Brian M. Hurley

Brian is a litigation lawyer focusing on real estate-related litigation, including land use, environmental, title and title insurance claims and disputes. Brian advises institutional, commercial and individual clients on a wide variety of litigation issues and represents them in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts.

Brian joined Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster in 1979 after serving as trial counsel in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General Corps. Before that, he clerked for the Honorable John E. Fenton, Jr. of the Trial Court. In 2022, Rackemann combined with Verrill Dana LLP.

Brian has frequently lectured on litigation matters for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Foundation, American Land Title Association, Real Estate Bar Association and National Business Institute. He has published written materials on a variety of complex litigation and real estate topics.

Outside of the office, Brian enjoys traveling and spending time with his grandchildren.

Services/Industries

• Litigation & Trial
• Real Estate Litigation
• Real Estate

Education

• Suffolk University Law School (J.D.)
• Golden Gate University (M.P.A.)
• College of the Holy Cross

Public Service

• Adjunct Professor of Law, Trial Evidence, Suffolk University Law School (1995-2010)
• Advisory Committee Chairman, Massachusetts Trial Court
• Member, Zoning Board of Appeals, Town of Milton (1995-2015)
• Trustee, Vineyard Open Land Foundation (Brian’s practice has involved a number of cases on Martha’s Vineyard)

Bar Admissions

• Massachusetts

Court and Other Admissions

• U. S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
• U. S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
• U. S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
• United States Supreme Court

Memberships

• Member, Dukes County Bar Association

Honors

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® under Litigation-Real Estate, Real Estate Law in Boston, Massachusetts (2024-2026)
• Selected as the The Best Lawyers in America^® “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation – Real Estate in Boston (2019)
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® (2018-2020)
• Selected by peers for inclusion in Massachusetts Super Lawyers under Land Use/Zoning (2004-2021, 2024-2025)

Learn more about the third-party ratings, rankings, and selection processes used for inclusion.