John M. Donnelly Jr. - Andover, MA
Attorney at Johnson & Borenstein, LLC
Land-based litigation, including property and title disputes Lawyers in Andover, MA
12 Chestnut Street Andover, MA 01810
- Free Consultation
Andover Land-based litigation, including property and title disputes Lawyer
Updated: 02/16/2026
Areas of Practice
- Land-based litigation, including property and title disputes
- Registered Land Cases
- Land Use Planning and Permitting
- Title Insurance Support, resolving complex title issues
- Eminent Domain Takings
- Residential Construction Disputes
- Appellate Practice
Attorney Information
Overview
John, a native of Weymouth, Massachusetts, joined Johnson & Borenstein in 2023. Before joining the firm, John was a sole practitioner at the Law Office of John M. Donnelly in Boston, focusing on real estate litigation.
John also served as a hearing officer for the Housing Appeals Committee for appeals of municipal zoning decisions concerning affordable housing development (Chapter 40B) across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He simultaneously served as counsel for the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), supporting the Office of Indian Affairs and the state’s homeownership programs.
Before DHCD, John served as an Assistant Attorney General as a trial attorney, focusing on property issues, land registration, and eminent domain takings. His cases involved disputes over state land or the rights of the public to use public or private land, including the following:
• Rail-to-Trail disputes with abutters
• Access to beaches and ponds
• Title issues, including boundary matters along municipal, county, and state borders
• Maritime-related uses and permitting of waterfront property (Chapter 91)
• Ownership and use of public and private rights of way.
John was also a legal IT consultant in the San Francisco/Silicon Valley area. He has managed large document productions for law firms. He later developed database reporting applications for major corporations, including Mentor Graphics (now Siemens AG), Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and Kaiser Permanente.
John’s practice focuses on real estate litigation.
Education
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Legal Education
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Tulane Law School,
New Orleans,
Louisiana
J.D.
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Tulane Law School,
New Orleans,
Louisiana
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Non Legal Education
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Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
B.A.
Honors: cum laude
Major: Economics - Weymouth Public Schools, Weymouth, Massachusetts
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Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Current Employment Position(s)
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Associate
Representative Cases
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Successfully sought court recognition of easement rights dating back to 1889 for residential property in Danville, New Hampshire. Preble v. Wood, Rockingham Co. Sup. Ct., Case No. 218-2022-CV-00220 (2024).
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Client dismissed from a case involving a generational dispute over trust property. Leitao v. Pereira, Plymouth Sup. Ct., Case No. 2183CV00704 (2023).
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Defended the Commonwealth against landowners claiming to have multiple easements over land in which the Commonwealth held interests. Kitras v. Town of Aquinnah, 87 Mass. App. Ct. 10 (2015).
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A jury verdict for the Commonwealth in a property damage case resulting from a Department of Conservation and Recreation tree falling on a house during a violent windstorm in Revere. Merrimack Mut. Fire Ins. Co. v. Commonwealth, Suffolk Sup. Ct., Case No. 0984CV01353 (2013).
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Land Court and Appeals Court decisions that prevented developers from building a 40 ft. access road through Dartmoor Farms Wildlife Management Area in Dartmouth. Polchlopek v. Commonwealth, Appeals Court, 2011-P-0760, slip op; 81 Mass. App. Ct. 1119 (March 6, 2012).
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A jury verdict in favor of the Commonwealth for personal injury claims in admiralty against the Massachusetts Maritime Academy for alleged injuries sustained by an employee on the TS Kennedy while on the high seas. Bailey v. Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Bristol Sup. Ct., Case No. 0673CV01079 (2011).
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Defendant Commonwealth against a claim of individual Native Americans for ownership of all public property in the Town of Mashpee. Bingham v. Massachusetts, 626 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2010).
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Land Court and Appeals Court decisions protected public ownership of Black Beach in Manchester. Spillane v. Adams, 76 Mass. App. Ct. 378 (2009).
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Successful appeal concerning common ownership of alley created during the 1830s development of New Orleans’ American section. Bose v. Casey, 637 So.2d 1269 (La. App. 4th Cir. 1994).
Bar Admissions
- New Hampshire, 2024
- Massachusetts, 2004
- U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts, 2006
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Massachusetts, 2007
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 2009
Other Affiliations
- Real Estate Bar Association, Member, Legislative Section
- Boston Bar Association, Member, Solo & Small Practice Forum Steering Committee, 2022-2023
- Boston Bar Association, Co-Chair of Public Policy Committee, Real Estate Section. 2011-2013
- Massachusetts Bar Association, Member, Real Estate Section Council, 2006-2008
- Massachusetts Bar Association, Member, Government Section Council, 2008-2012
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