On December 17, 2025, Sullivan & Worcester and Pioneer New England Legal Foundation announced the filing of a class action lawsuit against the City of Boston, alleging that the Assessor's Office has illegally retaliated against commercial taxpayers for exercising their constitutional right to appeal property tax assessments before the Appellate Tax Board. The lawsuit, which was filed in Suffolk Superior Court, seeks to prohibit the City from retaliating against taxpayers who appeal their assessments, to declare the City’s policy unlawful, and to order repayment of excess taxes collected for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
The named plaintiff in this class action is the owner of 148 State Street which represents all commercial property owners, large and small, that have been victimized by this unlawful scheme. Nicholas O'Donnell and Patrick Dinardo are the lead attorneys on the Sullivan team.
The lawsuit has received growing media coverage, including:
