Mass. Gen. Laws » Part III Title II Chapter 223
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 223, § 8 (2026)

Corporations; actions by or against

✓ text as last checked Sept. 2026 (this copy records no edition or section history)
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Section 8. Transitory actions, except those mentioned in the preceding section, to which a corporation, other than a county or the city of Boston, is a party, may be brought as follows:

(1) If both parties are cities, towns or parishes, in the county where either party is situated.

(2) If both parties are corporations, other than a city, town or parish, in any county in which either corporation has a usual place of business, or in which it held its last annual meeting, or usually holds its meetings.

(3) If one party is a city, town or parish, and the other a corporation named in clause (2), in any county in which either party might sue or be sued.

(4) If one party is a corporation named in clause (1) or (2), and the other an individual, in any county in which the corporation might sue or be sued, or in the county in which the individual lives or has a usual place of business.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1958–2025 · leading case: Amerada Hess Corp. v. Garabedian, 617 N.E.2d 630 (Mass. 1993).
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Amerada Hess Corp. v. Garabedian, 617 N.E.2d 630 (Mass. 1993). “As a transitory action, the action was properly brought in Hampden County where the plaintiff maintained its usual place of business, pursuant to the general venue provisions of G. L. c. 223, § 8 (1992 ed.). The second ruling from which Garabedian appeals is the denial of his…”
Cormier v. Pezrow New England, Inc., 743 N.E.2d 390 (Mass. App. Ct. 2001). · cites it 2× “15 IB, § 9, this action would be governed by G. L. c. 223, § 8(4), which provides, in part, that transitory actions in which one party is a corporation and the other is an individual may be brought in any county in which the corporation might sue or can be sued or in the county…”
In re TJX Companies Retail Sec. Breach Litig., 527 F. Supp. 2d 209 (D. Mass. 2007). “8 Transferring this case to the Massachusetts Superior Court has enormous practical advantages: the Superior Court is intimately familiar the state law issues upon which liability will turn, see Cumis Ins. Soc., Inc. v. BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.”
MCR Labs, LLC v. Analytics Labs, LLC, No. 2584CV00260-BLS2 (Mass. Super. Ct. Nov. 5, 2025). “” G. L. c. 223, § 8(2). MCR does not allege that these three defendants have a usual place or business or has held an annual meeting in Suffolk County.”
Statewide Sec. Prot., Inc. v. Harris, 23 Mass. L. Rptr. 412 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2007). “The Court does not agree with the plaintiffs reading of G.L.c. 223, §8. Other than under c. 93, §42A, or any other statute governing specific types of actions, the plaintiff could sue or be sued only in a place where venue would lie for the particular action under c.”
Fed. Deposit Ins. v. Doraldo Realty Corp., 1982 Mass. App. Div. 197 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div. 1982). “Pursuant to G.L. c. 223, §§ 8 (4) and 2, the plaintiff was thus entitled to institute this action in the Concord Division and no charge of improper venue can validly be maintained by the defendants.”
Araban Coffee Co. v. Restaurant Assocs., Inc., 159 N.E.2d 326 (Mass. 1959). “The interpretation of the court below was not that of this court in 1909, when there was occasion to consider a predecessor statute of G. L. c. 223, § 8, which was R. L. c. 167, § 7.”
Araban Coffee Co. v. Restaurant Assocs., Inc., 17 Mass. App. Dec. 77 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div. 1958). “90 of the revised statutes (the predecessor to G. L. c. 223, §8) was not to make actions against corporations local actions, but to give corporations a species of locality, in the nature of a domicil, and to determine where they should be held to be resident, for the purpose of…”
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 223, § 8(2): 1 case
MCR Labs, LLC v. Analytics Labs, LLC, No. 2584CV00260-BLS2 (Mass. Super. Ct. Nov. 5, 2025). “” G. L. c. 223, § 8(2). MCR does not allege that these three defendants have a usual place or business or has held an annual meeting in Suffolk County.”
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 223, § 8(4): 1 case
Cormier v. Pezrow New England, Inc., 743 N.E.2d 390 (Mass. App. Ct. 2001). “15 IB, § 9, this action would be governed by G. L. c. 223, § 8(4), which provides, in part, that transitory actions in which one party is a corporation and the other is an individual may be brought in any county in which the corporation might sue or can be sued or in the county…”
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