Testimonials

"We want to pass along to readers our thoughts on McGregor Legere & Stevens’ legal and analytical skills in conservation law and strategy. This is the second time we’ve had the pleasure of working with Greg and his firm to save our Cape Cod home from the sea. In searching for a way to explain their capabilities, the Rubik's Cube came to mind. Back then and recently, we enjoyed watching Greg dissect the elements of a sticky land use and environmental problem like nobody else we know, and put them back together just like a completed Rubik's Cube. Previously (20 years ago) Greg visited our site and pointed the way to protecting our property with the right approach and the right experts for the long term, beginning with non-structural measures minimizing environmental impacts and maximizing state and local approvals. This year Greg and his team solved seemingly insurmountable legal and political obstacles to obtain permits for logical extensions of the earlier projectThey parachuted into the middle of a regulatory stalemateThey effectively reshaped, repackaged, and remarketed our neighborhood proposal in light of our established legal rights, prior agency decisions, threats to our properties, unrebutted engineering evidence, and the best policy for the entire shorelineThe game plan was successful. No other attorneys we know have such a skill set. Anyone who needs legal work done in the conservation area should put McGregor Legere & Stevens at the top of the list as we do. We would be happy to discuss their work with any potential clients."

— Cape Cod Oceanfront Homeowners


"After 13 years of living peacefully with three homes sharing a common driveway, one neighbor brought 80 sheep and goats to their residential property to try to start a commercial farm. We tried to resolve the situation amicably, but things went from bad to worse. Our quality of life, peace of mind, and property values began to plummet from the animal stench and commercial traffic, and we personally mourned their loss. Hiring Greg and Mike was the turning point. Mike as lead counsel skillfully led us through town boards and court with calm and confident professionalism. We won an injunction against the illegal farm, now gone for good. We finally can reopen our windows, sit outside, enjoy nature, and relax in our own home. We are glad McGregor Legere & Stevens were our advocates and strongly recommend them for any Massachusetts zoning and environmental issues."

— Driveway Owners


"This is a short note to thank you for guiding our families through a successful year-long process in selling our farmland to the Town for open space and passive recreation. We appreciate your leadership and coordination of the multiple parties and many moving parts that made the sale of our family farm possible. Your experience and expertise made the entire process go smoothly. We all are grateful that this parcel, which had been in our family since 1699, will be preserved and managed for the enjoyment of future generations. The senior generation is especially appreciative of your encouraging them to update and finalize their estate planning with a good tax law firm. That has been done, though it reminds us once again of our mortality and the need to have our affairs in order, especially in fairness to our children and grandchildren. And you're always welcome to visit our homes which we retain still looking out at "our farmland.""

— Farm Families


"I want to compliment Greg and the firm for their professional work and personal attention to what they called my "campaign case," namely the public interest litigation which I funded in the Massachusetts trial and appellate courts to bring about transparency and compliance in agency decision-making. McGregor & Legere is willing to think outside the box, go the extra mile, involve the client at every turn, and devote the sustained energy and expertise of an entire staff to efficient and cost-effective advancement of legal claims in the pressure cooker of a multi-year lawsuit. Not every law firm is capable of doing this, and many are not even willing. Yet litigation is sometimes a necessary tool to protect important rights, advance new ideas, bring light to darkness, or reform the law. I am glad that I have a law firm to call where the people know me, know my issues, know my needs, and know the territory, including how to work with well-placed forensic experts and responsive news media to make good things happen."

— Appreciative Client


"Our companies faced very serious enforcement orders and proposed administrative penalties imposed by the MassDEP, alleging improper disposal of solid waste containing asbestos. The agency even conducted an inspection of my business. We successfully resolved this with a settlement agreement and significantly reduced penalties due to the fine work and close attention of Nathaniel Stevens. To be specific, Nathaniel jumped on this, never let go, and settled a thorny case. Thank you for your very professional job, Nathaniel. I will be most willing to recommend highly you and the firm to anyone who finds themselves in the crosshairs of MassDEP."

— Lumber Industry CEO


"Just a quick note to let you know that our Planning Board took an early vote tonight, and guess what? The vote was unanimous, our way. Hallelujah! It's amazing - especially after the Board had announced it was disposed the other way. It was a lot for a Board to take on, after a year of hearings on a contentious project proposal, but we educated them and backed them up so things turned around. A very sincere thank you to both of you for all of your help on the strategy and tactics. You sure are good at local public hearings. It really helped us to understand how best to approach this by using the law, science and politics, as you always say. There is more to do, but for now - we can take a deep breath. We here can rest easier knowing that the land and its creatures will not be decimated. At least not for now. You taught us how to remain vigilant as citizen advocates. Hope you are doing well and thank you again!"

— Ad Hoc Neighborhood Group


"McGregor & Legere PC, welcomed our case, laid out the ways they would work with us, and provided their estimate on the fee for this work (which they stuck to!). They have a deep wealth of knowledge and were able to quickly identify ways in which we could strategically and legally fight the issues, and provided us with excellent advice/guidance on how to proceed. Their expertise and strategic recommendations helped our team marshal the facts and legal details and win with advocacy.

— Massachusetts Citizens


 "Luke Legere's mastery of environmental law and regulations and how they apply to his client's needs and concerns gives him a decided advantage over his peers. His understanding of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) and how Licensed Site Professionals (LSPs) apply the MCP makes the working relationship with the client, attorney, and LSP unique and fulfilling. Luke is a strong advocate for his clients and a tremendous negotiator. He knows when to work cooperatively with attorneys for other responsible parties under these Superfund laws and yet knows when to get tough, understands complex technical issues, realizes when to get expert advice, and gets the outcome that is the best for his client. These are the reasons why Luke is one of only a handful of environmental attorneys that I would recommend to my clients, colleagues and friends."

— Signed, MP


"Drawing on decades of environmental-law expertise, and experience working for citizen groups, McGregor & Legere researched, drafted and filed for our public interest organization, consisting of appellants in highly contentious environmental litigation, an outstanding appellate brief to the Supreme Judicial Court. They actively involved us in key strategy decisions, formulated new policy arguments we had not considered, and gladly accepted our suggestions for the brief, all while enlistinging an amici dream team involving parties interested in being friends of the court on precedent-setting legal aspects. This work was on short deadlines and a fixed budget. Working with McGregor & Legere was a pleasure."

— Lead Plaintiff/Appellant and liaison to the Firm


"We are very grateful to McGregor & Legere for their help on this large research, administrative, and advocacy project - their guidance helped us to see through the morass of data and focus on what was important and applicable to bring to the light. Without their sage advice, we would not have known about all of the different legal and political strategies available to us and where to find evidence to back us up. They were always there to answer any questions we had - in a really timely manner - at any time of the day (or night sometimes). We highly recommend working with McGregor and Legere, PC!"

— Ad Hoc Citizen Organization


"What happens when a city or town wants to construct a center for its seniors on a portion of land taken in eminent domain decades ago for playground or recreation purposes - and some neighbors seek to block the construction based on their belief the land is really a park protected by Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitutional Amendments?  In a very cost-effective way (a motion for judgment on the pleadings), Greg McGregor and Luke Legere successfully persuaded the Superior Court that under the law there was no constitutional issue, ultimately because the land had been taken for a range of uses some of which were outside the scope of Article 97  and the Public Trust Doctrine-- including construction and operation of a senior center. This victory was a most important one, not only for the municipality which had already expended significant funds for design and start of construction, but also for its seniors who will now enjoy a state-of-the-art facility.  Greg and Luke were the reason behind that victory."

— Municipality's Chief Legal Officer


"The  law firm of McGregor & Legere, and previously McGregor & Associates, has provided our environmental non-profit organization, founded in 1961, with excellent legal advice and representation for 35 years, presenting strategy options and policy guidance, and representing us in many successful amicus briefs at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in precedent setting cases. All this work has been performed pro bono. In recent years, these cases included Gove v. ZBA of Chatham, Ten Persons of the Commonwealth v. Fellsway Development, LLC, and Blair v. DCR. Most recently, the firm wrote our amicus brief in the case of NEFF v. Board of Assessors of Hawley, making an argument that was accepted by the SJC in its important decision on state taxation laws affecting land conservation organizations."

— Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions


"They together are extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly understand environmental laws as in many cases they were engaged in writing them."

"I have worked with Luke and Greg on several difficult environmental issues at different locations in Massachusetts for over a decade. They together are extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly understand environmental laws as in many cases they were engaged in writing them. Working very effectively as a well experienced team, they are extremely good at quickly bringing definition and clarity to the problem at hand, and once a course of action is selected, they work quickly and efficiently to achieve success. I highly recommend Luke and Greg to anyone facing a vexing environmental and or land use problem."

— Corporate Client

 

Across the spectrum of environmental law we offer advice and representation
with practical, results-oriented lawyering.

CONTACT US

Contact Information

Resources