Legal Solutions in Plain English for:
Business law, Liquor licenses, Special Permits, Zoning & Land Use, Commercial Real Estate, Personal Injury. And More.
My small business clients include restaurants, contractors, retail stores, small manufacturing and fabrication shops, farmers, holistic/alternative healers, professional practices, artists, and pet businesses.
I help businesses with:
Navigating and complying with various municipal and state laws, bylaws, regulations, agencies, commissions, departments, and other administrative issues
The formation, Registration, and Governance of Businesses including Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Closely Held Corporations ("S" corporations,) Professional LLCs, and Professional Corporations.
Drafting, reviewing, and revising Bylaws, Operating Agreements, Restrictions on Stock or Interest Transfers, Annual Reports, Consents, and Minutes of Meetings.
Liquor License transactions in Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin, Berkshire, and Western Worcester Counties for Restaurants, Bars, Package Stores, Convenience Stores, and other on-premises or off-premises all-alcohol or beer and wine licenses;
Site Plan Review, Special Permits, Zoning Issues, Board of Health and Building Commission issues, and other State and Local Licenses and Permits and Administrative law matters.
Buying & Selling a Business, including Asset Purchase Agreements, Commercial Leases, Contracts, and related matters
Commercial Real Estate purchases, sales, and refinancing.
Other Services – contact me to inquire about your particular needs.
I help consumers with:
Zoning, special permits, and land use matters,
Administrative law cases, state and municipal law
About me
I bring more than twenty-five years of legal expertise to my clients. I truly love helping clients contribute to the growth and vitality of the Western Massachusetts region. I have successfully guided dozens of small business clients through the processes of entity formation, stock and asset purchases and sales, commercial real estate purchases and sales, leasing, liquor licensing, and related transactions. I also work with businesses and individuals on issues involving state and local regulations and code enforcement. I am skilled in strategic analysis, business planning, and management.
Before I was a lawyer, I worked for ten years in materials management and production control for companies whose products included metal cutting tools, time recording/building management systems, and consumer health products. Now, my law practice focuses on business law, liquor licensing, special permits, zoning, and land use. In addition, I have served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and assistant Town Counsel for several communities. I currently serve on the Boards of Directors of the Franklin County Community Development Corporation and the Greenfield Community College Foundation. I am a representative Town Meeting member in Montague, Massachusetts. I am past President (2021-2022) of the Franklin County Rotary Club and am now an active member of the Rotary Club of Amherst, MA. I received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1980, and a Juris Doctor from Western New England College School of Law in 1994. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, crafts, sewing, embroidery, egg tempera painting, and long walks with my black lab, Marty.
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts, 1994
- United States District Court, District of Massachusetts, 1995
- United States Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit, 2000
