Adam J. Costa

Partner

Adam J. Costa, a partner in the Firm, is an experienced practitioner in the areas of general municipal law, land use and zoning law and real estate law. He is admitted to practice in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Adam works with a varied clientele including municipalities, private developers and other individuals. He advises municipal clients on a wide range of topics, from substantive matters such as bylaw enforcement and property sales/acquisitions to procedural matters such as procurement and Open Meeting Law compliance. Representing both municipal and private clients, Adam has extensive experience with Chapter 40B development, the adoption of Chapter 40R smart growth zoning and expedited permitting under Chapter 43D. Adam is also well-versed in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate law.

Adam frequently represents clients in the District Courts, Superior Courts, Housing Court and Land Court, as well as before administrative agencies including the Housing Appeals Committee (HAC), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Appellate Tax Board (ATB) and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC). Adam has successfully argued before the Massachusetts Appeals Court on multiple occasions. Representing a municipal client, Adam defended its denial of the protections afforded nonconformities to a structure that was not lawfully in existence at the time of its creation.  See Godfrey v. Board of Appeals of Lancaster, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 1118 (2008). Adam also rebuffed an effort by a group of residents in a different municipality to prevent the sale of property for the development of an age-restricted affordable housing project. See Baun v. Board of Selectmen of Ashland, 87 Mass. App. Ct. 1130 (2015).

Adam is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law, where he was active in appellate advocacy, was selected for the Wake Forest National Moot Court Team and was a recipient of the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers Award for his outstanding achievements in trial advocacy. Adam received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire, majoring in political science and international affairs.

Education:

• B.A., University of New Hampshire (Durham, New Hampshire)
• J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

Selected Publications and Presentations:

• Presenter, “Site Plan Review,” Citizen Planner Training Collaborative Fall Workshops (2016)
• Presenter, “Writing Reasonable & Defensible Decisions,” Citizen Planner Training Collaborative Fall Workshops (2016)
• “Zoning For Medical Marijuana: Approaches and Considerations,” Boston Bar Journal (2016)
• Panelist, “The Next 10 Years of Smart Growth Housing in Massachusetts,” A Roundtable on the Chapter 40R Program (Sponsored by the Boston Foundation) (2014)