Donna M. Turley Esq.Boston, Massachusetts
| Partner | |
| phone | 617-399-7770 |
| fax | 617-399-7775 |
| Email Me | |
Donna M. Turley is a founding member of the firm. She focuses her practice on real estate matters, finance, small business, nonprofits, estate planning, probate, animal law, and serving the needs of nontraditional families, including the GLBT community. Recognized by her peers as an outstanding lawyer, Ms. Turley brings more than twenty years experience as an attorney to the practice. Her published works include the estate planning chapter in the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education volume entitled Representing Nontraditional Families (MCLE, 2006), and editing the Legal Handbook for Massachusetts Elders (MBA 1992). She is a sought after speaker who regularly teaches estate planning for community and business education programs. She has participated on panels about legal issues facing nontraditional families, and works with community organizations teaching first time homebuyer seminars. Attorney Turley frequently lectures on estate planning, taxation, and animal law for Continuing Legal Education programs, financial institutions, and non-profit organizations.
Ms. Turley's legal career has given her a wide range of expertise in her practice areas. She started her career in legal services for the poor, and left to work on housing issues for the City of Cambridge. She then became general counsel for an affordable housing not for profit, ran the public interest legal department of the Massachusetts Bar Association and became executive director of its legal foundation. She has been in private practice since 1994.
After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in 1979, Ms. Turley worked on boats before entering law school. She graduated from Northeastern School of Law in 1985 and earned an advanced law degree in taxation from Boston University in 1992.
Outside of the office, Ms. Turley is an active member of numerous community groups. She has served on the board for several animal and civil rights organizations, and acted as pro bono counsel to several non profits. Currently, she is the president of All Dog Rescue, Inc. In season, Ms. Turley sails, and she recently completed a roundtrip passage of 3,000 nautical miles on her sailboat. Ms. Turley is licensed by the United States Coast Guard as a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer with an auxiliary sail designation. She lives in Cambridge with her partner, and their three dogs and one cat.
- Areas of Practice:
- Wills, Trusts and Estates
- Real Estate Development
- Business Law
- Civil Litigation
- Animal Law
- Non-profit organizations
- GLBT law
- Guardianships
- Education:
- Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts,
1992
LL.M. in Taxation - Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts,
1985
J.D. - Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York,
1979
B.A.
- Published Works:
- Chapter Author - Representing NonTraditional Families, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc., 2005
- Legal Representation of Non-Traditional Families (Section Author), MCLE, 2000
- Legal Issues of Non-Traditional Families (Speaker & Author), Boston Bar Association, 1997
- Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning (Author), Work/Family Directions, 1996
- Legal Handbook for Massachusetts Elders (Co-Editor), Mass Bar Association, 1992
- Fees and Client Funds (Contributor), Mass Bar Association, 1992
- Grant Monitoring, Foundation Forum, 1993
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Massachusetts Conveyancer's Association
- Member
- Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Bar Association, 1996 - Present
- Member
- Senior Partners for Justice, 2008 - Present
- Volunteer
- Past Employment Positions:
- Macy & Turley, Boston, MA, Partner, 1997 - 2003
- Triantafillou & Guerin, P.C., Cambridge, MA, Attorney, Of Counsel, 1994 - 1997
- Massachusetts Bar Foundation, Executive Director, 1992 - 1994
- Massachusetts Bar Association, Director of Public Service Programs, 1990 - 1992
- Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, General Counsel, 1990
- City of Cambridge Rent Control Board, various positions, including acting director, 1985 - 1990
- Pro Bono Activities:
- All Dog Rescue Inc. (Director) & (Counsel), 2003 - Present
- GLAD (Member), 1997 - 2004
- GLAD (Treasurer), 1999 - 2004
- Save A Dog Inc. (Counsel), 1999 - 2003
- Our Boston Heritage (Counsel), 1995 - Present
- Women's Bar Association Family Law Project (Counsel), 1995 - Present
- Women's Bar Foundation (Trustee), 1995 - 1998
- Triantafillou Committee (Treasurer), 1993 - 1999
- Cambridge Lavender Alliance (Co-Founder) & (Member), 1990 - Present
- Northeastern University School of Law Alumni Association Board, 1993 - 1994
- Mass. AIDS Discrimination Initiative, Inc. (Treasurer), 1991 - 1992














