Michelle N. Kalowski

Michelle is the former Chief Counsel of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the former Acting Chief Legal Counsel at the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). She has nearly two decades of experience in meeting the needs of public clients in regulatory and administrative contexts, as well as complex litigation.

Michelle focuses her work in the following areas:

• Public Law: Michelle joined Anderson & Kreiger after spending over a decade working in-house at two Massachusetts public authorities. She has extensive experience with the Open Meeting Law, conflicts of interest, and the Public Records Law.  She understands the legal issues, operational challenges, and pressures faced by governmental clients.
• Airport Law: Michelle served as the principal aviation attorney at Massport, advising on a wide range of legal and regulatory issues facing its airports.
• Litigation: While at the MBTA and Massport, Michelle managed high-profile litigation matters.  She managed the legal aspects of a major National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into a multi-fatal airplane crash and subsequent civil litigation. Michelle also began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office where she prosecuted sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse cases in Boston Municipal and Suffolk Superior Courts.
• Internal Investigations: As in-house counsel at both the MBTA and Massport, Michelle provided oversight and leadership for many internal investigations related to employment and workplace misconduct.

• Airports
• Public Law
• Internal Investigations

Education

Northeastern University School of Law, J.D. 2004

Washington University, B.A., 1999 magna cum laude

Admissions

Massachusetts

Clerkship

The Honorable Barbara A. Lenk, Massachusetts Appeals Court

• Successfully oversaw the negotiation of transportation network company (Uber and Lyft) agreements and development of rules of operations at Logan Airport as part of the implementation of new state rideshare legislation.
• Successfully managed the legal aspects of a major National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into a multi-fatal airplane crash at Hanscom Field and subsequent civil litigation.
• Successfully supported the negotiation of an amended 10-year project agreement for Fare Transformation across the MBTA, enabling a more simplified and automated fare payment system.
• Drafted regulations and stewarded their promulgation pursuant to the Massachusetts Administrative Procedures Act.
• Facilitated Massport’s implementation of minimum wage policies for certain employees at Logan Airport.
• Represented multiple public authorities in managing compliance with Public Records and Open Meeting Law.
• Successfully negotiated mitigation agreements with environmental and community stakeholders associated with the expansion of airport terminals and runway safety projects.
• Oversaw the development of MBTA’s internal workforce policies regarding COVID-19.
• Successfully managed a public authority’s investigation and response to whistleblower safety claims.