Dennis E. McKenna

Boston Office
617-880-3454
617-692-3454 fax
dmckenna@riemerlaw.com

Dennis' practice is focused on land use disputes and complex commercial and bankruptcy litigation. He has extensive trial, appellate, and arbitration experience as lead counsel.

Dennis represents a wide spectrum of clients as both the plaintiff and defendant, including real estate developers, national and local financial institutions, and closely held corporations and partnerships in all manner of real estate and business disputes.

Dennis has tried numerous cases, both jury and non-jury, before the U.S. District Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, as well as the Superior and District Courts and Land Court of Massachusetts. Dennis has successfully arbitrated many disputes before several different nationally recognized arbitration services. Dennis also has significant administrative hearing experience.

Representative Cases

  • Represented the majority stockholders in the landmark case of Brodie v. Jordan concerning duties among shareholders regarding the purchase of the shares of a minority stockholder, at trial, on appeal to the Massachusetts Appeals Court, and then on further appellate review to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
    Click here for a related story from the Boston Business Journal quoting Dennis McKenna.
    Click here for the full text of the SJC decision
  • Represented lender successfully in litigation involving a $98 million construction loan involving claims brought by the general contractor against the owner and lender for mechanic’s liens claims, as well as unjust enrichment and Chapter 93A violations
  • Represented European wine importing company and its stockholders in an arbitration brought by the disgruntled purchaser of the business concerning alleged financial misrepresentations
  • Represented numerous developers in zoning appeals brought by competitors, neighborhood groups, and abutters
  • Represented purchaser of manufacturing company to recoup purchase price paid as a result of misrepresentations made concerning the financial condition and performance of the company
  • Represented national bank in lawsuit brought against numerous individuals and corporations who had defrauded the bank in an elaborate scheme
  • Represented mall owner in appeal to the Massachusetts Land Court of decision denying site plan special permit approval for the $20 million rehabilitation of an existing mall
  • Represented developer in successful lawsuit to enforce right to purchase and develop twenty-three home subdivision
  • Represented condominium developer in successful defense of a lawsuit brought by the condominium association alleging multiple claims related to creation of condominium development and construction of the complex
  • Counsel to leading charge card company in defense of claims brought by card holder related to Internet gambling activities
  • Counsel to a corporation accused of "freeze-out" type claims brought against it by a minority shareholder
  • Represented lenders of all sizes in successful defense of substantial lender liability claims
  • Represented businesses in prosecution and defense of trade secret, noncompete, and unfair trade practice cases
  • Represented financial institution in lawsuit against accounting firm for negligent preparation of borrower's financial statements

Cases Of Interest

  • Mary M. Brodie v. Robert J. Jordan, et al. 447 Mass. 866 (2006)
  • The Renovator's Supply, Inc. v. Sovereign Bank, 72 Mass. App. Ct. 419 (2008)
  • The Bank of Western Massachusetts v. Justice Enterprise, Massachusetts Appeals Court (2008)
  • Beaconsfield Townhouse Condominium Trust v. David Zussman, et al., 49 Mass. App. Ct. 757 (2000).
  • Tuite & Sons, Inc., et al. v. Shawmut Bank, N.A., 43 Mass. App. Ct. 751 (1997).
  • Shawmut Bank, N.A. v. William J. Chase, 34 Mass. App. Ct. 266 (1993).
  • BayBank Connecticut N.A. v. Robert Kravitz, et al., 170 F.R.D. 343, 37 Fed. R. Serv. 3d (Callaghan) 685 (D. Mass. 1997).

In The News

  • Judge rules in favor of bank in mechanic's lien case - Dennis McKenna discusses his work that resulted in a recent Superior Court decision providing certainty to the lending community. The court's decision makes clear for the first time that the mechanic's lien statute will protect a lender's mortgage position on a construction project after a mechanic's lien has been filed.
    Banker & Tradesman, July 22, 2009
Affiliations
American Bar Association
Massachusetts Bar Association

Admissions
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1990
United States District Court, District of Massachusetts, 1991
U.S. Supreme Court, 2007
State of New York, 2009

Education
Boston College Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1990
Stonehill College, B.A., summa cum laude, 1987