Paul R. Sugarman

Biography

Paul Sugarman, Of Counsel and Co-Founder, acts as a leader and mentor for the entire SUGARMAN team. He concentrates his practice in the areas of civil and appellate litigation. Widely recognized in the legal community for his outstanding achievements and distinguished service over a 70-year career, he is often called upon to serve as a mediator for parties seeking dispute resolution and is a prolific writer and frequent lecturer.

Paul is known for representing clients in some of the most complex and high-profile cases in Massachusetts, including the 1978 representation 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 has 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. After finishing law school, Paul served three years in the Judge Advocate General Corps United States Army, achieving the rank of Captain. Later in his career, he was named a Trustee of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and President of the Boston University School of Law Alumni Association. 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 Advocates. In 2023, Paul was inducted into the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame.

Paul has over 25 appellate decisions to his name, including some of the seminal personal injury law decisions in Massachusetts.