We are very pleased to note that Attorney Paul DeRensis was reappointed by Governor Charlie Baker on February 13, 2018 to a tenth term as a member of the Massachusetts Local Government Advisory Commission. Former Governor Deval Patrick had initially appointed Mr. DeRensis to this Commission. Mr. Baker first reappointed Mr. DeRensis in February 2015. This is the fourth reappointment by Governor Baker. Lt. Governor Karyn Polito administered the oath of office on February 13, 2018.
Mr. DeRensis is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School and is admitted to practice in New York and Massachusetts and in various federal courts including the United States Supreme Court.
State law provides that responsibilities of Commissioners include the following:
“1. to review and analyze proposed legislation and regulatory changes from the point of view of municipal government and present such point of view to the governor, his executive secretaries and to the general court;
2. to act as an independent advocate for the interests of local governments in their relations with state and federal governments;
3. to advise officials of the commonwealth and the federal government on the needs of local governments, assist in mobilizing state and federal resources to deal with problems of local governments, provide coordinating support to agencies responsible for administering federal, state and local programs, and promote legislative and administrative proposals reflecting the interests of local governments;
4. to establish, from time to time, study committees or task forces to consider issues pertaining to local government in detail and to present the results of those considerations to the governor, the secretaries of his executive offices and to the general court;
5. to meet monthly with the governor and at such other times…;
6. to meet quarterly with the legislative leadership, and at such other times as may be necessary…”
Mr. DeRensis commented, “I am honored by this opportunity for public service, and will do my best to offer ideas and input to the Governor and his team that will help all of the communities of Massachusetts.”
Deutsch Williams is pleased to announce that Paul DeRensis was named in November 2014 as one of 2014’s New England Super Lawyers along with four other members of his firm, Deutsch Williams Brooks DeRensis & Holland, P.C.
Mr. DeRensis’ practice is concentrated in the area of municipal law, and he was one of only eleven lawyers in New England given recognition as a Super Lawyer in the state, local and municipal law category throughout the entire six state New England region. Notably, this is the tenth time he has been so recognized, a record for this category.
Mr. DeRensis is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and is admitted to practice in New York and Massachusetts and in various federal courts including the United States Supreme Court. He serves as Town Counsel to a number of Massachusetts municipalities. Mr. DeRensis also has been appointed by the Governor to serve as Public Member of the State Board of Medicine.
Mr. DeRensis is a seven term incumbent selectman of a municipality and previously served as an elected member of a Municipal Planning Board and a Municipal Finance Committee/Advisory Committee.
November’s issue of Boston Magazine will contain the listing of New England Super Lawyers. The list of 2014 Super Lawyers is assembled by Thomson Reuters in conjunction with Boston Magazine based on peer nominations by attorneys, independent research conducted by the Thomson Reuters research staff, and peer evaluations by practice area across the six New England states aimed at selecting as Super Lawyers the top 5 percent of New England attorneys in more than 60 practice areas and reflects both peer recognition and professional achievement verified through careful selection process to determine New England’s best.
At its Annual Law Day Dinner, the Boston Bar Association presented its President’s Award to nearly 70 attorneys who volunteered their time to provide legal assistance to small businesses and individual victims affected by the Marathon bombings. Among the attorneys honored at the May 12 event were Deutsch Williams Principal Dan Deutsch and Retired Principal Peter Berry. Keynote speaker for the gathering of 1,400 attorneys was Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
Principal Attorney Rich Hucksam of the Municipal Law Department has won an appeal at the Appellate Tax Board concerning the valuation of a 35-lot residential subdivision in the Town of Carlisle. The property owner claimed that the property should be valued as a bulk inventory of lots to be sold to a single purchaser and that the costs to construct the subdivision roadway and utilities should be deducted from the value of the property. The Town’s Board of Assessors argued that the highest and best use of the subdivided property was as individual retail building lots for sale to multiple purchasers with no deduction for development costs. The Appellate Tax Board’s decision in favor of the Board of Assessors preserves thousands of dollars of tax income for the Town and is an important precedent for the valuation of other residential subdivisions.
Deutsch Williams Litigation Principal Dan Deutsch has helped a long-standing municipal client defeat the only remaining appeal of its permit to construct a new, $80 million high school complex on the site of its existing campus. Dan litigated the abutter’s evidentiary appeal before an Administrative Law Judge at the Department of Environmental Protection and subsequent appeal to Superior Court last year. The court rejected plaintiff’s substantive objections as well as his efforts to further delay the project by remanding the matter back to the administrative tribunal. Construction of the modern school campus is well underway.
In June, 2013, Mr. DeRensis was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick as “Public Member” of the Board of Registration in Medicine (the Board which regulates and supervises the medical profession in Massachusetts) for the term 2013-2016.
We are pleased to announce that on May 23, 2012, Dan Deutsch was reappointed to the position of Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Appellate Advocacy General Committee for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Dan has held this position for several years. By contributing professional articles and newsletters, sponsoring continuing education seminars, and participating in national legal conferences, the Appellate Advocacy Committee promotes awareness of appellate law issues and provides resources to practitioners of appellate law and to judges of the country’s appellate courts.
In his letter informing Dan of the re-appointment, Dick A Semerdjian, Section Chair-Elect remarked, “This leadership appointment is in recognition of your professional abilities and reputation among some 25,000 TIPS members.” Dan has co-authored the Committee’s annual surveys of recent developments in appellate law, including detailed analysis of selected decisions of the United States Supreme Court, for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 Terms. Those articles can be accessed through links on the News & Events page of the Deutsch Williams web site.
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