Attorney David V. Lawler has established a successful legal practice by providing his clients with excellent personalized legal representation and proven results.
David is a graduate of Villanova University and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk Law School in 1992. He is presently a member of The Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys and the Massachusetts Bar Association.
After establishing himself briefly as a Boston litigator, David and his family relocated permanently to Cape Cod in 1995. While continuing his trial work, for which he has been recognized for his track record of successes, he also developed specialties in transactional, regulatory and zoning matters.
It was in 1997 that David established his current firm in Hyannis, representing individuals and businesses in the areas of real estate development, contracts, corporate law, leasing, landlord tenant issues, zoning, licensing, real estate conveyancing, wills & trusts and probate of estates. David’s litigation practice includes general business litigation, construction litigation, real estate litigation, trust and estate litigation and serious personal injury.
Over the past several years, he has also, when necessary, continued to achieve results for his clients in the courtroom, including a “Top Ten Jury Verdicts in Massachusetts for 2009.
David lives in Osterville with his wife, Elizabeth and their children, Christopher and Kathryn. He is active in his community. When not working, David enjoys golf, gardening and, most of all, spending time with his family and friends on Nantucket Sound.
IN THE NEWS
MASSACHUSETTS LAWYERS WEEKLY Biggest verdicts of ’09 $2.06 million
Falmouth Ox-Bow Realty Trust, et al. v. Black
Barnstable Superior Court
Date of verdict: Aug. 13, 2009
Plaintiffs’ attorney: David V. Lawler, The Law Office of David V. Lawler, Hyannis
Status of verdict: On appeal*
In 2004, Joseph and Ruth Black thought they had sold their home, which had been in the family for nearly 100 years. Under the terms of the sale, the realty company buying the property was required to use “reasonable efforts” to obtain approvals needed to construct a multi-unit development under the Massachusetts affordable housing statute.
But when the deal began to stall, the elderly couple suspected the developer was not taking adequate steps to close the sale.
In 2007, a representative of the developer suddenly demanded that the price be re-negotiated, and, according to the Blacks, the developer threatened to sue them if the new terms were not accepted. That, in turn, would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for the Blacks to sell the property to anyone else.
The couple, represented by David V. Lawler, believed they had no choice but to terminate the agreement and let a jury decide who was to blame.
“I think the developer felt that my clients were older and capable of being bullied and that time was not on their side,” Lawler says. “Our theory of liability, which the jury obviously accepted, was that this developer was intentionally delaying the sale with the hope that market conditions would improve.”
– David E. Frank
* Appeal was dismissed verdict ratified