After 33 years as Harvard’s town counsel, Mark Lanza retired at the end of last year. At the Select Board’s Dec. 16, 2025, meeting, Chair Kara Minar thanked Lanza for his years of dedicated service to the town, as well as his willingness to see ongoing projects to completion. According to minutes of that meeting, Select Board members agreed that, for the future, the town needs “a larger firm with greater staff depth and expertise.”
Town Administrator Dan Nason suggested the firm KP Law of Boston, based on his experience in other towns, he said in an email to the Press. Another firm the Select Board would also have considered was eliminated, Minar explained, because one of its current clients has matters before the town, creating a conflict of interest.
The board then voted unanimously to ask KP Law to submit a letter of engagement to act as Harvard’s legal counsel, and the firm did so. After an interview with KP Law, the Select Board voted at its Jan. 6 meeting—again unanimously—to authorize Nason to sign an agreement with the firm.
According to KP Law’s website, municipal law is its main business, and it serves as legal counsel to more than a third of the cities and towns in Massachusetts. The firm employs nearly 50 attorneys at its main Boston office and its regional offices in Worcester, Northampton, and Hyannis. KP Law has been in business for more than 40 years, known for much of that time as Kopelman and Paige.
In an email to the Press, Minar wrote, “Mark Lanza will work with KP Law as a special counsel to ensure a smooth transition. The Select Board extends its gratitude to Mark for his many years of service and wishes him all the best in his retirement.”
—Marty Green