For the past two decades, John's practice has focused on real estate acquisition, financing, management and development, principally involving the development and management of multi-family housing. Many of these projects have involved tax credits, including state and federal low-income housing tax credits, state and federal historic credits, "Brownfields" credits and other state credits.

Earlier in his career, John was an experienced commercial litigator of eminent domain and other matters involving real estate values as well as employment discrimination and termination issues. He has represented property owners and developers in a broad range of land use matters from permitting a site for a sanitary landfill to trials and appeals of zoning cases.

John is recognized by his peers as a gifted drafter of legal documents of all descriptions. As such, he is often asked to take the lead role in authoring legislation and quasi-judicial decisions, be they federal regulations as he did for HUD in the late 1970's, a landmark zoning decision in the late '90's involving the Town of Belmont and the Mormon Church that was upheld by unanimous decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court or, in coordination with other affordable housing industry leaders, the Massachusetts housing preservation law (Chapter 40T). John continues to serve on the advisory committee that provides advice and recommendations relative to the implementation of Chapter 40T.

At Sullivan, John has immersed himself in the firm's Opportunity Zones practice area, moderating and speaking on panels relating to opportunity zone investments. In doing so, John is once again focusing his talent on creative solutions to benefit communities often ignored by investment capital.

Most recently, John has been named as the NH&RA Affordable Housing Vision Award designee for 2018 "in recognition of (his) stewardship and expansion of affordable housing opportunities for low income families around the country."

Representative Client Work

  • Represented developers of housing in transactions involving over a billion dollars
  • Represented Winn Development Company in a joint venture with a resident organization (Castle Square Tenants Organization) in restructuring ownership and a re-financing recapitalization
  • Represented a developer of a private sanitary landfill who co-ventured with the City of Peabody, Massachusetts in private/public partnership to create a state-of-the-art environmentally-safe landfill
  • Represented Virginia-based non-profit in multiple “exits” from tax credit partnerships which involved the IRS Code sanctioned right-of-first refusal
  • Represented restaurant chains and supermarkets in multi-million dollar (excess of $100M) sales of assets and real property
  • Represented national theater business in permitting expansions of business in various municipalities (including several matters successfully handled in court proceedings)

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Education

  • J.D., Boston University School of Law
  • B.A., Yale University

Community Engagement

  • Director, National Rehabilitation and Housing Association
  • Chair, Preservation Massachusetts
  • Director and Treasurer, Yale Basketball Association 
  • Boston Bar Association

Awards & Honors

  • National Law Journal Trailblazer, Real Estate/Construction Law (2021)
  • The Legal 500 U.S. (2019)

Seminars & Presentations

Practices

Industries

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