Richard D. Vetstein, Esq., Founding Partner

Richard D. VetsteinRichard D. Vetstein, Founding Partner

Tel: 508.620.5352. Email: [email protected]   Download VCard

“What gets me out of bed each morning is the variety and spice of life experiences which comes with the practice of law. Every day there is a new set of problems to solve, new personalities, and it’s never boring!”

Rich is a nationally recognized real estate attorney, helping people buy, sell, and finance real estate. Rich is also an experienced real estate and business litigator. Rich was recently selected as the Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Title & Conveyancing Committee and was also named as one of Inman News’ Most Influential People in Real Estate. Rich has testified before the state legislature on landlord’s rights and toxic title legislation. Rich’s popular Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog has been selected for the American Bar Association’s Top Legal “Blawg” awards for two consecutive years. Hear what clients have to say about Rich’s work here. 

Rich’s court cases run the gamut from adverse possession, evictions, boundary disputes, zoning appeals, condominium disputes, breach of contract, title and landlord-tenant cases. Unlike a lot of litigators these days, he has actually tried cases, both before a jury and judge. He also has significant appellate experience in the Appeals Court, Supreme Judicial Court, and First Circuit. Rich is also well-versed in alternative dispute resolution, arbitration, and mediation, where a majority of cases are settled today.

Rich is also Of Counsel at CannerLaw & Associates which performs full service settlement agent work for national, regional and local lenders, as well as individual borrowers and sellers. At CannerLaw, Rich handles a substantial amount of residential conveyancing and title work. Rich is also a continuing legal eduction instructor, teaching other real estate attorneys best practices in residential real estate conveyancing.

Education

Suffolk University Law School, J.D., 1997

• Top 5% of Class, Graduated Cum Laude
• Law Review, Note Editor and Staff Member
• Judicial Clerk/Intern, Federal Judge William G. Young

Miami (Ohio) University in Oxford, OH, B.S. in Mass Communication/Media Management with a minor in Marketing, 1994

Community/Awards

Rich is active in his community, local philanthropies and bar associations, which provides him with the opportunity to give back, volunteer and connect with his colleagues and peers.

Previous Legal Employment

Bernkopf Goodman LLP, Boston MA

Edwards & Angell LLP (now Edwards Wildman), Boston MA

Gilman, McLaughlin & Hanrahan LLP, Boston MA

Interests

Rich is a life-long Metrowest, Massachusetts resident and now resides in Sudbury with his wife and two children. When not practicing law, Rich enjoys boxing, pick-up basketball, and following the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots.

Press/Speaking Engagements (Quoted Or Featured In The Following Articles)

Think It’s Tough to Rent? Try Being a Landlord? Boston Globe Sunday Magazine (March 29, 2015)

Metrowest Property Owner’s Association, Legal Update (March 10, 2015)

City Will Inspect Off Campus Housing, And It’s Legal, Boston.com/Boston Globe (Jan. 8, 2015)

Foreclosures, Forestalled, Wall Street Journal (March 7, 2014)

Resourceful Realtor, Legal Update Seminar (March 2, 2015)

New Buyers Seminar, South Middlesex Opportunity Council (November 15, 2014)

Fannie, Freddie Don’t Need To Comply With Foreclosure Law, Mass. Lawyers Weekly (Nov. 3, 2014)

Bill Aims to Help Sellers of Foreclosure Homes, Boston Globe (July 30, 2014)

Multiple Interests At Stake In Mass. Title Clearing Bill Talks, Worcester Telegram (July 29, 2014)

Instructor, Residential Real Estate Basics Continuing Legal Education Course, Boston Bar Association (March 2014)

Testimony before Mass. Joint Housing Committee on House Bill 1131 (Rent Escrow), February 25, 2014

Email Communications Result In Hard Lessons for Attorneys, Clients, Banker and Tradesman (Jan. 9, 2014)

Ruling Might Mean Longer Foreclosure Process, Banker & Tradesman (Dec. 22, 2013)

Speaker, Real Estate Grey Areas, Presented to Black Diamond Investor Group (Summer 2013)

Cases Could Make Foreclosure Challenges Easier, Assignments’ Validity Could Be Questioned, Banker and Tradesman (March 3, 2013)

Errors Made By Lender Invalidate Foreclosure, Mass. Lawyers Weekly (Jan. 31, 2013)

SJC Rules Bank Had No Right To Take Home, Boston Globe (Jan. 14, 2013)

State’s Highest Court Rules for Lender in Foreclosure Affidavit Case, Boston Globe (Oct. 26, 2012)

Unsigned P&S Enforceable In Wake of Emails, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (July 5, 2012) (subscription only)

Lenders Must Have Proper Paperwork to Foreclose, SJC Says, Boston Globe, June 22, 2012

Landlord Liable for Tenant’s Drunken Tumble, American Apartments Owner’s Association (March 15, 2012)

Seizures Threatened In Massachusetts With Naked Loans Challenge: Mortgages, Bloomberg News (Feb. 21, 2012)

New Trends Emerging In Short Sale Legal Transactions, Special to Banker & Tradesman (Feb. 6, 2012)

Homeowner Can Sue Lender Under HAMP, Mass. Lawyers Weekly (Dec. 29, 2011)

Realtor Held Liable For Incorrect Information In MLS, AG Beat (Nov. 23, 2011)

Can You Get A House For Free? MSN Real Estate, (Nov. 22, 2011)

Mass. Bankruptcy Judge Voids Foreclosure of MERS Mortgage, Wall Street Journal Online, Aug. 24, 2011

Speaker, Social E Conference, Newport, RI, June 24, 2011

Report Says Area Foreclosures Still Slowing, Metrowest Daily News (May 17, 2011)

State Court Rules Attorneys Must Participate In Home Closings, Boston Globe, April 26, 2011

Presenter, Technology for the Real Estate Attorney, Mass. Continuing Education Seminar, April 3, 2011

New Rules Make Condos Harder To Sell, Inman News(March 18, 2011)

Apocalypse Now? Will The Ibanez Decision Reveal Widespread Irregularities In the Securitized Mortgage Industry?, The Big Picture, Jan. 10. 2011

Court Ruling Could Create Foreclosure Crisis, Metrowest (MA) Daily News, Jan. 8, 2011

US Foreclosure Decision To Reverberate, Financial Times, Jan. 7, 2011

Foreclosures May Be Undone By State Ruling On Mortgage Transfer, Bloomberg News, Jan. 6, 2011

Homestead Act Updated For 2011, Banker & Tradesman, Dec. 27, 2010

Property Owners Advised To Clear Snow After Storm, Metrowest Daily News, Dec.. 28, 2010

Featured Speaker, Social Not Working? Tips for Social Marketing In Real Estate, 200+ Realtors, Newton Marriott, Dec. 7, 2010

Speaker, Technology For The Conveyancing Attorney, Real Estate Bar Conference Annual Meeting, Nov. 8, 2010

How To Navigate The Foreclosure Freeze, Wall St. Journal Smartermoney.com, Oct. 13, 2010

Borrowers: Beware The Second Credit Report, Wall St. Journal Smartermoney.com, June 7, 2010

Banker & Tradesman, Local Agents Raise Questions Over New Fannie Rules, June 6, 2010.

Federal Aid & Tax Extension Available For Massachusetts Flood Victims, Boston.com, April 14, 2010

The HO-6 Condo Insurance Policy: A Lot More Than You Think, Boston.com, April 7, 2010

Legal Analysis Of Mezuzah Condo Case, Boston.com, March 31, 2010

Social Media and Blogging For Realtors 101, Realtor Seminar Series

Impending SJC Ibanez Title Ruling May Invalidate Thousands Of Foreclosures, Banker & Tradesman, March 29, 2010

How A Salamander Raised A Rights Issue, Boston Globe, March 24, 2009

House Call: To Buy Or Not To Buy, SmarterMoney.com (Wall Street Journal Online) March 22, 2010

Blogging and Social Media 101 For Realtors, Realtor Seminar Series (ongoing)

New Rules Help Borrowers At Closing, SmarterMoney.com (Wall Street Journal), Jan. 11, 2010

Facebook: Friend or Client? Lawyers Weekly USA, Dec. 21, 2009

Condo Rules Could Shut Out Buyers, Hit Builders, New York Times, Dec. 8, 2009

Federal Housing Administration’s Condo Financing Rules Already Scuttling Projects, Los Angeles Times/Associated Press, Dec. 7, 2009

Creating A Memorable Blog For Your Law Practice (Webinar), Presenter, Nov. 20, 2009.

FHA Eases Condominium Lending Guidelines, Boston.com, Nov. 11, 2009

When Are Condo Owners Liable?, Boston.com, Oct. 28, 2009

The Long and Short Of It: A Short Sale Primer, Boston.com, Oct. 21, 2009

Ibanez Decision: Round 2, Boston.com, Oct. 15, 2009

New FHA Condominium Guidelines, A Chill In The Air, Boston.com, Oct. 13, 2009

Landlord-Tenant Hell: Drinking Guests and Faulty Railings, Boston.com, Oct. 7, 2009

Offer to Purchase Is A Binding Contract, Boston.com, Sept. 30, 2009

Thousands of Foreclosures Invalid, Ibanez Decision, Boston.com, Sept. 2, 2009

Marketing With Social Media, What’s Your Plan? Lawyers Weekly USA, Sept. 5, 2009

How A Solo Gained More Than 600 Facebook Fans, American Bar Association Journal, Sept. 9, 2009

A Legal Refresher Course For Landlords, Boston.com Real Estate Now, July 29, 2009

An Attorney Thinks About Construction, Boston.com Real Estate Now, July 23, 2009

New Fannie Mae Condo Regulations Could Stifle Condo Demand, NuWire Investor, July 27, 2009

Holland Land Case Back Before A Judge, Sturbridge Villager, (Jan. 23, 2009).

Twitter, Facebook As Marketing Tools?, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (May 9, 2009)

Banker Gets $1M Verdict For National Origin Bias, Employment Case Nets $600,000 In Punitives, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (June 5, 2006).

SJC Ruling Hurts Affordable Housing Foes, Boston Globe, June 20, 2006.

Trust Wins Battle Over Waterfront, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (April 2, 2001).

Speaker, Legal Professionals Panel, Suffolk Law School.

LinkedIn Seminar Series, 2008-09.

Reported Cases

• Winiker v. Bell, 85 Mass. App. Ct. 1116 (2014) (successful defeated neighbor’s claim of adverse possession after week long bench trial, affirmed on appeal).

•North American Expositions Co. v. Corcoran, 452 Mass. 852 (2009) and 70 Mass. App. Ct. 411 (2007) (leading case on the anti-SLAPP Act in the business and political lobbying context; upholding dismissal of claims and $80,000 award of attorneys fee in client’s favor).

• Khakian v. Fleet Bank, Norfolk Superior Court (2006) (obtained $1Million jury verdict in national origin employment discrimination case)

• Hadfield v. McDonough, 407 F.3d 11 (1st Cir. 2005), cert. denied by U.S. Supreme Court (employment termination and violation of procedural due process for political affiliation of deputy sheriff)

• Portland Natural Gas Transmission System v. 19.2 Acres of Land, 318 F.3d 279 (1st Cir. 2003)(eminent domain taking involving natural gas pipeline)

• Private Lending & Purchasing Inc. v. First American Title Ins. Co., 54 Mass. App. Ct. 532 (2002)(leading Mass. case on title insurance policies).

• South Boston Betterment Trust Corp. v. Boston Redev. Auth., 438 Mass. 57 (2002)(landmark case on the validity of community benefits negotiated by South Boston elected officials for mitigation of Seaport District development

• Iffland v. City of Cambridge, 49 Mass. App. Ct. 1108 (2000) (issues of legal standing to challenge permits for commercial development)

• Ben v. Shultz, 47 Mass. App. Ct. 808 (1999)(civil procedure)

• Fields v. Revolution Trust Corp., 49 Mass. App. Ct. 1116 (1999)(defeating challenge to corporate deed alleged to have been forgery).