Katherine Garrahan

Katherine Garrahan is a seasoned real estate lawyer focused on helping commercial, nonprofit and institutional clients, primarily in MetroWest and Central Massachusetts, facing difficult land-use, zoning and permitting challenges. Kathy regularly provides creative, problem-solving counsel and representation to developers, owners of shopping centers and office buildings, banks, nonprofits and other clients, from mid-range to big corporate, in key areas of the real estate process, including:

• Real estate development
• Land-use planning, zoning and permitting
• Conveyancing, and
• Leasing

Kathy’s experience bridges many sectors, including schools, clinics and specialty facilities. “Clients appreciate that I’m a people person, a team player, and take the time to explain what negotiated agreements, statutes, regulations and bylaws mean for their businesses and projects,” Kathy notes, “qualities that help…especially when my client has undertaken a technically complex project, or is involved in a politically sensitive or potentially contentious matter.”

Her land use advocacy includes due diligence, obtaining local and state permitting and licensing approvals, handling negotiations and drafting agreements concerning real property purchases, sales, leases and financing. She frequently appears on behalf of her clients before local and state authorities and municipal boards and commissions. Kathy says, “I’ve helped clients in places from A to W – Ashland, Auburn, Framingham, Natick, Southborough, Oxford, Westborough and Worcester!”

In addition to being in the public arena, her work in nonprofit housing development includes financing programs of state and federal agencies, such as the Executive Office of Communities and Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development and programs of the Federal Home Loan Bank and zoning work related to M.G.L. c. 40A, §3 (nonprofit educational uses).

Before Bowditch

Prior to her career as an attorney, Kathy worked as a social worker, public administrator and consultant in government and healthcare industries in Massachusetts and New York City – including program administration, budget forecasting and planning – and headed up the fiscal affairs department of a state agency. In addition, she co-founded a successful nonprofit private elementary school in MetroWest.

During law school, Kathy worked as a Northeastern University Co-op student at Bowditch & Dewey and came back to the firm as an attorney upon graduation. She was a member of Northeastern University’s National Health Law Moot Court Team, a Law Clerk at a Providence-based law firm (Fall 2003), a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Bruce Selya, First Circuit Court of Appeals (Spring 2003), and a Legal Intern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts (Fall 2002).

Besides work

“I like to spend a lot of time outdoors…walking trails year-round.” Kathy gets to the ocean when she can and enjoys kayaking local lakes and rivers. “I take great satisfaction in being an ambassador for all that MetroWest and Massachusetts have to offer.”