Robert A. Fishman

Land Use, Permitting and Development Notable Experience:

• Acquisition, disposition, permitting, financing, and leasing for National Development of New England on such Massachusetts projects as Station Landing in Medford, MarketStreet at Lynnfield (40R), the Bridges in Andover, IBM campus in Littleton, ArborPoint at Woodland Station in Newton (40B), Forge Park in Franklin and numerous other office, research and development, shopping center, residential and assisted living projects
• Contractual and permitting work for Federal Realty Investment Trust on Assembly Row in Somerville, including the large Partners Healthcare Systems facility
• Contractual and permitting work for Phoenix Property Company and Lincoln Property Company in connection with the development of a mixed-use project on Parcel K owned by Massport in the Seaport District of Boston
• Contractual, permitting and financing for Hebrew SeniorLife’s 160 acre NewBridge on the Charles intergenerational campus in Dedham, Massachusetts, including closing the bond issue of over $450 million
• Contractual and permitting work for the YMCA of Greater Boston, Inc. in connection with the complex sale of a portion of its property on Huntington Avenue, Boston for a new Northeastern University dormitory and related agreements with New England Conservatory
• General real estate services and permitting of numerous projects for Tufts University at its campuses in Medford/Somerville and Boston, Massachusetts

Acquisition and Disposition Notable Experience:

• Assisting The First Church of Christ, Scientist on diverse real estate matters related to the disposition of non-core assets near its campus in the Back Bay section of Boston
• Land Disposition Agreement contractual work and I’Cubed infrastructure financing for the City of Quincy in connection with the New Quincy Center redevelopment project proposed by Street-Works and representation of the City on other later proposed downtown development projects
• Contractual work for numerous community facilities for Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, Inc., including sales of certain facilities, acquisition of new facilities, leasing and restructuring of loans to other charitable organizations
• Sale of multiple Beacon Hill properties for the Unitarian Universalist Association
• Assisting Adobe Systems, Inc. in the acquisition and later sale of a new office headquarters building in Waltham
• Acquisition and development of the Oracle Corporation campus in Burlington, Massachusetts
• Assisting a private equity fund and a developer in their acquisition out of bankruptcy of the Malden Mills property in Lawrence and Methuen, including all title, permitting, environmental analyses, and subsequent dispositions of individual properties within this large mill complex
• Acquisition and financing of 160 Federal Street in Boston and Harvard Mills in Wakefield, Massachusetts, for Taurus Investment Holdings LLC, including leasing, environmental advice, and multiple refinancings

Insurance Companies and Pension Funds Notable Experience:

• Extensive experience representing insurance companies and pension funds, including CIGNA Corporation, AXA-Equitable Life Insurance Company and Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc.
• Representative matters have included equity and/or debt work on the Viridian residential project at 1282 Boylston Street, 33 Arch Street, 75 State Street, Rowes Wharf, One Post Office Square, One Boston Place, World Trade Center East and West (all in Boston), Wellesley Gateway, Atrium at Chestnut Hill, Emerald Square Mall, Arsenal Mall, Mall of New Hampshire, and Fox Run Mall, and the acquisition and disposition of numerous suburban commercial properties

Professional Activities

During his law practice, Bob demonstrated his leadership outside the firm in several professional organizations, including:

• Recognized in Band 1 (the highest ranking) for both real estate transactional work and zoning / land use work in the well-regarded Chambers USA legal directory
• Elected a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers in 1991
• Member of the Massachusetts Chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association
• Chaired NAIOP's Public Affairs Committee and represented NAIOP on both the Governor’s Zoning Reform Task Force and recent proposed zoning and environmental legislation. Bob received NAIOP’s Public Affairs award three times for his work on legislative and administrative matters of importance to the real estate industry and, in 2016, Bob received NAIOP's Champion Award in recognition of his exceptional advocacy benefiting the real estate industry.
• Adjunct professor at Boston University Law School (transactional clinic), Suffolk Law School (advanced real estate transactions) and Boston College Law School (land use planning), and has guest taught at Harvard Law School
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM)
• Chair of the Advisory Board of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University
• Member of the Advisory Board of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government 
• Co-chair of the Development and Land Use Committee of the Boston Bar Association
• Member, Urban Land Institute (ULI), Boston District Council, and participant in ULI's Urban Plan program at area colleges and high schools

Bob's articles and presentations have addressed zoning and smart growth issues, permitting of complex development projects, environmental indemnification and environmental insurance in business transactions, permitting of assisted living facilities, and non-conforming uses and structures. For many years, Bob authored a chapter of MCLE's Massachusetts Zoning Manual and spoke at its annual program.

A past chair of the Lawyers’ Team of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, Inc. (CJP) and a former member of CJP’s Board of Governors, Bob received the prestigious Community of Excellence Award from CJP in 2008 in recognition of his contributions to both the broader community and the legal profession.