Richard S. Ravosa, Esquire

Founding Director and Board President Richard S. Ravosa has been practicing law since 1997. He was one of only fifteen lawyers recognized in 2005 by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly newspaper as a “Rising Star.” He also hosted a legal educational radio talk show airing weekly in the Boston and Worcester areas where callers had questions answered free of charge.

Richard has been featured with his clients on Boston and Springfield television news, on the front page of the Sunday Republican newspaper in Western Mass., has been profiled in the Boston Business Journal and quoted in the Worcester Business Journal and Metro West Daily News, as well as other publications. In 2015 he won the Paul H. Chapman award for his work establishing and expanding MDRF. The award is given to only five recipients a year from a national pool of nominations by the Atlanta based Foundation For Improvement of Justice. Richard donated his $10,000 award to MDRF to allow us to continue to expand and strengthen our program.

Richard received his B.A., cum laude, from Western New England College and his J.D. from Western Michigan University and has an accomplished record as a trial lawyer, negotiator, strategist, and philanthropist. He has successfully tried cases, including numerous jury trials, in Superior Court, District Court, Land Court, Immigration Court, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Maegan L. Hurley, Esquire

Founding Director, Board Secretary, and Executive Director Maegan L. Hurley is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Maegan is a graduate of Simmons College and Suffolk University Law School, where she received Pro Bono Honors. At school gained extensive experience helping low income individuals through her work as a student attorney at Suffolk Law’s Housing Clinic and as a coordinator for “No One Leaves” which is a grass roots resource that offers legal information and resources to families facing post-foreclosure eviction. She also worked closely with the Chelsea Collaborative, where tenants and homeowners could attend seminars on foreclosure and eviction law. Prior to becoming an Attorney she had the privilege to intern for United State Senator Edward Kennedy.

Maegan represents clients in chapter 7 through MDRF. She works exclusively on debt relief and enjoys counseling clients and mentoring other professionals by teaching the technical details of bankruptcy. Maegan is a founding director, the Executive Director, and Program Attorney here at Massachusetts Debt Relief Foundation, managing the entire Organization’s caseload and Program. She oversees all volunteer attorneys and management of our services.

Maegan is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the American Bankruptcy Institute. In 2018 she was recognized by the American Bankruptcy Institute’s prestigious 40 Under 40 Program, and then served as editor for the Institute’s “Best of ABI 2018: The Year in Consumer Bankruptcy. In 2020 she was a recipient of the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Top Women of Law award.

Michelle L. Cote, Esquire

Director and Board Treasurer Michelle L. Cote focuses her practice primarily in personal injury law and is the Managing Attorney of the Worcester Law Center. In addition to her personal injury practice she has years of experience in litigation, estate planning, and consumer bankruptcy. Michelle volunteers her time to meet with clients, offer free consultations and cover court proceedings for MDRF.

Michelle is a 2017 Worcester Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient. She was named a Rising Star Super Lawyer in 2019, and has been recognized as Top 40 Under 40 Attorney in Massachusetts by the National Trial Lawyers and as one of the “10 Best Female Attorneys” for Massachusetts by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. Michelle is a member of Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, The National Trial Lawyers, American Institute of Personal Injury Lawyers, Massachusetts Bar Association, Worcester County Bar Association and American Association for Justice.

Michelle strives to be understanding and compassionate to each client’s individual circumstances and legal matters and prides herself on perfecting her negotiation and litigation skills to enable her to provide the finest and most effective legal representation and is a tireless advocate for her clients in their time of need. Michelle is licensed to practice law and admitted to all courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Cynthia R. Ravosa, Esquire

Attorney Cynthia R. Ravosa volunteers to meet with clients, provide legal consultations and cover court proceedings for MDRF. She has extensive experience successfully representing individuals and small business in Bankruptcy cases throughout Massachusetts, and manages the bankruptcy practice for Ravosa Law Offices, PC. She has helped thousands of clients save their homes from foreclosure, stopped lawsuits, evictions and utility shut-offs and eliminated debt through either bankruptcy or agreed upon out-of-court debt settlements.

In addition to earning her law degree from Massachusetts School of Law at Andover in 2016, Cynthia earned her B.A. from Western New England College, and also holds an M.B.A. degree with a concentration in accounting from Suffolk University that she utilizes for the benefit of her clients to help them with budgeting and beyond. As a former controller for Temple Israel in Boston, she brings her vast knowledge of accounting experience combined with legal advocacy, to leverage optimal results for her clients.

Cynthia is very active in the local consumer bankruptcy community, often participating in conferences, local bar functions, listservs, and assisting her fellow practitioners. She has repeatedly mentored other attorneys new to the bankruptcy practice, and is a consistently uplifting presence in our local bankruptcy bar. She is admitted to the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, District of Massachusetts and is a member of the Hampden, Boston, and Worcester Bar Associations, and the National Consumer Bankruptcy Association, and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Justin M. Lavelle, Esquire

Attorney Justin M. Lavelle is a long-term volunteer for MDRF, meeting with clients at our Springfield office and attending court proceedings. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Western New England College School of Law and is a lifelong resident of Western Massachusetts. Justin specializes in the field of Criminal Law where he has tried numerous jury trials on behalf of the accused. He is a member of the advisory board and legal counsel to the Western Mass Green Consortium, an environmental advocacy non profit organization. He also represents indigent tenants for free in Eviction proceedings.

Justin is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, District of Massachusetts and in the State of Connecticut.

Matthew M. Hamel, Esquire

Attorney Matthew M. Hamel volunteers to meet with MDRF clients and cover their court proceedings, primarily working out of our Brockton office. Matthew specializes in taxation controversy practice, primarily handling tax debt settlement and tax dispute resolution, along with consumer and business bankruptcy law (including both debtor and creditor representation) and civil litigation.

Matthew received his JD from Suffolk University Law School in 2016 and is presently a candidate for a Master of Laws degree, focusing in taxation, at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law. Matthew is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the District of Massachusetts, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Worcester County Bar Association, the National Consumer Bankruptcy Association, and the American Bankruptcy Institute.