Pierce Davis & Perritano is pleased to announce that Matthew Hamel has been elevated to Partner.

One year ago, Pierce Davis & Perritano expanded in the Pacific Northwest with the opening of our Portland, Oregon office.

PDP Employees Support Dress for Success During Women's History Month

Attorney Noelle Phelan was elevated to Partner of Pierce Davis & Perritano as of January 2nd, 2026.

PDP partners with DCF Wonderfund Holiday Gift Drive for 10th year

Ten PDP Attorneys Honored in Massachusetts Super Lawyers Magazine.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP is pleased to announce that Justin L. Amos and Carlie S. Seigal have been promoted to partners!

Pierce Davis & Perritano provides holiday presents for 85 local children through the DCF Wonderfund Gift Drive.

Pierce, Davis & Perritano, LLP proudly welcomes Hon. Brian A. Davis (Ret.) as an ADR neutral and consultant. With over 11 years on the Massachusetts Superior Court and 27 years in civil litigation, Judge Davis offers mediation, arbitration, and consulting services for a wide range of complex cases, available in person or virtually.

Eleven PDP Attorneys Honored in Massachusetts Super Lawyers Magazine

PDP Partners Melissa Malloy and Maria DeLuzio win appeal before the Vermont Supreme Court in Shirley Ann Carpin v. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp., et al.

PDP holds clothing drive for International Women's Day.

PDP sponsors Massachusetts Department of Children and Families in its annual holiday gift drive for a ninth year in a row.

PDP is proud to continue its sponsorship of the DRI Asbestos Medicine Seminar this year. Partner Melissa Malloy will be speaking on a panel on Thursday, November 16th.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP is pleased to announce that 11 of the firm’s attorneys have been selected to the 2023 Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP celebrates 25 years of dedicated advocacy, service, and community involvement. From its foundation in Boston in 1998 to its growth into a majority women-owned law firm with a presence across multiple states, PDP remains committed to excellence in litigation and community engagement. Reflecting on milestones and looking forward to continued partnerships.

Maria Deluzio and Noelle Phelan Secure Summary Judgment in Vermont Superior Court in Take-Home Exposure Latent Injury Case.

PDP was a proud sponsor of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Federal Bar Association's Annual Federal Judicial Reception.

PDP Partner Adam Simms recently obtained a favorable summary judgment ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on an issue of first impression.

Four of Pierce Davis & Perritano's partners have received the 2023 AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, a well-deserved recognition of their continued legal excellence.

On Wednesday, Partner Adam Simms obtained a summary decision from the Massachusetts Appeals Court that affirmed summary judgment in favor of the firm’s clients, the City of Amesbury and its former mayor (in his individual capacity).

PDP proudly sponsors gifts for 85 Massachusetts children this holiday season.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP is proud to announce that Partners Judith Perritano and Maria DeLuzio have been named one of 𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬™ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐!

Justin L. Amos prevailed in the Appeals Court of Massachusetts on behalf of the Building Commissioner for the Town of Dennis.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP is pleased to announce that nine of the firm’s attorneys have been selected to the 2020 Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

August 15, 2022 (Boston, MA) - Pierce Davis & Perritano is pleased to announce the hire of Matthew J. Hamel as an Associate Attorney at the firm. Mr. Hamel will work primarily with the Governmental and Municipal Law practice group at the firm and is a solid addition to the firm.

Partner Meghan Riordan named as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA)

This Knowledge Group event will last 1.5 hours (eastern) and offers 1.5 CLE credits. Melissa's presentation will be focused on the rise and expansion of the duty to warn in product liability litigation as technological advances have altered traditional commerce.

(July 12, 2022) The Knowledge Group, is scheduled to host a webinar from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (eastern) and offers 1.5 non-ethics CLE credits.

Congratulations to Partner Adam Simms who recently obtained a dismissal of numerous claims asserted against the Town of Duxbury in a suit brought by a real estate developer that attempted to challenge the Town's statutory right of first refusal and eminent domain powers.

As National Foster Care Month comes to a close, PDP wishes to highlight the vital support provided by The Wonderfund - a private non-profit group that provides vital resources to children involved with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF)

The Appeals Court of Massachusetts recently addressed a choice of law issue as to the calculation of prejudgment interest on a Massachusetts (Mass.) jury verdict award in a case involving a contractual clause that invoked New Hampshire substantive law.

Founding Partner John J. Davis and Partner Seth Barnett recently secured a dismissal on behalf of Wellesley Public Schools, after successfully establishing that Wellesley had unequivocally protected its right to the use of affinity group sessions in its public schools.

Webinar: Presented by The Knowledge Group - July 7, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (eastern) and offers 2.0 non-ethics CLE credits.

Congratulations to Partners Adam Simms and Seth Barnett, who recently prevailed in the Appeals Court of Massachusetts on behalf of the Town of Stoneham and several former members of the Select Board. The case involved a former town employee who brought whistleblower retaliation and civil conspiracy claims following the Town's decision to privatize a municipal golf course.

Attorneys John J. Davis and Katie Cooper Davis have obtained a favorable decision in a negligence action on behalf of a local school district that had asserted statutory immunity. The Massachusetts Superior Court found that no school district employee had taken any affirmative action that 'originally caused' [the] condition or situation" that led to a student's self-inflicted injury.

A Suffolk County Superior Court judge recently ruled that Massachusetts law applies to a consumer protection claim filed by a New York plaintiff against insurance company defendants that were incorporated in or regularly conducted business in Massachusetts.

Partner Jason W. Crotty, Esq. recently obtained a favorable Motion for Summary Judgment decision on all counts of a complaint pled against a sergeant in a small Cape Cod police department.

Pierce Davis & Perritano will celebrate Women's History Month with a series of posts throughout March providing 7 Tips for Women Shifting Back to an In-Office Work Environment.

Pierce Davis & Perritano Honored to Help Brighten the Holidays for 83 Massachusetts Children

January 19, 2022 (Boston, MA) - Pierce Davis & Perritano is pleased to announce that it has promoted Edward S. Bertrand and Andrew S. Russell to partner.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP is pleased to announce that ten of the firm's attorneys have been selected to the 2021 Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

A year recap of our notable firm victories.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP has participated in the 2020 annual Toy Drive organized through the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).

U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers, for the eleventh consecutive year, announced the "Best Law Firms" rankings. Pierce Davis & Perritano, LLP has been ranked in the 2021 U.S. News - Best Lawyers, "Best Law Firms" list regionally in 2 practice areas.

Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP is pleased to announce that eleven of the firm's attorneys have been selected to the 2020 Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Pierce Davis & Perritano is pleased to announce that 2 partners have been included in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Congratulations to John Davis for his 6th consecutive year of recognition, and to Judith Perritano for her 4th consecutive year of recognition by the Best Lawyers in America list.

In a partially published opinion issued on July 20, 2020, the California Court of Appeal, First District, upheld the verdict for design defect, failure to warn, and punitive damages but reduced the jury's award in a case involving exposure to Roundup Products causing non-Hodgkins lymphoma in a former school grounds keeper. Because the agreed to jury instruction limited future noneconomic damages to those Mr. Johnson was reasonably certain to suffer, the Court reduced the future non-economic damages from $33M to $4M.

Pierce Davis & Perritano is pleased to announce that attorney Adam Simms has been appointed to the 2020-21 Massachusetts Bar Associations Public Law Section Council.

Pierce Davis & Perritano is pleased to announce that Seth B. Barnett, Jason W. Crotty, and Melissa M. Malloy have become partners in the firm.

PDP Partner, John J. Davis, will be presenting "Employment Law Update at MCLEs 18th Annual Municipal Law Conference" on September 9, 2020.

PDP Partner, John Cloherty, will be presenting "First Amendment Update: Signs, Panhandlers, Public Meetings" at MCLE's 18th Annual Municipal Law Conference on September 9, 2020.

PDP Associate, Melissa Malloy, was admitted to the Bar for the Supreme Court of the United States on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

PDP Partner John Cloherty will be presenting "Public Employment Law Meets the 1st Amendment" at MCLE 17th Annual Municipal Law Conference on March 13th, 2019. The conference will discuss the latest developments, updates, and challenges in public sector law.

Pierce Davis & Perritano has been recognized by U.S. News Best Law Firms for professional excellence.

Seth B. Barnett will present "The Risks of Participating in Public Meetings and Hearings"

‍A male-to-female transgender complainant in a groundbreaking discrimination case before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) recently lost her case on the merits.

PDP recently obtained summary judgment in favor of the Town of Tewksbury in a suit brought by a middle school student claiming injury while attending an extracurricular summer program operated by the Town.

In a case of first impression, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently rejected a high school student-athletes claim that she held a constitutionally protected property interest to participate on her high school swim team.

In a case of first impression, the Appeals Court examined the breadth of a public employer’s immunity under Section 10(i) of the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act [MTCA] for wrongful release of a detainee. In McCarthy v. City of Waltham, the plaintiffs decedent, James McCarthy, was placed under protective custody by City police after McCarthys father called to report that he was distraught, under the influence and possibly suicidal.

In the last few years, several courts have addressed whether liability should be imposed on equipment manufacturers for products manufactured and sold by third parties, which were used with the defendants equipment. Most of the cases consider the question in terms of whether there is a duty to warn, but a few courts have utilized a causation analysis.

Since last Spring, a number of courts have addressed the validity of the each and every exposure theory (also known as the any exposure, special exposures, cumulative exposures, single fiber or one fiber theory) as a basis for meeting a plaintiffs causation burden in asbestos exposure cases. Those rulings have been disparate:

John J. Cloherty successfully represented the Town of Norfolk and its Conservation Commission in claims involving a parcel of land that the owners were trying to develop. The developers claimed delays and unfair and capricious application of the wetlands regulations amounted to an unconstitutional taking of the property. After a Superior Court ruled in favor of the Town on summary judgement, the Appeal Court affirmed the decision ruling against the developers.

Pierce Davis & Perritano is pleased to support the West End House/Boys & Girls Club Annual Celebration on June 2, 2018.

The Supreme Court of the United States reversed the D.C. Circuit in a case involving probable cause and qualified immunity.

On April 27, 2017, a Barnstable County jury of 14 returned a verdict in favor of the Town of Falmouth in a private nuisance case over the Town's wind turbine.

Bullying and cyberbullying continue to dominate the headlines especially with several high-profile student suicides.

In a case that should alarm school officials, school staff, parents and students, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC), on August 29, 2017, held that a Milton police officer’s search of a suspicious individual on Milton High School grounds

Pierce Davis & Perritano attorneys John Davis and John Wilusz recently secured the voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit relating to allegations of sexual abuse

A number of courts have recently addressed the issue of whether a duty is owed to a plaintiff secondarily exposed to a toxic substance from the clothes or belongings of an individual who worked directly with that substance.

The Massachusetts's Bar Associations Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors volunteered at the Greater Boston Food Bank on March 29, 2017.