Goodwin’s Appellate team successfully represented the Town of Milton, MA, in defending against a lawsuit brought against it by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office to enforce the MBTA Communities Act, a law intended to address the state’s housing crisis by requiring certain cities and towns to amend their zoning bylaws. The Act has been a matter of substantial public controversy in Massachusetts, with numerous town governments deciding not to comply with the law and 23 amicus briefs filed. Goodwin’s client, the Town of Milton, argued that the state failed to follow the law when rolling out the guidelines.
On January 8, 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) dismissed the AG’s lawsuit, holding that the regulations put into effect to enforce the Act were unlawful because the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities had failed to comply with the state Administrative Procedures Act.
The team was led by Kevin Martin, Jaime Santos, and Chris Herbert.
For more information, please see coverage in Boston Business Journal and The Boston Herald.