Robert L. Brennan Jr.
Local zoning and wetlands permitting Lawyers in North Andover, MA in North Andover, MA
About Robert L. Brennan Jr.
Robert L. Brennan, Jr. is an associate in the Real Estate Development & Permitting, Land Use Litigation and Environmental Practices of Goodwin Procter. His practice focuses on a wide range of development, regulatory compliance and environmental litigation issues with an emphasis on land use permitting, property operations, development review under state and federal environmental policy acts, Superfund site remediation and “brownfields” redevelopment. Mr. Brennan has successfully represented institutional and corporate clients before local land use boards; counseled clients throughout all stages of Chapter 91 licensing and MEPA project review; represented clients at trial on environmental and negligent security matters in state and federal courts; and has advised clients in the acquisition and redevelopment of contaminated property. Institutional and municipal clients that Mr. Brennan has represented include Honeywell International, Inc., Entergy Nuclear, Inc., The Flatley Company, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Bethlehem Steel, New England Aquarium, Massachusetts Port Authority, Babson College, Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Middlesex School, and the Massachusetts towns of Ayer, Concord and Lexington. He has also served pro bono as a bar advocate criminal defense attorney in Boston Municipal Court. Mr. Brennan’s significant litigation victories include a negligent security case in Bristol County on behalf of a sexual assault victim, and the successful prosecution of a Superfund contribution claim in New Jersey Federal District Court on behalf of several Fortune 100 companies. Most recently, Mr. Brennan along with Goodwin Procter attorneys James Rehnquist and R. Jeffrey Lyman successfully overturned a decision of the Cape Cod Commission in Barnstable County Superior Court and secured development rights in the Town of Mashpee on behalf of New Seabury Properties and Carl Icahn. He also recently negotiated motion picture “life story” rights on behalf of Joseph Salvati and Attorney Victor Garo with DreamWorks Films.
Education
Legal Education
- Boston College Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, 1996
- J.D.
- Honors: magna cum laude
Non Legal Education
- Boston College, 1993
- B.A.
- Honors: cum laude
- Major: Political Science
Current Employment Position(s)
- Of Counsel
Past Positions
- Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, District Assistant
- Somerville Mayor Michael Capuano
- Boston College, Adjunct Law Instructor
Classes and Seminars
- Trial Practice, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
- Premises Liability, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
- Negligent Security, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
Pro Bono Activities
- Criminal Defense Attorney, Boston Municipal Court
- Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative, Board of Directors, Member
- Friends or Relatives with Autism & Related Disabilities, Board of Trustees, Vice-President Building Committee, Chair, 2016 - 2022
- National Marine Life Center, Board of Trustees, 2002 - 2009
- Representative Clients
- Honeywell International, Inc.
- Entergy Nuclear, Inc.
- The Flatley Company
- Starwood Hotels and Resorts
- New England Aquarium
- Massachusetts Port Authority
- Babson College
- Simon's Rock College of Bard
- Middlesex School, Massachusetts Towns, Ayer
- Concord and Lexington
Published Works
Articles
- Co- Author, Negligent Security Law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the Post-September 11 Era, 38 New England Law Review 73, 2003
- Premises Liability Claims for Asbestos Exposure Increase as Plaintiffs' Lawyers Target Landlords and Tenants, Real Estate Finance Journal, West Publishing, Summer, 2003
- EPA Wins Another Challenge to Indirect Oversight Costs Imposed Under Superfund, Goodwin Procter Environmental Law Advisory, October, 2003
- The New Boston Smoking Ban: What Employers and Landlords Need to Know About the City's Workplace Smoking Regulations, Goodwin Procter Client Bulletin, May, 2003
- General Counsel's Perspective on Premises Liability Issues, International Association of Professional Security Consultants, April, 2003
- Urban Sprawl and Smart Growth, Goodwin Procter Environmental Law Advisory, September, 2002
- The Next Generation of Citizen Enforcement Suits, Goodwin Procter Environmental Law Advisory, May, 2001
- “Don’t Pit Housing Crisis Against Climate Crisis”, Commonwealth Magazine, 2022
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit
Other Affiliations
- Boston Bar Association (Member)
- Massachusetts Bar Association (Member)
- American Bar Association (Member)
- American Bar Association (First Circuit Reporter, Environmental Litigation Committee Newsletter)
- National Association of Home Builders (Leadership Council, Delegate)
- National Association of Home Builders (State & Local Government Affairs Committee, Member )
- National Association of Home Builders (Build-PAC, Trustee)
- Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts (Executive Committee, Member)
- Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts (Government Affairs Committee, Chair)
- Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts (Net Zero Building Code Study Committee, Chair)
Attorney Details
| Full Name | Robert L. Brennan Jr. |
| Firm | Smolak & Vaughan LLP |
| Address | 21 High Street, Suite 301, North Andover, MA 01845 |
| Phone | 978-954-3657 |
| Website | www.smolakvaughan.com |
| New Clients | ✓ Currently accepting |