Patrick J. Costello is a partner with  Louison, Costello, Condon & Pfaff, LLP , where he specializes in the areas of general municipal law, litigation, construction, real estate practice, eminent domain, land use, and local taxation.  Mr. Costello's practice focuses primarily on the representation of cities, towns and other entities in land use, construction, real estate and tax assessment/collection matters.  He currently serves as Town Counsel for the Towns of Mashpee, Blackstone and Uxbridge, as Assistant Town Counsel for Marblehead, and he provides special counsel services to approximately 60 other cities, towns and districts across the Commonwealth.  He also represents private contractors, construction managers and individuals in governmental permitting, contract and licensing proceedings.   

Throughout his 23 year career, Mr. Costello has litigated matters at all levels of State and Federal Courts in Massachusetts, and he frequently appears in administrative proceedings before the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board and Department of Environmental Protection.  He has represented and appeared before dozens of Planning Boards,  Zoning Boards of Appeal and Conservation Commissions throughout the Commonwealth.  Mr. Costello has lectured and provided seminars on various public construction topics and tax assessment/collection topics for professional municipal officers' associations.  He has been a faculty member at the annual Massachusetts Treasurers and Collectors Association School for the past 15 years and is a regular speaker at regional Treasurers and Collectors Association meetings.  While he was a principal at the firm of Kopelman and Paige, P.C.,

Areas of Practice:

Administrative Law

Construction Law

Government Agencies & Programs

Government Contracts

Insurance Law

Litigation & Appeals

Local Taxation

Public Construction Law

Real Estate Law

State, Local & Municipal Law

Bar Admissions:

Massachusetts, 1985

U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts, 1985

U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 1999

U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 1985

Education:

Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, 1984
J.D.

Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1979
B.A.

Published Works:

"Bankruptcies and Local Tax Collection; The Role and Responsibilities of the Tax Collector", TCTA Criterion (Tax Collectors and Treasurers Association of New Jersey, Winter, 1994

"Procedure for Establishment and Appeal of Equalized Valuations"., MAAFO Journal, March, 2007

Representative Cases:

Cady v. Marcella, 49 Mass. App. Ct. 334, 729 N.E. 2d 1125 (Mass. App. 2000)

Peobody Const. Co., Inc. v. City of Boston, 28 Mass. App. Ct. 100, 546 N.E. 2d 898 (Mass. App. 1989)

City of Boston v. James, 26 Mass. App. Ct. 625, 530 N.E. 2d 1254 (Mass. App. 1988)

City of Boston v. Montessori Family Centre, Inc., 26 Mass. App. Ct. 961, N.E. 2d 1324 (Mass. App. Ct. 1988)

Macone v. Town of Wakefield, 277 F. 3d 1 (1st Cir. 2002)

Chiara v. Dizoglio, 6 Fed. Appx 20, 2001 WL 288613 (1st Cir. 2001)

Diaz v. City of Fitchburg, 176 F. 3d 560 (1st Cir 1999)

Telecorp Realty, LLC v. Town of Edgartown, 81 F. Supp. 2d 257 (D. Mass. 2000)

Chiara v. Dizoglio, 81 F. Supp. 2d 242, 17 NDLRP 127 (D. Mass. 2000)

Chiara v. Dizoglio, 59 F. Supp 2d 193, 16 NDLRP 87 (D. Mass. 1999)

Board of Assessors of Billerica v. Middlesex Retirement System, (Appellate Tax Board 2007)

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Massachusetts Bar Association

Member

Massachusetts Collector's and Treasurer's Association

Member

Massachusetts Town Counsel and City Solicitor's Association

Member

Past Employment Positions:

Kopelman and Paige, P.C., Boston, MA, Associate, 1990 - 1994

Kopelman and Paige, P.C., Boston, MA, Principal, 1995 - 1999

City of Boston Law Department, Boston, MA, Assistant Corporation Counsel, 1985 - 1990