BOSTON, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rubin Rudman is pleased to announce that Andrea Toulouse, Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Group; partners Susan Doren, Andrew Kara, Andrew Kelley, Michael Novaria, Joseph Tarby; and of counsels Barry Barth and James Greene have been selected for inclusion in the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Real Estate Lawyers list. The guide recognizes the legal leaders in real estate worldwide who operate “at the top of their game” in “development, finance, leasing, REITs, construction, disputes, and litigation.”
Andrea Toulouse is a well-known commercial real estate attorney with over 20 years of experience in acquisition, development, financing, and leasing for a broad range of local, regional, and national developers and financiers of commercial properties. Her practice encompasses industrial properties, educational uses, suburban office parks, and downtown office buildings. She has been named in The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law, Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Real Estate (2022-2025), and as a Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Top Woman in Law (2025) and Go To Commercial Real Estate Lawyer (2023). She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany and her J.D. from Boston College Law School.
Susan Doren is the former co-chair of Rubin Rudman’s Real Estate Group and has over 30 years of experience representing clients in commercial real estate matters. With broad expertise in office and retail leasing, she is one of the most sought-after real estate lawyers in the field. She has won numerous awards throughout her career including being named to Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Real Estate Law and Massachusetts Super Lawyers. She received her B.A. from Saint Anselm College and her J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School.
Andrew Kara has 25 years of experience in real estate, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing, leasing, condominium creation, planning and zoning matters, and real estate tax abatements/appeals. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law (2019-2026) and Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Real Estate (2022-2025). He is a Board Member of the Commonwealth Cooperative Bank. He earned his B.A., cum laude, from College of the Holy Cross and his J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School.
Andrew Kelley has over 25 years of experience representing landlords and tenants in commercial lease transactions for office, retail, medical office, and industrial properties both nationally and regionally. He recently served as the BBA’s Co-Chair of the Commercial Leasing Committee and as vice chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals for the Town of Belmont. He received his B.A. from Haverford College, his M.Sc. from the University of Edinburgh, and his J.D. from Boston College Law School.
Michael Novaria focuses his practice on commercial real estate and financing, with a specialty in negotiating office leases, retail leases and ground leases. He represents developers, retailers, and restaurants in the acquisition, permitting, development, financing and leasing of office buildings, shopping centers, and mixed-use developments. He was named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law (2020-2026), Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Real Estate (2021-2025), and Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2023-2025). He is a long-time member of the Andover Zoning Board of Appeals (2018-present) and currently serves on the Board of the Real Estate & Finance Association of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the Commercial Brokers Association (2021-2025). He received his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Boston and his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
Joseph Tarby represents national and regional developers, retailers, and restaurants in a wide range of real estate, zoning, land use, and leasing matters. He also regularly advises lenders and borrowers in commercial real estate and asset-based financing. Tarby has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law (2022-2026) and Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Real Estate (2022-2025). He served on the Board of Trustees of Winchester Hospital and Chair of the hospital’s Quality Patient Experience and Care Assessment Committee for 35 years, including one term as Vice Chair, and remains a member of the committee. He also currently serves as president of WINNING Home Inc. He is the Past President of the Woburn Chamber of Commerce and a current Board Member. He received his B.S.B.A. from Boston University and his J.D. from New England Law.
Barry Barth has decades of experience in commercial real estate, franchise law, and hospitality operations. Before returning to private practice, he was Vice President and Legal Counsel for Panera Bread Company, where he oversaw all legal matters related to the company’s real estate portfolio and new restaurant development. During his 21-year tenure at Panera, he played a key role in real estate site selection, lease and purchase negotiations, due diligence, design, and construction of over 500 new restaurants. Barth is an adjunct lecturer at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, where he teaches Hospitality Law. He received his J.D., with honors, from the George Washington University National Law Center, and his B.A., cum laude, from Brandeis University.
James Greene has decades of experience in real estate development and permitting with a focus on zoning, subdivision, environmental review, and permitting, with special emphasis on Chapter 121A Urban Redevelopment Projects. He counsels clients on property tax valuation, assessment practice, and eminent domain actions and litigation. He received his B.A. from Boston College and his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
About Rubin Rudman
Founded over a century ago, Rubin Rudman is a full-service law firm based in Boston with more than 100 attorneys serving businesses, institutions, families, and individuals throughout the region and beyond. The firm’s core practices include Corporate, Business & Tax, Real Estate, Finance, Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Environmental & Land Use, Construction, Trusts & Estates, Family Law, Elder Law, and Fiduciary Litigation. More information is available at rubinrudman.com.
Contact:
Kristen Weller
Chief Marketing & Growth Officer
617.330.7189
kweller@rubinrudman.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eight-rubin-rudman-partners-lawyers-named-to-2026-lawdragon-500-leading-real-estate-lawyers-302880951.html
SOURCE Rubin Rudman
