Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten, LLP

Litigation scope and client settings

Corporate and municipal employers form a stated part of the firm's client work. Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten, LLP is a Boston litigation firm that handles matters in courts and before administrative agencies. Its work covers private disputes, public sector claims, civil rights issues and sensitive personal claims.

The site lists employment law, municipal law and government, insurance defense, personal injury, law enforcement and education law. It also names business disputes, whistleblower matters and LGBTQ+ rights. Other listed areas include child abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment and discrimination.

In my opinion, the clearest feature is the overlap among the firm's public sector, employment and civil litigation work. A dispute involving a municipal employee, for example, may raise employment rules, civil rights questions and government procedures. The stated practice areas place those related issues within the same firm.

Business and employment disputes

Claims involving companies and employers

The firm handles business disputes and defends corporate employers. These matters can involve contracts, workplace decisions or competing accounts of an event. The firm's site places business disputes beside employment law, investigations and discrimination claims.

As general legal context, a business lawsuit often begins with a complaint and an answer. Contracts, invoices, correspondence and company records may shape the factual record. The parties may then exchange documents, take depositions, file motions, discuss settlement or prepare for trial.

Workplace claims and agency proceedings

The employment work includes sexual harassment, discrimination, whistleblower and LGBTQ+ rights matters. The firm also appears before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination in its representation of public sector clients. That agency hears employment discrimination claims under Massachusetts law.

Employment disputes often depend on personnel files, workplace policies, emails, performance records and witness accounts. An agency charge also has its own deadlines and response process. Courts and agencies may examine whether an employer followed its policies and whether the evidence supports the stated reason for a decision.

Municipal and law enforcement work

Representation across the Commonwealth

The firm states that it has defended municipalities and municipal officials in Massachusetts since 1995. Its clients in this area include municipal boards, police officers and other public employees. The attorneys handle this work in state and federal courts as well as before government agencies.

Municipal cases can involve local policies, public records, employment decisions and constitutional claims. The identity of the decision-maker matters because a board, department, agency or court may control a particular stage. Meeting records, departmental rules and official correspondence can become central documents.

Police officer representation

Leonard H. Kesten directs the firm's law enforcement work. The site identifies him as a founding partner who represents police officers. His matters include allegations of misconduct, civil rights claims, search and seizure questions and use of force claims.

Law enforcement litigation often turns on reports, recordings, dispatch records, department policies and witness testimony. A civil rights claim may also require a court to examine constitutional standards and the facts known to an officer at the time. Internal proceedings and civil lawsuits can involve separate rules and decision-makers.

Education, investigations and sensitive claims

Schools and internal fact finding

Education law is a named area, and the firm provides investigations and training services for employers and schools. This work connects with the firm's employment, discrimination and municipal experience. The site also states that its attorneys have held prior roles as prosecutors, government officials and judges.

As general context, an internal investigation usually requires a defined complaint, relevant policies, interviews and a review of available records. Schools may also face privacy duties, employment rules and student safety concerns. Training can address workplace conduct and the procedures used when someone reports a concern.

Abuse, assault and injury matters

The firm handles personal injury claims and cases involving child abuse, sexual assault and clergy abuse. Laurence E. Hardoon has worked in child sexual abuse litigation for about forty years. He has represented survivors and helped establish the first Children's Advocacy Center in Middlesex County.

Child abuse and sexual assault litigation may involve medical records, institutional files, witness accounts and questions about when responsible parties learned of alleged conduct. Courts may also address privacy and access to sensitive records. A Children's Advocacy Center can coordinate professionals who respond to reports involving children, though each legal case follows its own facts and procedure.

Insurance defense

Insurance defense appears among the firm's listed areas. In general, these cases may require review of the underlying claim, the pleadings, medical material, witness statements and policy terms. The insurer, insured party and claimant may each have a distinct role in the dispute.

Personal injury litigation often examines duty, fault, causation and claimed damages. Depositions and medical evidence can become important when the parties disagree about how an event occurred or what harm followed. A court may resolve legal issues through motions while a jury may decide disputed facts at trial.

Attorney roles and firm continuity

Partners and firm leadership

The team page identifies Richard E. Brody, Laurence E. Hardoon and Leonard H. Kesten as founding partners. Michael V. Glennon is the managing partner. Anthony "Tony" Agudelo, Erica L. Brody and Thomas R. Donohue also hold partner titles.

The site names Nina M. Bonelli, Kaitlin Byrnes, Crystal Huff, Alexander Kesten and Natasha L. Meserve as associates. It also records Hon. Paul A. Chernoff, who lived between 1938 and 2024, as a deceased former member. That separate designation keeps the current attorney roster distinct.

A documented path within the firm

A home page news item gives a specific account of Francesca M. Papia's progression. She started at the firm as a law clerk in 2019. She joined as an associate in 2021 after graduating from law school, and the firm later promoted her to partner.

The site's history is clearest in two dated records. The municipal defense work has continued since 1995, while Papia's career path began at the firm in 2019. The firm identifies her current role as partner.

Additional civil litigation depth

Anthony V. Agudelo's practice adds detail to the firm's civil litigation work. His matters include medical malpractice, products liability and construction litigation, along with personal injury defense. These areas can call for close review of technical records, expert opinions and the conduct of several parties. Agudelo attended William & Mary Law School and holds a partner title.

Richard E. Brody brings an alternative dispute resolution component to the practice. The founding partner earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law in 1975. His stated focus combines general litigation with alternative dispute resolution, which may give parties a forum for addressing a dispute outside a trial.

False Claims Act and public health matters

Andrew A. Rainer is of counsel to the firm and litigation director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute. He represents whistleblowers under the federal and state False Claims Acts. His work also includes matters under the Dodd-Frank securities whistleblower law and the IRS tax fraud program. These statutes and programs create distinct reporting procedures, legal standards and possible government involvement.

Rainer also represents property owners and municipalities in environmental and public health litigation. He earned his law degree from New York University School of Law. His earlier public service included work as an Assistant District Attorney and an Assistant Attorney General. From 2008 through 2014, he was Chief of the Massachusetts Environmental Strike Force. In this reviewer's view, that record gives useful context for the firm's work where civil litigation meets regulatory enforcement.

Experience in land use and professional liability

Samuel Perkins has practiced at the firm since 1995. His stated litigation work includes professional liability, land use and insurance coverage matters. He earned a JD from Boston University School of Law in 1976 after graduating cum laude from Harvard College in 1970. Earlier, he worked as an Assistant Attorney General in Vermont and as a partner at Morrison Mahoney & Miller.

Land use disputes may concern property development, local decisions and the authority of public bodies. Professional liability and insurance coverage matters raise different questions about duties, alleged errors and contract language. Perkins's listed practice provides another point of depth for disputes that fall outside ordinary commercial claims.

Downtown Boston office

The firm maintains its office on the 12th floor at 265 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110. The listed telephone number is (617) 880-7100. This downtown Boston location places the attorneys in the city where they base their practices and conduct the firm's Massachusetts work.