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Gary Owen Todd

Gary Owen Todd

Founding Partner

Overview

Gary Todd is recognized locally and nationally as a preeminent family law practitioner specializing in domestic relations and probate litigation.  He has successfully negotiated, mediated, and tried numerous family law issues at the trial court and appellate levels, including divorce, custody, paternity, parental rights, complex support matters, property division, removal, modification, and contempt actions.  Mr. Todd has broad experience drafting and negotiating prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

Mr. Todd fully understands and appreciates the complex issues facing his clients, and, whether arguing in court or negotiating settlements, he applies his extensive experience and knowledge of the law to convincingly articulate positions that has contributed to a long track record of achieving favorable results.

Best Lawyers in America, a longstanding and well-respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, since 2012 has honored Mr. Todd as a leading practitioner in Family Law, as well as Litigation – Trusts and Estates.  Since 2007 he has been selected to Massachusetts Super Lawyers for Family Law.  Mr. Todd is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the directory's highest peer rating.

Mr. Todd is a recognized leader in the legal profession having served in a variety of bar association roles, including:

  • President of the Massachusetts Family and Probate American Inn of Court
  • Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Boston Bar Association's Family Law Council 
  • Board of Directors of Massachusetts Association of Guardians Ad Litem, Inc. 
  • Board of Directors of Association of Family Court and Community Professionals
  • Family Law Section Council of the Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Advisory Committee to Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education 
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 
  • Fellow of the Boston Bar Foundation

A prominent thought leader, Mr. Todd is lecturer and adjunct professor of family law at the New England School of Law.  He volunteers as Trial Advisor for the Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Program, as well as a judge for the New England Law Trial Competition.

Mr. Todd is a frequent lecturer on family law and trial practice issues for the Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Suffolk University School of Law, and Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy program.  He has authored articles on divorce and family law in several legal publications.

Experience

  • Todd & Weld LLP, 1991-present
  • James D. Casey, Boston, Massachusetts, Law Clerk, 1990-1991
  • Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, Boston, Massachusetts, Intern, 1988-1990

Credentials

Education

  • New England Law | Boston (J.D., 1991)
  • Boston University (B.S., 1988)

Bar Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court, Massachusetts

Professional Activities

  • President, Greater Newburyport Bar Association, 2024-present
  • Treasurer, Massachusetts Association of Guardians Ad Litem
  • Member, New England Law | Boston Board of Trustees
  • President, Massachusetts Family and Probate American Inn of Court, 2018-2020
  • Boston Bar Foundation Society of Fellows, Recruitment Committee, 2018-2019
  • Executive Committee Member, Judge Abber Counsel Assisted Negotiation Program for Essex, Middlesex and Norfolk Counties Probate and Family Courts (2018-present)
  • Member, Massachusetts Bar Association Family Law Section Subcommittee on Anti-Harassment Law, 2011
  • Member, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
  • Member, Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers Pro Bono Panel
  • American Trial Lawyers Association
  • Boston Bar Association: Family Law Section
  • Massachusetts Bar Association: Family Law Section
  • Founding Member, Massachusetts Chapter, American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators
  • Massachusetts Trial Lawyers Association
  • Massachusetts Association of Guardians Ad Litem
  • Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Advisory Board
  • Association of Family, Court and Community Professionals
  • Court-Appointed Special Discovery Master, Guardian and Conservator
  • Trial Adviser - Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Program
  • Judge - Massachusetts Bar Association Mock Trial Program

Honors and Awards

  • Named to Best Lawyers in America for Family Law, and Litigation: Trusts & Estates, 2012-2025
  • Top 100 Lawyers, Massachusetts Super Lawyers 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024
  • Named to Massachusetts Super Lawyers for Family Law (2007-2024)
  • Named to Boston magazine's Top Lawyers 2023
  • 2016 Appreciation Certificate, Norfolk County Probate Court for Attorneys Representing Children
  • Certified Conciliator, Norfolk County Probate and Family Court
  • Named one of "Boston's Top Rated Lawyers" by Legal Leaders™ based upon AV Preeminent Rating® by Martindale-Hubbell®, February 2014
  • Named a "New England Super Lawyer" in Family Law in Boston magazine
  • AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

Publications/Presentations

  • Presenter, "Trying Divorce Cases," MCLE, November 2024
  • Presenter, "Challenging Evidentiary Issues," Newburyport Bar Association, November 2024
  • Panelist, "Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, and Coercive Control: What You See and What You Don't See," Massachusetts Association of Guardians Ad Litem, November 2024
  • Panelist, 33rd Annual Massachusetts Bar Association Family Law Conference, "Equity Based Compensation: Is it Income, an Asset, or Both?", October 2024
  • Speaker, "Preparing a Case from Temporary Orders to Pretrials," Social Law Library, October 2024
  • Moderator, "New Revenge Porn Law," Newburyport Bar Association, October 2024
  • Welcoming remarks and introductions, CLE by the Sea: NE Conference for Solos and Small Law Firms, hosted by Greater Newburyport Bar Association, July 2024
  • Lecturer, Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop, MCLE, June 2024 
  • Panelist, "Annual John C. Stevens Family Law Symposium: Benched," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, May 2024
  • Panelist, "The Art and Skill of Negotiation," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, May 2024
  • Moderator, "Alimony Reform After Cavanagh & Openshaw," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, April 2024
  • Panelist, ”Separation Agreement Pitfalls: Language & Punctuation,” Greater Newburyport Bar Association, February 2024
  • Presenter, "Trying Divorce Cases in Massachusetts," MCLE, November 2023
  • Presenter, "Conducting Direct and Cross Examinations of Family Law Experts," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, November 2023
  • Presenter, "The divorce and family law process: Drafting divorce complaints, modifications, contempts and answers," Social Law Library, October 2023
  • Panelist, "Navigating the Intersection of Family and Immigration Law," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, July 2023
  • Panelist, "The Interplay between Family and Criminal Law," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, June 2023
  • Panelist, "At the Crossroads of Alimony and Child Support: The Impact of Cavanagh v. Cavanagh," Massachusetts Bar Association Annual Family Law Conference, October 2022
  • Co-presenter, "Expert Witnesses: From Reliability to Junk Science," Advanced Family Law Practice: Evidence and Forensic Experts, AAML and Greater Newburyport Bar Association, October 2022
  • Faculty, Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop 2022, MCLE
  • Panelist, The Wandering Lawyer, Greater Newburyport Bar Association, May 2022
  • Panelist, "The Perils of Late Life Romance," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, June 2022
  • Panelist, The New Child Support Guidelines, MCLE's Domestic Relations Financial Summit 2022
  • Moderator, "Social Media Evidence: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," Greater Newburyport Bar Association, October 2021
  • Guest Lecturer, Suffolk Law School, Professional Responsibility, July 2021
  • Faculty, Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop 2021, MCLE
  • Panelist, Town Hall with Family Law Colleagues, Greater Newburyport Bar Association, June 2021
  • MCLE Panelist, "Shifting & Pivoting Your Practice & Perspective In the COVID-19 World," February 2021
  • Moderator, "The New Frontier: Trials by Zoom," Massachusetts Family and Probate American Inns of Court, November 2020
  • Panelist, Remote Annual Conference of Massachusetts Chapter of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, "’Can You Hear What I Need?’ Eliciting, Understanding, and Integrating Children's Perspectives in Family Law Cases," October 2020
  • MCLE Panelist, Direct & Cross Examination of Expert Witnesses: Family Law Workshop 2020
  • Speaker, Family Lawyers' Impressions of COVID-19 Impact on the Family Law Court, Zoom webinar, May 2020
  • Panelist, Massachusetts Bar Association's Annual Family Law Conference (2019), "Price is What You Pay and Value is What You Get: Revisiting Valuation and Allocation of Business, Trust and Estate Interests"
  • Lecturer, Massachusetts Association of Family & Conciliation Courts, "Voice of the Child," March 2020
  • Speaker, New England School of Law Family Law Society, November 2019
  • Presenter, MCLE, Trying Divorce Cases: Direct Examination of Witnesses, October 2019
  • Presenter, Social Law Library CLE Program, How Does Bankruptcy Affect Divorce?, April 2019
  • Presenter, Massachusetts Association of Guardians ad Litem, Inc., GAL Reports at Trial, December 2018
  • MCLE Panelist, Trying Divorce Cases, Direct Examination of Husband on Financial Statement, November 2018
  • Speaker, CLE by the Sea, Newburyport Bar Association, Tips, Tools and Tricks for Discovery in Family Law, July 2018
  • MCLE Instructor, Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop 2018, Direct and Cross Examination of Experts
  • Trying Divorce Cases, MCLE Panelist, October 2017
  • MCLE Panelist, Evidentiary Issues in Family Court Practice & Procedure, October 2017
  • Panelist, Family Law Trial Advocacy Seminar, MCLE, June 2017
  • Speaker, Report Writing, 2017 Spring Conference, Massachusetts Association of Guardians ad Litem
  • MCLE Panelist, Trying Divorce Cases in Massachusetts, October 2016
  • Panelist, Child Custody and International Law, New England School of Law
  • Panelist, Trial Practice, Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Panelist, Protecting the Child in Removal Cases, Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Panelist, Reconciling International Custody Issues, Boston Bar Association
  • Panelist, The Hague Convention, Boston Bar Association
  • Panelist, Domestic Relations Orders, Boston Bar Association
  • Panelist, Bankruptcy Law & Domestic Relations, Boston Bar Association
  • Panelist, Family Law Appeals, Boston Bar Association
  • Panelist, Criminal Issues in District & Probate Court, Boston Bar Association
  • Panelist, Alimony Summit, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
  • Panelist, Expert Depositions, MAGL Annual Conference
  • Panelist, Family Law Case Updates, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education
  • Panelist, Contempt Trends and Beyond, Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Panelist, International Child Custody, Boston Bar Association

In the Community

  • Instructor, Essex County Bar Association Conciliation Training Program, April 2021
  • Judge, American Bar Association's Client Counseling Competition 2021, New England School of Law
  • Judge, MCLE 2019 Family Law Trial Advocacy Workshop, June 2019
  • Judge, American Bar Association's Client Counseling Competition 2018, New England School of Law
  • Boston Bar Foundation. Member, 2018 John & Abigail Adams Benefit Steering Committee
  • Judge, 2017 National Mock Trial Competition, New England Regional
  • Fellow, Boston Bar Foundation
  • Judge, 9th Annual National Latino Law Student Association Moot Court Competition (2016)
  • Lecturer in Family Law, New England School of Law, 2015-16
  • Committee Member, Judge Jeffrey Abber "We Can Settle" Conciliation Initiative, Massachusetts Family and Probate American Inn of Court