Leonard H. Kesten

Leonard H. Kesten is one of the preeminent trial lawyers in Massachusetts. Mr. Kesten has conducted over 100 jury trials in the United States District Court and the Superior Court. He has also conducted numerous public hearings before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. He has argued appeals before the Supreme Judicial Court, the Massachusetts Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals. Many of the reported decisions obtained by Mr. Kesten and BHPK appellate specialist Deidre Regan have established important precedents in the areas of civil rights, employment, and school liability.

Mr. Kesten devotes much of his practice to the representation of cities and towns in Massachusetts and their officials and employees. He is considered one of the leading defenders of police officers as he has developed an extensive expertise in the areas of use of force, the constitutionality of searches, and the right to arrest.

He is also considered an expert in discrimination and all forms of employment litigation. He has litigated high profile employment matters in the areas of gender and race discrimination as well as wrongful discharge in violation of public police and sexual harassment. He has successfully represented both employers and employees and has obtained a number of significant verdicts in these matters.

Mr. Kesten has lectured extensively in the areas of trial practice, civil rights, and employment, both nationally and in Massachusetts. He was recently named in Lawyer's Weekly's Power List of Most Influential Attorneys in 2009. In addition, he has been recognized as a Lawyer of the Year by Lawyer's Weekly, has been named as a Super Lawyer each year since the award began, has been named as one of the 100 top trial lawyers in Massachusetts by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers, and is rated a perfect 10 (superb) by AVVO. He has been honored with a Citizens Award given by the Town of Yarmouth Police Department and has been honored by the United States Police K9 Association for his work in the areas of canine use of force.

Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Kesten worked for both the Connecticut and Massachusetts Departments of Correction. He began work as a corrections officer/counselor and eventually ended his career as a prison superintendent. He also worked as a special education teacher in the Boston Public Schools.

After graduating from law school in 1983, Mr. Kesten became an associate at Morrison Mahoney and Miller. In 1990, he was named as a partner. In 1995, Mr. Kesten became a founding partner of BHPK.

Mr. Kesten was born in Poland and is a child of Holocaust survivors. He and his family moved to Israel and then to the United States when he was 10 years old. He was raised on a farm in Connecticut.

Mr. Kesten has been lead counsel on over 100 jury trials. Some of the more significant ones include:

Verdict: Defense verdict, and verdict for Defendants in counterclaim which alleged conspiracy to commit perjury.