Paul R. Sugarman, Principal

Paul Sugarman is a founder of the firm and concentrates his practice in the areas of civil trial and appellate litigation, acting as leader and mentor for the entire Sugarman team. Paul is widely recognized in the legal community for his outstanding achievements and distinguished service over a 50-year career, and is often called upon to serve as a mediator for parties seeking dispute resolution. A prolific writer and frequent lecturer, he has many publications and lectures to his credit, and has over twenty-five reported appellate decisions to his name.

After law school, Paul served three years in the Judge Advocate General Corps United States Army, and had the rank of Captain. He has since become a renowned trial lawyer, known for representing clients in some of the most complex and high-profile litigation in Massachusetts, including the representation in 1978 of the Chief Justice of the Superior Court in proceedings before the full bench of the Supreme Judicial Court.

Paul has held leadership and executive positions in major legal associations in Massachusetts. He was President of the Massachusetts Bar Association and chaired or co-chaired many association committees, including the Committee on Court Reform. He served as a member of the Board of Governors for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, was President of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Lawyers and is presently serving as a member of the Board of Governors.

Paul's record of public service is equally distinguished. He was a Trustee of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and President of the Boston University School of Law Alumni Asociation. He was appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court to the Board of Bar Overseers for a four-year term and served as its Chair for three of those years. Also, in 1990 the Supreme Judicial Court appointed Paul as Special Master and Commissioner to investigate alleged improprieties in the Boston Municipal Court.

From 1990 to 1994, he served as Dean and Professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School, rejoining Sugarman after his tenure there. He has numerous honors and awards, including an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Suffolk University, the Gold Medal Award from the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Civil Justice Award from the American Board of Trial Advocated.

Recognized for his skill as a trial lawyer by being inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers,  as a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers and as an Advocate of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Selected Cases

Griffin v. General Motors Corp., 380 Mass. 362 (1980),  Jury verdict against General Motors affirmed on appeal where an improperly designed car allowed fumes from engine to enter passenger compartment, explode and severely burn the driver. The Supreme Judicial Court decided that the experiment performed by Sugarman lawyers on behalf of the plaintiff to prove the faulty design could be used against General Motors.

Failure to diagnose melanoma,  Settlement against pathologist who misdiagnosed mole as benign. Patient died of melanoma four years later.

doCanto v. Ametek, Inc., 367 Mass. 776 (1975),  Jury verdict to a Sugarman client for injuries caused by a defectively designed laundry machine which injured a worker was affirmed on appeal by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Case established precedent allowing into evidence safety changes made after the manufacture of the defective machine.

Diaz v. Eli Lilly & Co. 364 Mass. 153 (1973) and 14 Mass. App Ct. 448 (1982),  Landmark case deciding for the first time in Massachusetts that a husband or wife has a claim for damages (loss of consortium) when their spouse is injured by negligence or wrongdoing.

Constructon site,  Slab of concrete fell from ceiling of a building under construction causing serious injury to plaintiff. The contractor, mechanical engineer, and architect denied responsibility for locating and securing the slab. By starting with the original building plans from the 1900s and working forward to the current renovations, were able to show the responsibility of each. Settlement from all defendants.

Carey v. General Motors Corp., 37 Mass. 736 (1979),  The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rejected General Motors’ appeal from a jury verdict awarding damages to two occupants injured by the faulty design of a car in which they were riding. Sugarman lawyers successfully argued that there were three defects in the car, any one of which was sufficient to cause the crash.

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