Medford’s new city solicitor Kevin P. Foley has wealth of law experience

Kevin P. Foley has done a little of this and a little of that — but all in the field of law. And Medford’s new city solicitor believes it gives him a solid foundation on the types of issues he’ll be facing in his new position.

“I’ve had such an interesting career,” Foley said. “A lot of people come out of law school and they focus on one area. I’ve done litigation, defense, corporate work, real estate and probate estates.”

And for 10 years, he worked for the Boston Bruins Alumni Association.

“That came to me by happenstance,” he said. “They do a lot of charity work. It was fantastic.”

Foley has been in his Medford position for a little over a month, having started in May. So far, he’s been working with the city’s legal provider K.P. Law on the city’s outstanding legal matters in order to transition those cases to the Law Department.

“A lot will come back to this office,” he said. “The transition will feel like a smooth one.”

Foley has also been meeting with department heads and the City Council.

“The spigot has turned on with new matters coming in,” he said, of the current workload. “Department heads and members of the council have been reaching out to me.”

So far, the only new thing Foley has done is to develop a new method for public information requests, which have been stacking up in the Law Department’s email. Foley said a new email specifically set up for that will help the department track requests.

And, Foley added, he’s been working with long-time clerk Janice Spencer, who has been holding down the fort for the past four years since former solicitor Kim Scanlon left.

“It’s been wonderful so far,” Spencer said of working with Foley. “He’s a good guy and I’m so happy to have him in the space.”

Road to Medford

Foley has been living in North Andover since 1988, but he’s actually from Melrose. One of 11 kids, he is the son of Mary M. Foley, a crossing guard who pushed six kids out of the way of a runaway car in 1985 and died in the process.

He refers to himself as “Mary Foley’s son” and is still involved with the family scholarship awarded each year in Melrose.

Foley attended the public schools in Melrose until switching to Malden Catholic High School, where he graduated in 1979.

He then went to Merrimack College and stayed in the area, also attending the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover.

“I got involved with the community while I was at Merrimack and I liked it,” he said.

Foley has been part of the North Andover Conservation Commission, chair of the Select Board, a member of the Finance Committee, and involved in youth sports.

After graduating from law school, Foley wound up as a general practitioner. He has served as an administrative law judge for the Massachusetts Board of Review, spent three years with a large Boston law firm, worked for Secretary of State William Galvin’s office, and then struck out on his own in Salem for several years before moving his business to Newburyport.

In the summer of 2023, however, Foley came across a listing for a town counsel position in Andover.

“I thought it was maybe something to consider,” he said. “Before I could put a bid in, they had hired from within.”

But the idea of being the legal representative for a city or town stayed on Foley’s mind. That’s when he found Lawrence was looking for its first city attorney.

Like Medford, Lawrence had spent at least $1 million on outside counsel. Foley applied and got the job, starting in June 2024.

But Foley said it still wasn’t the right fit for him and he kept his eye out for another position in municipal law. Once he saw the Medford listing, he applied and interviewed this past spring.

“I was familiar with Medford,” he said. “I went through several panels and the selection committee. I was very impressed with the professionalism of the people who were working here. I was enthusiastic.”

As the interview process went on, Foley said he became more interested and hopeful he would land the job. And he did.

“I think in life, I tend to like to do things well and do well the things I like to do,” Foley said. “That doesn’t mean this hasn’t been an incredible learning experience.”

But he’s excited to be in Medford.

“I like to keep busy and this is a busy place,” Foley said. “There’s a lot going on in Medford, it’s a vibrant community. It’s an exciting time to be here and it’s great to be part of the team.”