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01.04.2023 | Press Release

Nutter is pleased to announce the elevation of a large group of its talented attorneys to partner. The promotion of these new partners reflects the Firm’s continued commitment to excellence in the delivery of legal services to Nutter’s clients. The promotions are effective on January 1, 2023,  and include attorneys who provide legal services to clients in the Firm’s Corporate, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Private Client, Real Estate, and Tax departments.

“This partnership class is comprised of thought leaders whose legal skills have benefited our clients, the legal profession, and our communities,” said Michael Scott, co-managing partner of Nutter. “This group reflects the Firm’s commitment to providing clients with a highly skilled team of practitioners that delivers innovative solutions and exceptional service to our clients. We congratulate them on this major milestone.”

Co-managing partner Liam O’Connell added that “Each member of our new partnership class is a terrific lawyer and respected colleague who reflects the Firm’s commitment to excellence in the quality of legal counsel we provide to clients and in the manner that counsel is provided. Nutter is fortunate to have such talented lawyers and committed professionals as its next generation of partners.”

The members of the 2023 partnership class include:

Erin Whitney Cicchetti is a partner in the Tax Department. Businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals rely on Cicchetti to advise them on a variety of domestic, state, and international tax matters. She counsels charitable and other nonprofit organizations, and their affiliates, on issues related to their tax-exempt and nonprofit status, including formation, governance, compliance, and lobbying. She also regularly advises donors in developing and optimizing their charitable giving goals. Cicchetti frequently works with businesses on the tax aspects of corporate reorganizations and mergers and acquisitions. She advises companies, executives, and boards on the regulatory complexities of executive compensation, including tax laws governing equity compensation and golden parachute arrangements. Cicchetti serves on the Tax-Exempt Organizations Steering Committee at the Boston Bar Association (BBA). She is a member of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Leadership Program Class of 2022 and a member of the Women’s Bar Association. She earned her LL.M. from New York University School of Law, her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and her B.S., summa cum laude, from Union College.

Emmanuel D. Filandrianos is a partner in the Intellectual Property Department. He advises clients on utility and design patent preparation and prosecution, patent prior art searches and analysis, and product clearance. A biomedical engineer as well as an attorney, Filandrianos’ practice has a particular focus on consumer products and medical devices. He is a member of the Intellectual Property Section of the Boston Bar Association, where he has presented on design patent law as part of the BBA’s lecture series. Filandrianos has performed clinical research at the Harvard Medical Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, applying cutting-edge, MRI-guided, transcranial-focused ultrasound to assess region-specific brain functions for the development of a brain-to-brain interface. He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch and his clients have elected him as Boston’s Most Recommended Patent Lawyer in an independent survey of startup founders. Filandrianos earned his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and his B.S. from Boston University.

Meghan E. Kelly is a partner in the Corporate and Transactions Department. She advises clients on a wide range of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and angel financing transactions, and corporate governance. Kelly represents early-stage clients from planning and formation, to realizing the business goals needed to secure third party investment, to achieving a successful exit. She serves on the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s City Awake Leadership Council, on the steering committee for the Boston Bar Association’s Senior Associates Forum, on the Women’s Committee for the Association for Corporate Growth, as a mentor for Boston University School of Law students, and as a member of the Women’s Bar Association. Kelly was named a “Top Lawyer” by Boston Magazine in 2021. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Boston University School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Colby College.

John M. Lerner is a partner in the Real Estate Department. He represents clients on a broad array of transactions, focusing on real estate finance, acquisitions and dispositions, and leasing. Lerner’s practice includes matters involving construction and development, permanent and mezzanine lending, and equity investment in connection with various asset classes such as office, multifamily, retail, hospitality, and industrial. He also negotiates office and retail leases on behalf of both landlords and tenants. Lerner is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch. Lerner earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School and his B.A. from Colby College.

David A. Libardoni is a partner in Nutter’s Real Estate Department and a member of the Development, Land Use and Permitting practice group. His practice focuses on complex commercial acquisitions, dispositions, joint venture, leasing, and financing matters as well as land use and permitting matters, with a particular expertise in representing owners and developers in the full life-cycle of a real estate development. A variety of clients rely on Libardoni’s counsel on a range of issues related to purchase and sale agreements, leases, joint ventures, complex title, zoning, and land use matters and construction and mezzanine financings. In addition, Libardoni routinely represents clients in obtaining entitlements from local and state governmental entities, including representation at public hearings. In 2021, Libardoni was selected for the Boston Bar Association’s 2020-2021 Public Interest Leadership Program. He is recognized in Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, and was named a “Top Lawyer” by Boston Magazine in 2022. Libardoni earned his J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School and his B.A. from Tufts University.

Nikki Marie Sherwood is a partner in the Private Client Department. Her practice focuses on estate and tax planning for high net worth clients, including trust and estate administration, serving as a trustee, probate, charitable planning with private foundations, guardianships, conservatorships and special needs planning. Sherwood is a member of the Professional Advisors Network of the Boston Foundation and a Board Member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations. She holds the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®) designation. A member of the Boston Bar Association, Sherwood is on the Board of Editors of the Boston Bar Journal. She has co-chaired the Estate Planning Committee, Practice Fundamentals Committee, the Public Service Committee, and the Communications Committee of the BBA’s Trusts & Estates Section. Sherwood is a Fellow of the Boston Bar Foundation. She is a member of the Boston Estate Planning Council and serves as Treasurer of the Trusts & Estates Consortium. In 2020, she participated in the Boston Future Leaders Program of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Sherwood is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch. She earned her LL.M. from Boston University School of Law, her J.D. from New England School of Law, and her B.S., magna cum laude, from Roger Williams University.

Melanie V. Woodward is a partner in the Litigation Department. She represents clients in complex commercial litigation matters (including matters involving complex accounting or financial components), government investigations, and a variety of labor law matters. Woodward has successfully defended clients in breach of contract claims, professional malpractice lawsuits, SEC insider trading investigations, claims under the Massachusetts Wage Act, and discrimination claims spanning a wide range of industries. Committed to pro bono representation, Woodward has advised clients on immigration, special education, and civil rights issues. She is a member of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association and is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch. Woodward earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from William & Mary Law School and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Elon University.

About Nutter
Nutter is a Boston-based law firm that provides legal counsel to industry-leading companies, entrepreneurs, institutions, foundations, and families, across the country and around the world. The firm’s corporate, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, tax, and trusts and estates practices are national in scope. The firm was co-founded in 1879 by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, before his appointment to the Court. For more information, please visit www.nutter.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.