Jeffrey B. Mullan, former secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, has joined Foley Hoag LLP in its Boston office, returning to the firm where he began his legal career.
Mullan will resume a transportation practice focusing on local, regional and national infrastructure and redevelopment issues. He previously served as chair of Foley Hoag's Infrastructure and Transportation Practice until 2007, when he was appointed undersecretary and general counsel of the former Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works.
"Jeff has been a leader in transportation issues and projects for more than 20 years," said Adam Kahn, Foley Hoag co-managing partner. "During his 14 years at Foley Hoag, Jeff became the go-to person for legal counsel on transportation matters. His experience will add to the high-level legal service that we provide our clients. We welcome him back to the firm."
Among his many accomplishments during his four years with the administration of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Mullan was responsible for the management of the merger of the Commonwealth's surface transportation agencies into one organization: the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). He also worked to create the New England/New York Transportation Compact, a regional group of state transportation leaders, was active in national issues as a member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Board of Directors, and remains a member of the Northeast Corridor Commission.
Mullan was involved in several major redevelopment and transportation projects while at Foley Hoag from 1993-2007, including the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, the Greenbush commuter rail line and the Route 3 North reconstruction project. He also represented the Commonwealth in the creation of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy in 2004.
"Jeff has a tremendous depth of knowledge about transportation law, finance and operations," said Doug McGarrah, co-chair of Foley Hoag's Real Estate and Land Use/Development Practice. "Having worked in both private practice and as the leader of MassDOT, Jeff is in a unique position to help our clients solve infrastructure challenges on local, state and national levels. I am excited about his return to Foley Hoag and look forward to working with him again."
The opportunity to remain active in major infrastructure and development matters while practicing law at his former firm was a key reason for returning to Foley Hoag, Mullan said.
"Foley Hoag is known for representing clients on a wide range of legal issues that affect a variety of industries," Mullan said. "Infrastructure investment and development are key drivers of our national economy, and the firm's depth will help public- and private-sector organizations confront a variety of challenges facing the transportation industry. I am excited about the opportunity to return to Foley Hoag and work with my former colleagues and clients, and I look forward to this next chapter in my career."
Within the Patrick administration, Mullan was appointed as general counsel, undersecretary and chief operating officer of the executive office of transportation; as executive director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority; as chairman of the Massachusetts Port Authority's board of directors; and as Secretary of Transportation. He served as secretary and CEO of MassDOT from its formation in 2009 until Sept. 2, 2011.
Patrick recently appointed Mullan to serve on the University of Massachusetts board of trustees. A Worcester native, Mullan is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts and Suffolk University Law School.
Mullan is the latest addition to Foley Hoag. On Sept. 1, John Ruggie, the former U.N. Secretary-General's Special Representative on Business and Human Rights and a current Harvard University professor, joined Foley Hoag in Boston as a senior advisor in the Corporate Social Responsibility Practice. Ruggie authored the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which the U.N. Human Rights Council formally endorsed in June after six years of development. During the summer, Foley Hoag opened an office in Paris, adding international litigation and arbitration partners Bruno Leurent and Thomas Bevilacqua, counsel Hery Frederic Ranjeva, and associates Ivan Urzhumov and Carlos Arrue Montenegro.
