2026 Mid-Year Review: Timothy Schofield, Schofield Donnelly LLC

What projects, initiatives, or types of work have been keeping your team busiest during the first half of 2026?
We are a boutique law firm specializing in real estate litigation and condominium law. In the first half of the year, we have been intentionally expanding relationships with small to mid-size real estate investment firms, developers, and property managers because we believe that these firms are best positioned for growth in 2026 and beyond. We are also developing new flat-fee models for our clients to offer greater budget certainty while providing ready access to timely legal advice and counsel.

Commercial lease defaults and disputes have been keeping us busy in the first half of 2026, but we have often resolved these matters promptly because landlords have been able to re-let the spaces in a timely manner, which is evidence of market resiliency. A replacement tenant (even at a slightly lower rent) is almost always better than years of costly and time-consuming litigation.

What trends or shifts have stood out most to you so far this year within your industry?
We have been struck by the renewed energy and excitement across various parts of the real estate sector. We are seeing the emergence of small and mid-sized investment firms and developers as larger institutional investors chase greater returns in other markets. These smaller firms are more nimble and have more flexibility on margins so they can take advantage of gaps in the market and write-downs as larger firms take paper losses and move to other markets. It is actually a very exciting time in the Boston real estate market.

What challenges or opportunities have had the biggest impact on your business during the first half of 2026?
We are growing quickly so finding talent is always a challenge, but like smaller investors and developers, we can be more agile and flexible to find the lawyers and professionals that we need to service our clients. We are using AI and virtual support staff, but our clients expect a high level of personal engagement, so local talent is still our most valuable asset and advantage.

Our size and flexibility have also enabled us to attract like-minded clients who want high-levels of service and sophistication, but cannot -- and will not -- pay the hourly rates that their larger competitors can afford. Our clients are growing and succeeding by finding inefficiencies, exploiting their local knowledge, and seizing opportunities that are too small, complicated, or time-consuming for larger players, which creates great opportunities for a firm like ours which operates on the same principles.

As we look ahead to the second half of the year, what are you watching most closely?
As we look to the second half of 2026, we are expecting that there will be a bit of a pause in decision-making as we approach the mid-term elections. Clients may wait on key decisions to see the results of the national elections and the results of state ballot initiatives such as rent control, income tax reduction, and a single family housing initiative. Some of these initiatives may be resolved by legislative compromise before November, but the elections will still loom large in the second half of the year. Depending on the election and initiative results, we expect there to be new energy and excitement in the market toward the end of the year and into 2027.