What types of law does your firm handle?
Meehan Boyle handles all types of wrongful death, catastrophic
personal injury and commercial premises disasters arising within
most fields of liability, including products liability,
pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, trucking and
automotive litigation, aviation and mass transit disasters, serious
bicycling and pedestrian injuries, construction site incidents, and
significant medical malpractice cases.
Any areas of specialization?
Over the years, Meehan Boyle has found success in a wide variety
of high profile cases, including Boston's "Big Dig" tunnel collapse
case, pharmaceutical litigation through to victory at the U.S.
Supreme Court, multi-million dollar wrongful death jury verdicts
and settlements against national hotel chains, multi-state federal
litigation on behalf of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers against
military contractors, alcohol hazing cases against national
fraternities and universities, and many other such cases. The
attorneys at Meehan Boyle are particularly proud of their efforts
to contribute to the creation of lasting and sustainable safety
policy changes, often through negotiated settlements, making
everyone in our communities safer.
What firm attribute do clients find most
attractive?
In the thousands of cases that Meehan Boyle has handled for
plaintiffs from all walks of life, the most gratifying compliment
the firm hears from its clients is that its attorneys and staff are
empathetic, caring and supportive. That is crucially important to
everyone at Meehan Boyle. The firm counts among its wide family of
friends, clients from the 1980s and '90s who keep in touch to this
day. That clients, long after their cases have resolved, not only
send photos, emails and holiday letters, but also frequently invite
both lawyers and paralegals to their children's graduations,
weddings and family get-togethers, is central to the spirit and
culture of Meehan Boyle.
Briefly describe a recent "win" or client success story
that the firm is proud of.
The year 2016 was a notable year for Meehan Boyle. In January,
the firm prevailed at the U.S. Supreme Court, capping over a decade
of litigation and trial against global pharmaceutical giant Johnson
& Johnson and, ultimately, recovering on a $63 million Plymouth
County jury verdict from 2013. Then, in August, the firm's two
youngest partners, Peter Ainsworth and Victoria Santoro, prevailed
in a drowning case against a national hotel chain and recovered a
multi-million dollar jury verdict in both compensatory and punitive
damages. While most of the firm's cases - even headlining
high-profile cases - result in hard-fought settlements, it is the
willingness and ability to take their client's cases to trial and
win that makes Meehan Boyle's attorneys proud to be called trial
lawyers.
Is your firm regularly active with any charitable or
civic organization?
Meehan Boyle is extremely active in the community, most deeply
devoted to the support of our state's legal aid societies and all
its lawyers serve as leaders in state and national bar associations
that strive for access to justice for all. The firm, especially
through the efforts and devoted service of lifetime partner John
Carroll, is a decades-long supporter of legal aid and policy
organizations like Greater Boston Legal Services, the Equal Justice
Coalition and Justice Bridge. In fact, in September, John Carroll
is receiving the "Catalyst for Change" Award from the Massachusetts
Law Reform Institute.
Anything to announce in the coming year?
Meehan Boyle is thrilled to highlight its newest colleagues,
second year associates Robert F. Foster and Jessica M. Gray. Rob, a
2016 graduate of Northeastern University Law School, first served
at the firm in a Northeastern Law co-op in 2015. Now, while taking
depositions, arguing motions and second-chairing trials, he has
begun to focus on complex legal writing and appellate work under
the direction of Michael Bogdanow. Jessica, a 2016 graduate of
Suffolk University Law School and varsity soccer player in college,
worked and interned at several well-known law firms during school,
but accepted an offer to try cases at Meehan Boyle. She is already
excelling with a series of court successes in just her first few
months at the firm.
What's one fact about the firm that people might be
surprised to learn?
In a close-knit group of lawyers who have practiced law together
for decades (and share lunch together every day), people are often
surprised at their diversity of backgrounds and outside interests.
Leo Boyle became a plaintiffs' lawyer stranded at work with a
hundred subrogation files during the Blizzard of '78; John Carroll
started practicing law on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation after
Wounded Knee; Pete Black flew 150 close combat support missions in
Vietnam; Mike Bogdanow, Val Yarashus and Tori Santoro are each
accomplished musicians; Brad Henry is a Black Belt and an Eagle
Scout; and Pete Ainsworth started with the firm as a volunteer
shepherding 20 cases through the 9/11 Victim's Compensation Fund
project. The total is greater than the sum of its parts.
Why is it important to have all the lawyers in your firm
members of the MBA?
The MBA is such an important component of the tight-knit legal
community in Massachusetts. Lawyers share responsibility for the
support and continued advancement of the profession as a whole, and
Meehan Boyle feels it is incumbent on all of its lawyers to be
involved in its state bar association. Despite rarely growing
larger than its current 10 lawyers, Meehan Boyle's 30-year history
credits no fewer than three MBA presidents, each of whom passed on
a legacy of conscientious bar service and the importance of a
unified voice among lawyers.
In what ways do you find the MBA beneficial to the
lawyers in your firm?
The benefits of MBA membership are countless, but chief among
them is the association's engagement with the community - both our
legal community and the larger community of citizens across the
commonwealth. The law is a profession of service to others, not
only to the judiciary and our fellow lawyers, but especially to our
most needy constituents. The MBA fulfills these principles through
outstanding educational, outreach and community service programs.
Meehan Boyle encourages all of its lawyers to pursue the myriad
leadership opportunities at the MBA, so that they can be a part of
the future development of the MBA and the profession.