Seth B. Barnett
Seth is a partner of the firm and represents clients in a robust range of civil litigation and regulatory matters, including in the areas of construction, land use and zoning, condominium law, employment law, contract matters, and disputes involving state and local governmental entities. He has practiced before state and federal courts and state agencies in Massachusetts and has successfully represented clients at trials and in appeals. For almost two decades, he has advised private clients and governmental entities alike regarding a myriad and diverse issues with respect to land use, zoning, construction, civil rights, employment and education law, licensing, public records, meeting procedures, internal investigations, conflict of interest, and many others.
Seth has successfully counseled numerous clients in a wide range of complex real estate and zoning issues, including obtaining a favorable jury verdict in the only case in the Commonwealth challenging the operation and impact of wind turbines in residential areas to reach a jury trial. Additionally, Seth has obtained favorable results in both state and federal courts in disputes concerning the impact of a residential development on a drinking water supply, the efforts to prevent the nearby construction a private power plant, and numerous concerning wetlands regulations, municipal construction, sewer and water projects, regulatory takings, permitting decisions, and nuisance and trespass disputes.
Prior to joining the firm, Seth spent more than 15 years at a well-known Boston civil litigation firm defending municipalities, school districts, employees and officials across the Commonwealth in civil rights and constitutional matters of public significance stemming from First Amendment free speech claims, Title IX, bullying and peer-on-peer harassment claims, due process, equal protection and employment retaliation claims. Since 2019, Seth has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by New England Super Lawyers magazine for his civil rights defense work.
Seth regularly appears before federal and state courts and administrative agencies with respect to employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge cases, unfair labor practices, wage and hour matters, and employment-related litigation. He also counsels clients regarding matters including hiring and firing decisions, severance agreements, employee handbooks, employee discipline, wage and hour laws, and compliance with state and local statutes, regulations, and case law.
Outside of the office, Mr. Barnett spends his free time coaching youth sports and has served as the President of Westwood Basketball Association for the past two years.
EDUCATION
Boston University School of Management (2001)
Suffolk University Law School (2004)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Massachusetts Bar Association
Community Associations Institute-New England
Massachusetts Municipal Law Association
ADMISSIONS
Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2004)
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts (2006)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (2011)
AWARDS
Selected as a “Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Star” in Boston Magazine (2013 - 2014)
Selected as a “Massachusetts Super Lawyer” in Boston Magazine (2019 - 2022)
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS AND PUBLISHED DECISIONS
Armato v. Stoneham, 100 Mass. App. Ct. 1134 (2022) (affirming summary judgment in favor of Town officials in Whistleblower retaliation claim)
Roe v. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District (D. Mass 2021) (obtaining summary judgment on behalf of school district and officials in Title IX student-on-student sexual assault case)
Daly v. Town of Sandwich, 97 Mass. App. Ct. 1017 (2020) (Appeals Court affirming dismissal of property owner’s claims regarding the permitting and installation of and alternative denitrification septic system in a 40B development).
Reeves v. Town of Hingham, 2020 WL 759370 (D. Mass. 2020) (dismissing civil rights claims related to suicide during police standoff).
Dusti v. Town of Shirley, 96 Mass. App. Ct. 1109 (2019) (Appeals Court upholding dismissal of challenge to Building Inspector’s opinion as to the applicability of zoning bylaws to property).
Pascucci v. Town of Lynnfield, 330 F.Supp.3d 648 (D. Mass 2018) (dismissal of condo unit owners’ action alleging unlawful taking of unit without just compensation).
DeBenedictis v. Blanchard (Sup. Ct. 2017) (obtained jury verdict in favor of Fire Chief in defamation and invasion of privacy suit brought by terminated firefighter).
Andersen v. Town of Falmouth (Sup. Ct. 2017) (prevailed before Barnstable County jury after 7-day trial as to whether Town’s operation of wind turbines constituted a nuisance to nearby property owners)
Baer v. Montachusetts Regional Technical High School, 2019 WL 2162959 (D. Mass. 2019) (termination of teacher following MCAD complaint of harassment and discrimination).
Najas Realty, LLC v. Seekonk Water District, 821 F. 3d 134 (1st Cir. 2016) (dismissal of civil rights claims against District official who spoke in opposition to proposed project because of environmental concerns).
Comley v. Town of Rowley, 88 Mass. App. Ct. 1109 (2014) (upholding dismissal of various tort and civil rights claims brought by property owner who sought to challenge the Rowley Conservation Commission’s issuance of various enforcement orders).