Gregory S Sampson

Practice Areas

Acquisitions & Dispositions

Energy, Infrastructure & Sustainability

Environmental Transactions

Permitting & Land Use

Real Estate

Real Estate Industry

Real Estate Finance

Career

Greg is a real estate, land use, and environmental attorney with more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate transactions, including significant experience in the planning, design, permitting and development of contaminated properties and similarly challenging sites, as well as renewable energy and infrastructure projects. His practice covers all aspects of real estate development, including acquisitions/dispositions, entitlement, and financing, including construction loans, refinancing, workouts, and tax credit supported lending. As part of this work, he regularly represents clients throughout the permitting and public approval process at the federal, state, and local levels on issues related to zoning and land use, wetlands and waterways, environmental policy acts, sustainability and climate change.

Before practicing as an attorney, Greg worked for approximately 10 years as a Project Manager/Senior Environmental Planner for BSC Group, Inc. in Boston, where he managed multi-disciplinary land development and infrastructure improvement projects for private and public sector clients throughout New England. Greg is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional with Neighborhood Development specialty, and was formerly certified as a Professional Wetland Scientist by the Society of Wetland Scientists. He currently serves as Chair of the City of Melrose Planning Board, and has served on the board since 2016.

Work Highlights

Represent developer of a five-star destination resort casino on a formerly contaminated chemical plant site. Representation includes supporting the client on various federal, state and local permitting matters, including environmental review, site cleanup, transportation permitting, accessibility compliance and off-site mitigation proposals, as well as in numerous real estate transactions, including land purchases and leases, easements, licenses and parcel assemblage

Represent developer of 400-unit high-rise project in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. Represented client before City agencies for zoning and local approval processes; advised on the adoption of an ordinance change to permit an increase in the allowable height of the building.

Represent national housing developer with various multifamily project developments throughout Massachusetts. Represented client before local and state permitting agencies, and advised on environmental remediation requirements and site closure.

Represent regional renewable energy developers on dozens of ground-mounted solar and battery energy storage projects in Massachusetts. Representation involved securing various local and state approvals, negotiating leases, easements, and related agreements, negotiation of payment in lieu of tax agreements and challenges to property tax charges and classification changes, and assisting in the resolution of title issues and property disputes

Represent developer of a mixed-use redevelopment project in Everett, Massachusetts, requiring land assemblage, re-divisions, release of park dedication, urban renewal plan approval, and rezoning

Represent developer in securing approvals for an 800-unit mixed-use redevelopment of a former grocery store in a Boston suburb. Negotiated easement releases and parcel modifications to facilitate development

Represent multinational manufacturing company in connection with the sale of a corporate campus and associated zoning challenges relating to potential reuse opportunities; assisted client in securing protection from zoning changes

Represent property and building owners and solar developers on rooftop, ground-mounted, and canopy solar leases, licenses and easements throughout the U.S.

Represent local developer and joint venture partner with distressed loan purchase and foreclosure of a historic mill property for redevelopment into a mixed-use office and retail complex and potential residential development

Represent industrial property owner in the purchase and financing of numerous properties throughout the Northeast, and in the development of a new corporate campus in Lowell, Massachusetts for a long-term corporate tenant

Represent real estate companies and REITs in the acquisition, disposition and/or financing of numerous office, industrial, multifamily, retail, hotel and mixed-use properties

Represented local developer with purchase and financing of a historic mill site for multifamily redevelopment project permitted under MGL c. 40R and funded with historic and low-income housing tax credits and various state and local housing loans

Represent wireless telecommunications companies in the siting and approval process for hundreds of new facilities and equipment upgrades

Represented investor in renewable energy project funding, including evaluation of local and state approvals and utility interconnection approval process

Professional Memberships

NAIOP – The Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Massachusetts Chapter: Board of Directors, 2024-2026; Vice President – Government Affairs, 2017-2019; Member, Government Affairs Advisory Council, 2013– present; Co-chair of Energy, Infrastructure & Economic Development Committee, 2011–2014; National Association: Board of Directors, 2024-2026; Member, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, 2016–2020

Environmental Business Council of New England, Inc.: Board of Directors, 2017-2021

City of Melrose Planning Board: Member, 2016-present; Chair, 2021-present

Green Building Certification Institute/U.S. Green Building Council: LEED® Accredited Professional Neighborhood Development, 2011–present

Education