recipients
Boston, MA – Sullivan & Worcester today announced that 44 lawyers were recognized in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers in America®. 40 of the firm’s lawyers in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. were selected as “Best Lawyers in America®,” and four Sullivan lawyers were recognized as “Ones to Watch” in the U.S. Best Lawyers in America® The firm’s 2027 Best Lawyers in Boston include Victor Baltera (Environmental Law, Real Estate Law); Howard Berkenblit (Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law); Harvey Bines (Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law); Ashley Brooks (Real Estate Law); Joel Carpenter (Tax Law); Henry Comstock, Jr. (Trusts and Estates); Christopher Curtis (Tax Law); Patrick Dinardo (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy); John Graham (Nonprofit / Charities Law, Tax Law); David Guadagnoli (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law); Warren Heilbronner (Real Estate Law); Zachary Hyde (Patent Law); Richard Jones (Tax Law); Karen Kepler (Real Estate Law); Caroline Kupiec (Tax Law); Thomas Meyers (Patent Law); Lisa Mingolla (Trusts and Estates); Louis Monti (Real Estate Law); Cornelius Murray III (Trusts and Estates); David Nagle (Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law); Ameek Ashok Ponda (Tax Law); Gregory Sampson (Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law); Lewis Segall (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law); Amy Sheridan (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law); Laura Steinberg (Commercial Litigation); John Steiner (Real Estate Law); Douglas Stransky (Tax Law); Sarah Wellings (Tax Law); and Amy Zuccarello (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy). Sullivan’s 2027 Best Lawyers in Washington, D.C. include John Chilton (Mutual Funds Law); Cameron Cosby (Tax Law); Nicole Crum (Mutual Funds Law); David Leahy (Mutual Funds Law); David Mahaffey (Mutual Funds Law, Securities Regulation); and Stephanie Monaco (Corporate Law, Mutual Funds Law, Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law, Securities Regulation). The firm’s 2027 Best Lawyers in New York include Carole Bass (Trusts and Estates); J. Truman Bidwell, Jr. (Corporate Law); Domenick Pugliese (Mutual Funds Law); Constantine Ralli (Trusts and Estates); and Marc Stern (Trusts and Estates). Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Awardees Best Lawyers awards this recognition to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Sullivan’s lawyers earning this award include Alexander Gansebom (Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law); Emily Goldschmidt (Corporate Law); Ryan Rosenblatt (Commercial Litigation); and Ashley Tan (Real Estate Law). Best Lawyers Selection Methodology Recognition by Best Lawyers in America® is based on a peer review process designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical and legal practice areas. About Sullivan Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) is a premier, AmLaw 200 international 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.
Sullivan Represents Fattal Hotel Group in Acquisition of The Blakely Hotel in Midtown Manhattan
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, 2026. The Sullivan team included Ashley Brooks, Tamir Chagal, Oded Har-Even, Gerry Silver, John Steiner, Nancy Gillman and Ashley Tan. Read more about the transaction here.  

Ashley Tan

Ashley represents clients in all aspects of real estate transactions, leasing and land use and development. She has experience on both the legal and business side of negotiating purchase and sale agreements, resolving complex title issues and guiding clients through the permitting process. She has also represented clients in front of zoning boards, planning boards, licensing boards, and city councils all throughout Eastern Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Sullivan, Ashley was a commercial real estate associate at a regional law firm in Boston and worked for a non-profit community development financial institution. She was also a Legal Fellow for the Honorable Robert B. Foster in the Massachusetts Land Court.

Ashley graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a degree in Urban Design and Architectural Studies, and received her law degree from Boston University School of Law.

Ashley is a member of the City of Cambridge Planning Board, and she is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Viewpoints
All Viewpoints
Governor Signs Economic Development and Clean Energy Bills: Key Insights
On November 20, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed a $3.9 billon economic development bill, known as the Mass Leads Act (H 5100), and also signed the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law (S 2967). These laws are aimed at stimulating economic growth, promoting real estate development, advancing clean energy infrastructure, and accelerating the permitting process for energy projects in Massachusetts. The Mass Leads Act includes several provisions designed to improve the permitting process such as the Permit Extension Act, the creation of a State Permitting Regulatory Office, and protections for municipal zoning permits. Alongside the Mass Leads Act, the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law introduces comprehensive reform to fast-track Massachusetts’ transition to clean energy. A key component of the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law is streamlining the permitting process by having the Energy Facilities Siting Board grant permits for large energy projects while municipalities grant permits for smaller ones. This law also includes initiatives to promote energy storage, renewable energy, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Key Provisions of The Mass Leads Act The Mass Leads Act has key provisions to advance economic growth, make the permitting process more efficient, and drive investment in essential industries such as data centers, life sciences, and clean energy.  Included in the Mass Leads Act is the Permit Extension Act, which extends any permit, certificate, order (however, excluding enforcement orders), and license, determination, variance, waiver, building permit, or other such approval granted by a municipal, regional, or state governmental entity, for the use or development of real property, as well as any environmental approval in effect or in existence between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2025, for a two-year period after the lawful term of the approval. The extension, however, does not apply to permits issued by federal agencies or subject to federal law.  Nor does it apply to certain specified approvals by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Department of Energy Resources, the Department of Transportation or the MBTA. Additionally, the Mass Leads Act includes an Act to Safeguard Municipal Permitting, which protects an owner or developer from needing to comply with subsequent zoning changes if the use or construction commences under a special permit or site plan approval within three (3) years after issuance of the special permit or site plan approval. Under prior law, there was only a one (1) year protection from subsequent zoning changes for special permits, and no protection for site plan approvals. The Mass Leads Act also creates a State Permit Regulatory Office under the Executive Office of Economic Development. The director of the Permit Regulatory Office will, among other things, work with other state agencies to expedite the process of obtaining state licenses, permits, and other approvals, establish a State Permit Ombudsman to assist new and expanding businesses, and review or deny municipal priority development site proposals made pursuant to M.G.L. c. 43D. The Act also establishes a separate Regulatory Ombudsman within the Permit Regulatory Office who will help businesses navigate compliance with state regulations and train state agencies on how to identify and lessen the impacts of regulation on small businesses. Key Provisions of the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law The Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law introduces significant updates designed to streamline permitting processes and establish new statewide policies for clean energy projects. This law focuses on streamlining the permitting review process for clean energy projects, including energy storage projects, by consolidating all state, local, and regional, permits into a single master permit. Under this new system, the State Energy Facilities Siting Board will review all large clean energy projects (more than 25 megawatts of power or 100 megawatts of storage) with a decision required within 15 months from submission of an application. Municipalities will continue to oversee smaller projects, with permits to be issued or rejected within 12 months. If these deadlines are not met the application will be automatically approved, but the legislature may reassess the process if too many applications receive automatic approval. Besides streamlining the process, the law creates a new division of Clean Energy Siting and Permitting within the Department of Energy Resources. The new division is tasked with developing requirements for siting and permitting of small energy projects by local governments. These requirements will standardize the review and approval processes used by municipalities across the Commonwealth. This law lays the groundwork for important statewide policies focused on clean energy procurement and renewable energy sources. It broadens the scope of “clean energy” technologies to include nuclear fission and carbon reducing technologies, while coordinating with neighboring New England states to secure long term contracts with nuclear plants. The new law mandates a significant increase of energy storage capacity targeting 5,000 megawatt hours by 2030 to support renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. The law also simplifies and removes a number of barriers to the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including providing for broader use of pole-mounted electric vehicle chargers, removal of barriers to use of EV charging infrastructure that may otherwise be imposed by historic district commissions or neighborhood or homeowner associations. The law also codifies a definition of “public service corporations” as it relates to zoning exemptions that may be granted by the Department of Public Utilities or the Energy Facilities Siting Board. Under the legislation, a “public service corporation” refers to any corporation or entity qualified to do business in the Commonwealth that owns, operates, or plans to operate assets or facilities providing essential services such as gas, telecommunication, cable, water, or other similar services to the public. Under prior law, “public service corporations” were not defined by statute, and an unnecessary amount of documentation and analysis needed to be provided in administrative proceedings to establish what, in most cases, was an obvious determination. Lastly, the new climate legislation temporarily expands the jurisdiction of the Land Court’s specialized permit session to include renewable energy and energy storage projects. Given the Court’s expertise with land use permitting, this change should expedite the permitting process and ensure more efficient resolution for these projects in advance of the broader changes to the permitting processes. The approval of the Mass Leads Act and the Climate and Clean Energy Siting Law represents a pivotal step in boosting the Massachusetts economy, supporting continued real estate development, and advancing its climate and clean energy goals. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this Client Alert, please contact Greg Sampson, or any member of Sullivan’s Permitting and Land Use team.
Zoning and Development Newsletter
Sullivan's Permitting & Land Use Practice Group and Litigation Department have released the next issue of their Zoning and Development Newsletter. The publication aims to provide our firm's clients and others interested in land use and permitting issues with an update on notable developments in the law that might be relevant to their projects. This edition summarizes the following: A Superior Court decision entering summary judgment in favor of our client and against plaintiffs’ challenge to the adoption of a PDA zoning amendment in Boston; Three Land Court decisions construing protections afforded by the Dover Amendment (namely, protections for solar energy, educational, and childcare facilities); An Appeals Court decision construing the Mechanic’s Lien Statute to prohibit courts from deducting costs attributable to the non-use of equipment from mechanic’s liens; An Appeals Court decision underscoring that courts may reach different findings from special permit granting authorities, even where the evidence presented in both proceedings is the same; A Land Court decision ruling that a special permit for a multi-family housing project required a supermajority (rather than bare majority) vote of the special permit granting authority because the project did not provide affordable housing on-site; An Appeals Court decision underscoring the bright line rule against overloading easements; and Two decisions construing and applying the Derelict Fee Statute.
44 Sullivan & Worcester Lawyers Selected as “Best Lawyers” Award Recipients
Boston, MA – Sullivan & Worcester today announced that 44 lawyers were recognized in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers in America®. 40 of the firm’s lawyers in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. were selected as “Best Lawyers in America®,” and four Sullivan lawyers were recognized as “Ones to Watch” in the U.S. Best Lawyers in America® The firm’s 2027 Best Lawyers in Boston include Victor Baltera (Environmental Law, Real Estate Law); Howard Berkenblit (Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law); Harvey Bines (Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law); Ashley Brooks (Real Estate Law); Joel Carpenter (Tax Law); Henry Comstock, Jr. (Trusts and Estates); Christopher Curtis (Tax Law); Patrick Dinardo (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy); John Graham (Nonprofit / Charities Law, Tax Law); David Guadagnoli (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law); Warren Heilbronner (Real Estate Law); Zachary Hyde (Patent Law); Richard Jones (Tax Law); Karen Kepler (Real Estate Law); Caroline Kupiec (Tax Law); Thomas Meyers (Patent Law); Lisa Mingolla (Trusts and Estates); Louis Monti (Real Estate Law); Cornelius Murray III (Trusts and Estates); David Nagle (Litigation and Controversy - Tax, Tax Law); Ameek Ashok Ponda (Tax Law); Gregory Sampson (Environmental Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Real Estate Law); Lewis Segall (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law); Amy Sheridan (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Tax Law); Laura Steinberg (Commercial Litigation); John Steiner (Real Estate Law); Douglas Stransky (Tax Law); Sarah Wellings (Tax Law); and Amy Zuccarello (Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy). Sullivan’s 2027 Best Lawyers in Washington, D.C. include John Chilton (Mutual Funds Law); Cameron Cosby (Tax Law); Nicole Crum (Mutual Funds Law); David Leahy (Mutual Funds Law); David Mahaffey (Mutual Funds Law, Securities Regulation); and Stephanie Monaco (Corporate Law, Mutual Funds Law, Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law, Securities Regulation). The firm’s 2027 Best Lawyers in New York include Carole Bass (Trusts and Estates); J. Truman Bidwell, Jr. (Corporate Law); Domenick Pugliese (Mutual Funds Law); Constantine Ralli (Trusts and Estates); and Marc Stern (Trusts and Estates). Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Awardees Best Lawyers awards this recognition to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Sullivan’s lawyers earning this award include Alexander Gansebom (Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law); Emily Goldschmidt (Corporate Law); Ryan Rosenblatt (Commercial Litigation); and Ashley Tan (Real Estate Law). Best Lawyers Selection Methodology Recognition by Best Lawyers in America® is based on a peer review process designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical and legal practice areas. About Sullivan Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) is a premier, AmLaw 200 international 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.
Sullivan Represents Fattal Hotel Group in Acquisition of The Blakely Hotel in Midtown Manhattan
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, 2026. The Sullivan team included Ashley Brooks, Tamir Chagal, Oded Har-Even, Gerry Silver, John Steiner, Nancy Gillman and Ashley Tan. Read more about the transaction here.  

Ashley Tan