Municipalities and state agencies face a distinct category of legal risk, one where a single lawsuit, investigation, or appeal can carry public accountability alongside legal exposure. Egan, Flanagan and Cohen has represented municipalities and the Commonwealth across Western Massachusetts for generations, bringing deep institutional knowledge to the defense of public entities and public officials.
Trial-tested defense for municipalities.
We defend cities, towns, and municipal boards and officials in civil rights litigation and internal and external investigations- matters where the stakes extend beyond monetary exposure to an institution’s public standing and its officials’ careers. We also represent municipalities defending eminent domain takings and land valuation determinations, and defending assessments in real estate tax abatement appeals before the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board.
Deep experience in civil service appeals.
Civil service disputes sit at the intersection of employment law and municipal governance, and few areas require more particular expertise. Our attorneys regularly represent municipalities before the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission in appeals involving hiring, promotion, discipline, and termination decisions, matters that demand not only litigation skill but a working knowledge of civil service rules, municipal personnel practices, and the standards the Commission applies. We help municipal clients defend the integrity of their personnel decisions while navigating a process with its own procedures, precedent, and pitfalls.
Civil rights defense for municipalities, public officials, and the Commonwealth.
Civil rights claims against public entities carry unique stakes, implicating constitutional rights, qualified immunity, and an institution’s standing in the community it serves, often all at once. Our attorneys defend cities, towns, police departments, school districts, individual officials, and the Commonwealth itself against claims brought under 42 U.S.C. ยง 1983 and the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, including claims alleging excessive force, unlawful search and seizure, First Amendment retaliation, and due process and equal protection violations. We understand the qualified and governmental immunity defenses available to public entities and officials, and we bring the same trial-tested approach to these cases that defines our litigation practice as a whole, litigating aggressively when a claim lacks merit while helping clients make clear-eyed decisions about resolution when that serves the public interest. Beyond civil rights, our attorneys have also represented and defended the state in medical malpractice actions and tort claims, matters that demand both substantive expertise in the underlying area of law and familiarity with the particular defenses, immunities, and procedures that apply when the defendant is a government entity.
Counsel that understands both sides of public accountability.
Representing public entities requires more than litigation skill. It requires an understanding of how municipalities and state agencies operate, the pressures public officials face, and the public interest considerations that shape every decision. Our attorneys bring that institutional fluency to every matter, helping our public-sector clients navigate litigation and investigations with judgment informed by decades of experience on both sides of these disputes.
Comprehensive state and municipal defense services include:
- Civil Rights Litigation Defense (Section 1983 and Massachusetts Civil Rights Act)
- Civil Service Commission Appeals
- Internal and External Investigations
- Eminent Domain and Land Taking Defense
- Real Estate Tax Abatement Appeal Defense
- Medical Malpractice Defense
- Tort Claims Defense
- General Municipal and Governmental Counsel
Whether the matter involves a civil service appeal for a single municipal employee or a complex civil rights action against a state agency, Egan, Flanagan and Cohen brings the same trial-tested judgment we bring to every litigation matter at the firm.
