Counsel
Michael E. Porter
Michael Porter has more than 30 years of state and local tax experience, with a particular emphasis on Massachusetts tax issues.

Practice Focus

Michael Porter has more than 30 years of state and local tax experience, with a particular emphasis on Massachusetts tax issues. He advises clients on state income and sales and use tax matters, including contesting state tax assessments at the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board and through all levels of the administrative appeal process. He also provides clients with general state tax advice.

Before joining Hemenway & Barnes, Michael led Deloitte’s Multistate Tax Practice in Boston and worked with the firm’s Washington National Tax Office. He was responsible for state tax implications associated with tax opinions, transactions, and restructurings. Prior thereto, Michael was a national partner at Arthur Andersen. He has also served as Deputy General Counsel at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

Representative Experience

  • Represented many corporations and individuals in resolving contested state tax assessments, including companies in the utility, biotechnology, medical, and technology industries.
  • Consulted with corporate and individual clients concerning a wide variety of state tax matters, including combined reporting, sales taxes, manufacturing status, transactions and domicile/residency.
  • Named to the Best Lawyers in America List
  • Deloitte – Sense of Partnership Award
  • Frequent speaker on state taxation, including presentations before the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, the Boston Bar Association and the National Deloitte Multistate Tax Symposium.
  • Co-authored a number of articles in State Tax Notes, including articles on nexus issues arising from the use of in-state third party service providers, nexus for foreign companies doing business in the U.S., and federal and state tax conformity issues.
  • Member, Deloitte’s National Multistate Tax Symposium Advisory Board
  • Member of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue Advisory Council
  • Trustee of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation; Member of the Tax Thought Leadership Committee at Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
  • Member at-large of the Boston Bar Association Tax Steering Committee and former co-chair, Boston Bar Association State and Local Tax Committee
  • JD, Suffolk University Law School
  • BA, Brandeis University (Psychology)
  • Massachusetts
  • Boston Bar Association
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
"State tax laws and regulations are often nuanced and complex, posing potential pitfalls for the uninformed. Proactively addressing potential state tax implications is crucial to allow for strategic planning and informed decision-making."
— Michael Porter’s Comments on State Tax Law

Related News & Resources

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Hemenway & Barnes Achieves National and Regional Recognition in 2026 Best Law Firms® Rankings

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Law360 article features "How Hemenway & Barnes, Raines Feldman Beat Pa. ‘Jock Tax’"

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Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules “Jock Tax” Is Unconstitutional

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