About David E.
David E. Peterson took an indirect route to law. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2000 and then turned to legal study, receiving his J.D. from Boston College Law School in 2005. Those two degrees—one grounded in design and planning, the other in law—have shaped the kinds of problems he has taken on in practice.
Peterson began his legal career in private firm work. In 2007 he joined Fusaro, Altomare & Ermilio as an associate. Two years later he moved to the Estate Preservation Law Offices, where his title remained associate but the subject matter leaned toward wills, trusts and estate matters. In 2011 he opened The Law Office of David E. Peterson and ran a solo practice for several years. That period appears to have been an active one for professional networking; Peterson held memberships in county bar and estate planning organizations across Massachusetts and kept that local engagement for much of the 2010s.
His memberships trace the arc of his practice. He belongs to USA500 Clubs since 2015 and is a member of the Vermont Bar Association beginning in 2022. Earlier affiliations include the Massachusetts Bar Association and several county-level estate and business planning councils in Essex and Worcester counties. These associations reflect a steady involvement in regional professional communities rather than national prominence or public office.
In 2024 Peterson took the title of Special Counsel at Gravel & Shea PC. The move marked a return to firm-side practice after years operating an independent office. At Gravel & Shea he appears to bring particular experience in estate planning, probate and related matters—areas consistent with his work at Estate Preservation and his participation in estate planning councils. His undergraduate background in environmental design also informs work that touches on property and land-use questions, giving him a practical perspective on certain real property and planning issues.
Colleagues describe Peterson as methodical and pragmatic in his approach to client matters, preferring clear paperwork and careful estate documents over sweeping promises. He has maintained bar memberships in both Massachusetts and Vermont and has continued to participate in regional professional groups. He currently practices at Gravel & Shea PC, where his work centers on estate planning, probate administration and related property matters.
