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Valerie Moore, Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP Photo

Valerie A. Moore

Partner / Boston

Overview

Valerie A. Moore is a partner in Nutter’s Real Estate Department. Clients rely on Valerie’s counsel in a variety of real estate matters, including land use, affordable housing, construction, zoning, and environmental permitting and litigation. She helps clients work with local, state, and federal government agencies, on issues of compliance as well as partnering with government entities.

A wide range of clients, including commercial real estate developers, residential and commercial property owners, and government entities, frequently turn to Valerie in permitting and environmental matters. Private landowners value Valerie’s advice on the development of land under local zoning and wetlands bylaws, the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Protection Act Chapter 91, and applicable easements. Valerie also counsels clients on compliance with the Wetlands Protection Act, Chapter 91, and the Clean Water Act. Valerie has extensive experience representing clients before the Land Court, the Superior Court, the Appeals Court, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Housing Appeals Committee, and municipal zoning boards and conservation commissions.

Representative matters include:

  • Wetlands permitting for a large agricultural project in an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
  • Appealing a special permit denial for an affordable housing project and obtaining a special permit on a negotiated remand.
  • Permitting for large commercial and multifamily developments throughout Massachusetts.
  • Defending a special permit appeal for a large senior living community.
  • Permitting analysis and due diligence for the acquisition of a large multifamily project.
  • Defending an appeal of a zoning map change.
  • Waterways permitting and appeals under M.G.L. c. 91.
  • Clean Water Act (NPDES) permitting and appeals to the Environmental Appeals Board.

Valerie continues her leadership outside the firm by serving on the Board of Directors of the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House in Cambridge. She is a member of the Boston Bar Association and CREW Boston. Valerie completed the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Leadership Program for 2019-2020. Valerie serves on the board of directors and formerly chaired the Ascending Professionals Committee of the Environmental Business Council of New England.

Prior to joining Nutter, Valerie was an associate at a Boston law firm.

Experience

Experience

  • Won appeal overturning a decision of the Department of Environmental Protection

    The Department of Environmental Protection issued a summary decision determining that our client had made changes to their property without properly obtaining a license under the Waterfront Protection Act, Chapter 91. We successfully overturned that decision in a G.L. c. 30A appeal to the Superior Court, winning a remand to the Department for a trial.

  • Won judgment in accelerated special permit litigation after jury-waived trial

    A group of neighbors appealed our client’s special permit and change of zone for a large development project. Knowing the value of time to a project, we successfully moved to accelerate the case to a trial within six months and strategically managed the case to keep to that schedule. We defended the special permit and after a three-day jury-waived trial, we obtained a judgment determining that none of the plaintiffs had standing, successfully upholding our client’s permits and doing so in an expedited manner.

  • Won summary judgment motion for one of the first decisions interpreting G.L. c. 40A, § 5

    Our client sought a zoning map amendment for a large development project and a group of neighbors filed a protest petition under G.L. c. 40A, § 5. After the municipality granted the amendment, the neighbors filed an appeal to the Land Court seeking a determination that their protest petition met the statutory criteria that would have required a higher vote threshold for the map change. We prevailed on cross motions for summary judgment and obtained a judgment upholding our client’s zone change.

  • Griffith Properties, LLC and DRA Advisors

    Nutter served as legal counsel to Griffith Properties, LLC and DRA Advisors in a joint venture in the acquisition, financing, and permitting for redevelopment of 580 Pleasant Street in Watertown, MA.

News & Insights

News

Honors

Honors

  • PAIR Pro Bono Detention Award, 2021
  • Excellence in the Law "Up & Coming Lawyers", 2021
  • The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch”, 2021-2023

  • Environmental Business Council of New England Ascending Leader Award, 2020
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2017-2022
  • Massachusetts Top Women Lawyers Rising Stars, 2017-2022

Education & Admissions

Education

Boston University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
University of Massachusetts at Amherst, B.A., summa cum laude

Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Industries

In the Community

Valerie continues her leadership outside the firm by serving on the Board of Directors of the Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House. She is a member of the Boston Bar Association and CREW Boston. Valerie is the former Chair of the Ascending Professionals Committee of the Environmental Business Council of New England.

Noteworthy

  • PAIR Pro Bono Detention Award, 2021
  • Excellence in the Law "Up & Coming Lawyers", 2021
  • The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch”, 2021-2024
  • Environmental Business Council (EBC) of New England Ascending Leader, 2020
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2019-2022
  • Massachusetts Top Women Lawyers Rising Stars, 2017- 2022
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