Herling D. Romero Adrianza

Herling D. Romero Adrianza is a business and construction litigator who helps companies prevent manageable legal problems from becoming business-threatening disputes—and takes decisive control when litigation becomes unavoidable. He represents contractors, subcontractors, developers, business owners, and employers in complex matters where the contracts are detailed, the financial exposure is substantial, and the legal strategy must remain aligned with the client’s broader business objectives.

Herling’s practice focuses on construction litigation, commercial disputes, employment law, and risk management. He regularly represents clients in Massachusetts state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, arbitrations, and mediations. Whether he is evaluating a developing problem, pursuing emergency relief, preparing a case for trial, or negotiating a business resolution, Herling begins by identifying the client’s actual objective, the leverage available, and the most efficient path toward a meaningful result.

Herling has also contributed to matters before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court involving issues of substantial importance to the construction and real estate industries.

In J.C. Cannistraro, LLC v. Columbia Construction Co. (SJC-13819), Herling made significant contributions to the subcontractor’s appellate brief in a closely watched case concerning the Massachusetts Prompt Payment Act. His work focused on the statutory payment framework, the consequences of failing to comply with the Act’s invoice-review requirements, and the practical inequities that arise when lower-tier contractors are forced to finance both construction work and the litigation necessary to obtain payment.

Herling also co-authored an amicus brief in Cella v. Attorney General (SJC-13893) on behalf of seven leading Massachusetts construction trade organizations: the National Electrical Contractors Association of Greater Boston, Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts, Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association, New England Mechanical Contractors Association, Building Trades Employers’ Association, and Construction Industries of Massachusetts. The brief presented the construction and development industry’s concerns regarding the proposed statewide rent-control initiative, including its potential effects on property rights, housing investment, construction activity, and the economic viability of future development. In June 2026, the SJC held that the initiative could not be placed on the November 2026 ballot.

In his construction practice, Herling represents owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and other project participants in payment disputes, defective-work claims, delay and lost-productivity matters, mechanic’s liens, payment-bond claims, change-order disputes, and contract interpretation issues. He understands that construction cases are rarely resolved by the contract alone. Effective representation requires command of the project record, the sequence of work, the contemporaneous communications, and the practical realities facing the people responsible for completing the project.

Herling’s commercial litigation practice includes breach-of-contract claims, partnership and shareholder disputes, business torts, unfair competition, trade-secret matters, and commercial real estate conflicts. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants, allowing him to assess how an adversary is likely to develop its case and where pressure can most effectively be applied. His experience includes securing the dismissal of multimillion-dollar contract and fraud claims, enforcing contractual and competitive protections, and resolving disputes in ways that protect both the client’s immediate legal position and its long-term business relationships.

Herling also represents employers in discrimination, retaliation, wage-and-hour, noncompetition, and other workplace disputes. He counsels businesses on employment agreements, policies, compliance, employee discipline, and developing workplace issues before they become lawsuits. When litigation does arise, he works to define the dispute early, preserve the necessary evidence, and prevent the case from disrupting the client’s operations more than necessary.

Herling views litigation as a business tool rather than an end in itself. Some disputes require immediate and aggressive action. Others are better resolved through careful investigation, disciplined communication, or a negotiated solution that preserves an important relationship. His role is to help clients recognize the difference—and to ensure that, when a serious dispute arrives, they are prepared rather than reacting from a position of weakness.

In 2026, the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association selected Herling to receive its Rising Star Award. The award is presented annually to one Massachusetts lawyer practicing for fewer than ten years who has demonstrated commitment to the defense bar and promise to excel in civil defense practice.

Herling has been selected to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars list each year from 2023 through 2026. He has also been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America since 2024 in Commercial Litigation, Litigation–Construction, and Litigation–Labor and Employment.

Herling writes and speaks about developing issues affecting contractors and businesses. In 2026, he and J. Nathan Cole co-authored “The Overlooked Edge: Why Reasonableness Can Tank Repair Claims in Construction Fights” for Modern Contractor Solutions, examining how the reasonableness requirement can reshape the damages analysis in construction-defect litigation. He was also selected to participate in the Massachusetts Bar Association’s 2023–2024 Leadership Academy, a program focused on developing future leaders of the Massachusetts bar.

Herling is fluent in English and Spanish. Outside his legal practice, he supports Ventanas, a nonprofit initiative that helps Venezuelan children obtain life-saving medical care through fundraising and direct assistance.

Representative Experience

• Made significant contributions to the appellee’s brief in J.C. Cannistraro, LLC v. Columbia Construction Co. (SJC-13819), a closely watched Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court case addressing the Prompt Payment Act, arbitration authority, and the treatment of payments deemed approved under the statute.
• Served as counsel and co-authored an amicus brief in Cella v. Attorney General (SJC-13893) on behalf of seven Massachusetts construction trade organizations, presenting the construction and development industry’s concerns regarding a proposed statewide rent-control initiative. The SJC subsequently barred the initiative from appearing on the November 2026 ballot.
• Secured the complete dismissal of multimillion-dollar breach-of-contract and fraud claims asserted against a corporate client in Massachusetts Superior Court.
• Obtained summary judgment for employer clients in discrimination and wage-related matters before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and in federal court.
• Secured a verdict in client’s favor in a case of first impression regarding patent infringement in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. 
• Negotiated favorable resolutions of construction-defect, payment, and delay disputes, avoiding prolonged litigation while protecting clients’ financial and business interests.
• Represented contractors and subcontractors in mechanic’s-lien and payment-bond disputes involving substantial unpaid contract balances.
• Enforced noncompetition, confidentiality, and trade-secret protections for technology and professional-services businesses.