Matthew Lawlor focuses his practice on real estate disposition for public agencies, affordable housing finance, development, permitting, land use, and urban planning matters. He regularly represents public authorities and agencies, lenders, developers, nonprofit organizations, and commercial landlords and tenants. In addition to his law degree, he has a master’s degree in regional planning. Matt is a member of the firm’s Real Estate + Development Group.

Real Estate Disposition for Public Agencies

Matt represents municipal and state agencies in the disposition of real property for development and redevelopment. He drafts, negotiates, and closes on long-term ground leases and related documentation.

He has assisted clients such as municipal and state development agencies in real estate-related matters, including successfully drafting, negotiating and closing on long-term ground leases for construction of a new hotel in Roxbury and a new regional light industrial contractor’s headquarters in South Boston, Massachusetts.

Affordable Housing Finance

Matt represents major lenders in affordable housing financing for the construction and major rehabilitation of residential developments. This representation includes drafting all construction loan documentation, undertaking legal due diligence, and closing the loan transactions.

He has handled numerous affordable housing finance transactions on behalf of a major national bank, including for a public housing redevelopment in East Boston, Massachusetts, and for the rehabilitation of several public housing developments in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Development, Permitting, and Land Use

Matt represents non-profit and for-profit developers, including renewable energy developers, and public agencies on development, permitting, and land use aspects of sustainable, mixed-use and transit-oriented development. This representation includes negotiating acquisition and development documentation, and providing advice and conducting due diligence related to permitting. He assists clients with obtaining all required permits and approvals for their projects. He drafts and negotiates construction and permanent loan documentation and joint venture agreements.

Matt has handled long-term ground leases of new development, and obtained permits and development rights for developers of large-scale, mixed-use projects. He successfully obtained permits for a 27-unit residential transit-oriented development for a community development organization. For a corporate client, he negotiated a preferred equity investment in a major residential development adjacent to the central railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island. Matt frequently presents at urban planning and real estate industry conferences on the topics of land use regulation, New Urbanism, and smart growth.

Pro Bono

Matt has long-standing pro bono commitments. He serves as pro bono counsel for the Congress for the New Urbanism/New England Chapter, a smart growth and active mobility advocacy group. He also regularly provides advice on permitting, acquisition, financing, and corporate matters for the Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation, a non-profit development organization, on a pro bono basis.

Before attending law school, Matt worked for Comsis Corporation in Silver Spring, Maryland, as a consulting transportation planner for local and state governments.