Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Board of Selectmen hire Reilly as new town counsel

Date: 8/27/2015

WILBRAHAM – The Board of Selectmen recently voted to hire Attorney Stephen Reilly Jr. of Springfield-based law firm S.M. Reilly Associates to serve as the community’s new town counsel.  

Board of Selectmen Chair Robert Boilard told Reminder Publications the town would pay Reilly an hourly rate.

A request for proposals (RFP) seeking the services of a new town counsel was published prior to longtime Town Counsel Michael Hassett leaving the position on June 30.

Boilard said Hassett left the position in order to move closer to family members residing in another part of the country. Hassett served as town counsel for almost two decades.

Selectman Robert Russell said the town received applications from seven law firms during the RFP process.

Boilard said the board interviewed six finalists.

“We ranked them and talked extensively about the services we require and we decided at the [board’s Aug. 10 meeting] to go with a small firm,” he added. “[S.M. Reilly Associates] is probably the smallest firm of all the finalists, but we’re hoping to get a more personal service approach to it.”

He added that the town was looking for someone who could handle a “whole package” of municipal law as opposed to a firm with multiple lawyers with each person specializing in one specific area of expertise.

Russell said Reilly showed the most interest in being hired for the position and the town also received numerous highly positive and unsolicited recommendations from local area lawyers.

Reilly, a Springfield resident who grew up in Wilbraham and graduated from Minnechaug Regional High School in 1999, said he’s been representing the city of Springfield as an assistant solicitor since 2009.

“With the city, I’ve been specializing in their licensing matters,” he added. “The city has a fairly large law department and we’ve kind of logged in our areas of expertise and mine is in that licensing area, which would include entertainment [and] liquor licensing.”

According to a profile of Reilly on the firm’s website, has experience with zoning and land uses, condominium law, residential and commercial real estate closings, affordable housing, and bankruptcy law.

He also served as a legislative aide for then Massachusetts House of Representatives Speaker Pro-Tempore Thomas Petrolati from 2002 to 2003.

Reilly said he hopes to bring “youthful enthusiasm” to the town while serving as its town counsel.

“I certainly have good ties with the town,” he added. “I have a lot of great memories there and this will be something that’s beneficial for my practice to go out to do, but I’m looking to work with [and] help the town and certainly I’ve got a strong desire to want to do well for them.”