Patrick Hanley

Partner

Admission Details:
2003, Massachusetts; 2007, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Education:
Brandeis University, B.A., 2000; Northeastern University School of Law, J.D., 2003

Professional Affiliations:
Boston Bar Association, American Bar Association

Birth Information:
Waltham, Massachusetts

617.367.2600

hanley@buttersbrazilian.com

Areas of Practice

Mr. Hanley is a trial and gaming lawyer representing businesses and individuals in connection with government investigations, professional discipline, business disputes and regulatory matters. Mr. Hanley maintains an active criminal and civil caseload in Massachusetts state and federal courts. As part of his practice, Mr. Hanley also serves as General Counsel to the State Police Association of Massachusetts, commonly known as SPAM, the largest police association in New England. Immediately prior to joining Butters Brazilian, from 2012-2019, Mr. Hanley served as the first Chief of Gaming Enforcement for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

Mr. Hanley has been practicing law since 2003 as an adviser to businesses, government entities and individuals, and as a criminal prosecutor. From 2008-2019, Mr. Hanley worked in the Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts, initially as an Assistant Attorney General in the Enterprise and Major Crimes Division, where he prosecuted organized criminal enterprises, then as Massachusetts’ first Chief of Gaming Enforcement, where he oversaw all investigations and prosecutions statewide of cases impacting or relating to the Commonwealth’s growing casino industry. Mr. Hanley led the investigation and prosecution of some of the largest and most complicated criminal cases that the Attorney General’s Office brought during his tenure, including the largest search and seizure operation in Massachusetts State Police history. Mr. Hanley has led or supervised hundreds of grand jury investigations and examined hundreds of witnesses to the grand jury, in cases of all kinds, including investigations of violent crimes, extortion, fraud, loansharking, illegal gambling, money laundering, public corruption, drug trafficking, human trafficking and animal cruelty. During his time in the Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Hanley tried the greatest number of cases of anyone in the Criminal Bureau, which included nine separate wiretap trials.

Mr. Hanley worked closely with all stakeholders in the rollout of casinos under Massachusetts’ Expanded Gaming Act, which was passed in 2011. He participated in all facets of its implementation, including statutory interpretation, promulgation of regulations, selection of personnel, budgeting, procurement, community engagement and developing expertise in an industry new to Massachusetts. Consequently, Mr. Hanley is intimately familiar with casino operations and the unique licensing, compliance and enforcement challenges that casino licensees, gaming and non-gaming vendors and key gaming employees face, and he has the legal knowledge and relationships to address these challenges. Mr. Hanley has spoken extensively about casino enforcement, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, compliance, money laundering/FinCEN and electronic surveillance and wiretaps.

Mr. Hanley represents attorneys and police officers in connection with disciplinary investigations.

Mr. Hanley has successfully tried criminal and civil cases in Federal, Superior, District, Municipal and Juvenile Courts across Massachusetts. He has also tried cases before administrative bodies and arbitration panels.

Mr. Hanley serves on the Board of Editors of the Massachusetts Law Review.

Notable Cases

Conducted independent investigation for Wilmington Public Schools and reported findings of abuse by an educator
Conducted Title IX investigation on behalf of Woburn Public Schools
Conducted independent employment inquiry for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Conducted independent investigation for municipal school committee
Represented several casino qualifiers before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Investigations and Enforcement Bureau
Secured not guilty verdict after jury trial on behalf of MBTA employee against charge of workplace threats
Represented attorney serving as key defense witness in criminal trial against former Harvard fencing coach
Represented former prosecutor as a witness in internal investigation by Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
Represented State Trooper in connection with potential inclusion on Plymouth County District Attorney’s Brady list – Trooper not included after further review
Represented educator in separate investigations conducted by the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – educator cleared in both investigations
Represented court-appointed receiver representing the interests of Congregation Lubavitch of South Brookline in related litigation in Superior Court and Probate Court
Represented client charged with 17 offenses arising from alleged medical insurance fraud scheme – client sentenced to probation
Represented law firm in connection with employment matter
Represented former state employee in Ethics Commission matter – former state employer issued public education letter; no fine
Represented Boston Police Sergeant as witness in lethal force investigation
Represented Boston University Student and successfully reversed expulsion decision
Represented municipal Police Chief in connection with allegations of workplace discrimination – all allegations deemed unfounded by independent investigator
Represented travel company in connection with consumer protection inquiry by Massachusetts Attorney General of refunds necessitated by COVID-19 pandemic resulting in no penalties
Represented deputy sheriff in connection with excessive force investigation by Essex County District Attorney’s Office – no criminal charges issued
Represented casino qualifier in connection with public records matter before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and the Supervisor of Public Records – records successfully redacted
Represent Cambridge Police officer in public records litigation against the City of Cambridge
Represent Massachusetts sports betting licensee as local counsel

Mr. Hanley has successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants in restraining orders under G.L. c. 209A and G.L. c. 258E.
Mr. Hanley maintains an active caseload of matters before the Board of Bar Overseers/Office of the Bar Counsel, Massachusetts Ethics Commission, Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, and other state agencies.
Mr. Hanley regularly represents witnesses before state and federal grand juries, negotiating proffer agreements and non-prosecution agreements, as well as navigating immunity orders.

Publications

Teaching Experience

Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop Guest Faculty (2008-2021)
Brandeis University Guberman Fellow (2014)
National Cyber Crime Conference Guest Faculty (2016-2019)

Professional Experience

2003-2004 – Law Clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court
2004-2007 – Assistant District Attorney, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
2007-2008 – Associate, Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten, LLP
2008-2019 – Assistant Attorney General & Division Chief, Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts
2019-present – Partner, Butters Brazilian LLP