Construction

• Obtained a favorable settlement for an international engineering firm in a complicated legal matter involving a multi-million job-site injury lawsuit at a major transportation hub. 
• Awarded summary judgment in favor of international engineering firm in a matter involving allegations of deficient HVAC work; also successfully represented client in having judgment affirmed by the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
• Secured substantial arbitration award for international design engineering firm in payment dispute with developer.
• Successfully defended engineering firm against negligent design and supervision claims arising out of the death of an ironworker at Logan Airport.
• Successfully represented subcontractors in Prompt Pay Act litigation.
• Received a favorable arbitration award in a dispute between a homeowner and general contractor about the scope and cost of a ground-up construction project.
• Obtained a substantial monetary settlement for a condominium association in a case involving defective construction work.
• Drafted and recorded mechanics’ liens for general contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals.
• Secured a favorable settlement for a building owner after the building collapsed while under construction.
• Drafted and negotiated numerous design and construction contracts for project owners, design professionals, general contractors, and subcontractors.
• For municipal client, achieved a favorable pre-suit settlement agreement in a case involving the delayed delivery of a wastewater treatment facility.
• After three days of mediation, obtained favorable settlement agreement for a large engineering firm in a matter arising out of the allegedly negligent design of a major intersection.
• For a design-build contractor, obtained a defense verdict in a matter involving damage to a neighboring structure.
• Representing a land surveyor, received a release of all claims in exchange for a de minimis contribution to a multi-party settlement agreement in a case involving the alleged cutting and removal of valuable timber.
• Represented numerous homeowners in matters involving home-improvement construction projects.

Real Estate

• For a real estate developer, awarded summary judgment in complex commercial eviction matter.
• Obtained significant monetary settlement for real estate developer after commercial tenant breached lease agreement by failing to fulfill revenue generation requirements and by vacating premises before end of lease term.
• Represented landowners in boundary disputes involving claims of adverse possession.

Professional Liability

• Represented a global intellectual property law firm before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. In a first-in-the-nation decision addressing subject-matter conflicts in patent prosecution matters, the court affirmed the trial court’s decision dismissing the plaintiff’s claims against the firm.
• Obtained summary judgment for an insurance broker accused of failing to procure sufficient coverage for its client business owner.
• Secured decision from Massachusetts Appeals Court affirming judgment in favor of a large law firm by successfully demonstrating that the plaintiff’s allegations were too speculative to confer standing.
• Obtained dismissal of a $4 million legal malpractice claim against law firm on the grounds that the plaintiff destroyed evidence in violation of the court’s preservation order.

Bar Admissions

• Massachusetts
• Rhode Island
• New Hampshire

Court Admissions

• Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
• Supreme Court of Rhode Island
• Supreme Court of New Hampshire
• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
• United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
• United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island

Education

• Suffolk University Law School, J.D., summa cum laude (2012)
• Emmanuel College, B.A., summa cum laude (2008)

Awards & Recognition

• Named a Go-To Construction Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2025)
• Best Lawyers in America® (2025), Specialties: Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America (2024), Specialties: Construction Law, Litigation – Construction
• Designated a “Top Lawyer” by Boston magazine under Construction (2021, 2022, 2024)
• Selected to the Massachusetts “Rising Stars” List in Construction Litigation by Super Lawyers (2015-2024)

• Boston Bar Association, Member
• Massachusetts Bar Association, Member
• Leadership Academy Fellow (2019 – 2020)
• Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association, Board Member
• Defense Research Institute, Construction Law Committee, Steering Committee Member

Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, SJC Negligent Design Decision hosted by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, May 2025
• Panelist, How the Prompt Payment Act is Creating Problems for Businesses hosted by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, October 2022
• Speaker, Massachusetts Prompt Pay Act: Implications of Recent Ruling construction roundtable, July 2022 
• Moderator, Brown Bag Lunch hosted by MassDLA, December 2021
• Product Liability Defense Federation (PLDF) Annual Meeting October 8, 2021, Nashville, TN. Panelist on “The Need for Speed.”
• Challenges, Benefits, and Tips for Remote Mediations or Arbitrations in Real Estate Disputes, Massachusetts Bar Association, Panelist
• 6th Annual Survive and Thrive, Massachusetts Bar Association,  Panelist
• Protecting Your Business During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Boston Construction Consortium, Panelist
• Managing Engineering Liability & Risk, The Law of Engineering Malpractice, Presenter

News and Publications

• “Indemnity Lessons From Mass. Construction Defect Ruling,” Law360, June 13, 2025
• “Update Your Construction Contract! Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds that Breach of Contractual Indemnity Provision is Not Barred by the Statute of Repose”, Conn Kavanaugh, May 7, 2025
• “Insurance Considerations for Construction Projects”, Conn Kavanaugh, April 24, 2025
• “The Massachusetts Prompt Payment Act Continues to Have Harsh Consequences for Transgressors, Unwitting or Otherwise”, Conn Kavanaugh, January 22, 2025
• “First Circuit Rules on Important Coverage Issue for Contractors.”, Conn Kavanaugh, January 22, 2025
• “Here Comes the Sun: Common Considerations for Solar Installation Agreements”, Conn Kavanaugh, June 15, 2023
• “Commercial Tenant Excused from Paying Rent During Government-Mandated Shutdown,” Conn Kavanaugh, February 22, 2021
• “Superior Court Judge Sends Stern Message to Construction Industry: Respond to Pay Applications Promptly or Expect to Pay Full Price,” Conn Kavanaugh, January 4, 2021
• “UPDATE: Supreme Judicial Court Holds that Each Building in Phased-Development Projects Constitutes Distinct “Improvement” for Purposes of Statute of Repose,” Conn Kavanaugh, November 20, 2021
• “Tenant May Not Recover Personal-Injury Damages Under Implied Warranty of Habitability for Slip and Fall on Icy Driveway,” Conn Kavanaugh. (June 25, 2020)
• “Massachusetts Construction Back up and Running, but COVID Concerns Linger,” Conn Kavanaugh. (June 1, 2020)
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Strengthens Weapons Available to Defendant Landowners Facing Defective Claims Allegedly Involving Title to Real Estate. (May 15, 2020)
• Developers Breathe Easy as Commonwealth Eases Permitting Deadlines During State of Emergency; Local Boards Brace for Impact. (April 13, 2020)
• Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh Tangle Over Construction Ban. Who Blinks First? (March 26, 2020)
• COVID-19 Shutters Boston Construction Industry for (At Least) Two Weeks. What’s Next? (March 26, 2020)
• Co-author, “COVID-19 Shutters Boston Construction Industry for (At Least) Two Weeks. What’s Next?”, (March 21, 2020)
• Abutter Must Prove Particularized Injury to Confer Standing in Zoning Appeals. (March 9, 2020)
• Author, When Does the Statute of Repose Begin to Run in Phased Development Projects? (February 10, 2020)
• Special Permit Applicants Must Prove That Proposed Use Complies With Bylaws. (June 21, 2019)
• Developers Must Explicitly Reserve Construction Right in Phased Condominium Project. (June 13, 2019)
• “Update: Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave Issues FAQ Guidance on Commonwealth’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act”, Conn Kavanaugh, November 26, 2018

Articles

• "Update Your Construction Contract! Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds that Breach of Contractual Indemnity Provision is Not Barred by the Statute of Repose", Conn Kavanaugh, May 7, 2025
• "Insurance Considerations for Construction Projects", Conn Kavanaugh, April 24, 2025
• "The Massachusetts Prompt Payment Act Continues to Have Harsh Consequences for Transgressors, Unwitting or Otherwise", Conn Kavanaugh, January 22, 2025
• "First Circuit Rules on Important Coverage Issue for Contractors.", Conn Kavanaugh, January 22, 2025
• "Here Comes the Sun: Common Considerations for Solar Installation Agreements", Conn Kavanaugh, June 15, 2023
• "Update: Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave Issues FAQ Guidance on Commonwealth’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Act", Conn Kavanaugh, November 26, 2018