Massachusetts

  • August 20, 2024

    Mass. Parcels Were Properly Valued Despite Construction

    Two parcels of land in a Massachusetts town were properly valued and should not have their value decreased based on construction on a nearby property, the state Appellate Tax Board said in a decision released Tuesday.

  • August 20, 2024

    At Nutter, Old Guard Meets New In Expanded Gov't Practice

    Twenty-five years after they first met at Boston's Suffolk University Law School as professor and student, Bill Kennedy and Dan Mulhern are teaming up to lead an expanded government affairs and public policy practice at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP.

  • August 20, 2024

    Pierson Ferdinand Furthers Growth With FisherBroyles IP Ace

    The rapidly growing Pierson Ferdinand LLP announced Tuesday that it picked up an intellectual property partner from FisherBroyles LLP with a long resume of trademark law work to serve clients out of Boston, Washington, D.C., and California.

  • August 20, 2024

    Mass. AG Can't Enforce Housing Act, State's Top Court Told

    Massachusetts' attorney general lacks the authority to force compliance with a law requiring communities to create multifamily housing zoning districts because lawmakers have already included the loss of some types of state aid as a penalty, but no other enforcement powers, lawyers for the town of Milton have told the state's highest court.

  • August 20, 2024

    A Deep Dive Into Law360 Pulse's 2024 Women In Law Report

    The legal industry continues to see incremental gains for female lawyers in private practice in the U.S., according to a Law360 Pulse analysis, with women now representing 40.6% of all attorneys and 51% of all associates.

  • August 20, 2024

    These Firms Have The Most Women In Equity Partnerships

    The legal industry still has a long way to go before it can achieve gender parity at its upper levels. But these law firms are performing better than others in breaking the proverbial glass ceiling that prevents women from attaining leadership roles.

  • August 19, 2024

    Biogen Paid To Help Curb Generic Tecfidera Sales, Says Suit

    Biogen illegally impaired competition for its multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera by paying major pharmacy benefit managers to prioritize the brand over generics while it worked to shift the market to a different version of the medication, a multi-employer welfare plan alleged Friday.

  • August 19, 2024

    MOVEit MDL Judge's Call For Order Met With Atty Squabbles

    A federal judge's effort to streamline multidistrict litigation over a 2023 data breach involving Progress Software's MOVEit file transfer tool instead led to a lengthy and contentious joint filing in which the parties accused one another of gamesmanship.

  • August 19, 2024

    Feds Trim Sentencing Request For Atty In Email Fraud Case

    Massachusetts federal prosecutors have shaved 11 months off of a nine-year sentencing request for an Illinois attorney who was convicted of collecting proceeds from an email fraud scheme, after the First Circuit vacated three of the lawyer's six counts on venue grounds.

  • August 19, 2024

    Boston Defeats Suit By Fired Police Commissioner

    A Boston police commissioner who was fired over decades-old abuse allegations had plenty of chances to give his side of the story, a Massachusetts federal court said Monday in rejecting claims he was defamed and stigmatized by the city's ex-mayor.

  • August 19, 2024

    Second Pharmacist To Avoid Meningitis Murder Trial

    A pharmacist charged with murder in a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak that killed dozens of people is expected to plead no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges this week, averting a Michigan trial that had been set for November.

  • August 19, 2024

    Biotech Consultant Sues Ex-Partner To Force $2.5M Share Buy

    Life sciences consulting firm BioPoint is asking a Massachusetts judge to order a former partner to sell back $2.5 million worth of shares in the closely held company following his ouster, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

  • August 16, 2024

    Real Estate Recap: Cases To Watch, DC Flooding, NYC Hotels

    Catch up on the past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the commercial real estate cases to watch in 2024's second half, one BigLaw attorney's thoughts on new Washington, D.C., flood construction rules and the NYC hotel license bill that has hospitality attorneys rattled.

  • August 16, 2024

    Triathlete Hit By Car Says Event Organizers Didn't Protect Her

    A woman struck by a car while she was biking in a Massachusetts Ironman triathlon last year has sued the sport's national and international governing bodies for negligence in not ensuring her safety during the event.

  • August 16, 2024

    Mass. Dunkin' Franchise Sued Over Hot Coffee Spill

    A Massachusetts Dunkin' franchise was hit with a lawsuit by a customer who said he was seriously burned when the lid came off his coffee as an employee handed it to him at the drive-thru window in May.

  • August 16, 2024

    Ex-Goodwin Atty Takes RE Practice To Nelson Mullins

    A former Goodwin Procter LLP attorney has chosen Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP to be the new home of his practice focused on real estate private equity and joint venture transactions, the firm has announced.

  • August 16, 2024

    1st Circ. Smooths Path For Title VII Retaliation Claims

    The First Circuit affirmed a lower court's grant of summary judgment for Bentley University in an employment discrimination lawsuit brought by a former program coordinator, but also took the opportunity to lower the bar for retaliation claims.

  • August 16, 2024

    Ch. 7 Trustee Can't Recover Tax Payment, States Tell Justices

    A group of roughly two dozen states threw their support behind the federal government in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that forced the IRS to return a tax payment after a bankruptcy trustee argued it was a fraudulent transfer and recoverable under state law.

  • August 16, 2024

    Attys Eye $10.5M In Fees From Pegasystems Securities Deal

    Attorneys for lead plaintiffs in a shareholder class action against Pegasystems are seeking $10.5 million in attorney fees from the $35 million settlement that ended claims that the software company failed to properly disclose a rival's trade secret litigation that led to a since-vacated $2 billion verdict.

  • August 16, 2024

    HarbourVest Raises $18.5B Across 2 Secondary Funds

    Boston-based private equity shop HarbourVest Partners on Friday announced that it racked up $18.5 billion in investor commitments across its two latest secondary markets-focused funds, Dover Street XI and Secondary Overflow Fund V.

  • August 15, 2024

    Harvard Late In Suing Broker For Tardy Admission Suit Notice

    Harvard University was 13 months late in bringing breach of contract claims against its insurance broker for its belated notification to Zurich American Insurance Co. about an ultimately successful legal challenge that upended affirmative action in higher education, a Boston federal judge said Thursday. 

  • August 15, 2024

    Judge Gives Plaintiffs' Attys $1M In Fees For Derivative Row

    A Massachusetts federal judge sliced 60% off a request for attorney fees in a shareholder derivative lawsuit Wednesday, awarding plaintiffs' counsel $1 million for their work on the case, which led to a noncash settlement.

  • August 15, 2024

    Partners Stole Dairy Product Co.'s Trade Secrets, Suit Says

    A dairy farm products company has filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court claiming its manufacturing and distribution partners used its trade secrets to develop and sell a competing line of infection prevention offerings.

  • August 15, 2024

    Harvard, Grad Students Settle Sexual Harassment Case

    Harvard University and a group of doctoral students in its anthropology program have reached a settlement in a sexual harassment lawsuit alleging the school ignored a now-retired professor's misconduct, according to a Wednesday federal court filing.

  • August 15, 2024

    DraftKings Looks To Wipe Out Suit Over Voided NBA Bets

    DraftKings fired back at an aggrieved bettor suing the online sportsbook over voided NBA bets that allegedly cost him a $150,000 payday, telling an Indiana federal judge that its rules plainly allow for the cancelation of wagers offered with obviously incorrect odds.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

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    As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

  • What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

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    As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

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    Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.

  • After Headwinds, 2024 May See Offshore Wind Momentum

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    Despite skyrocketing raw material costs, conflicting state and federal policies, and other setbacks for the offshore wind sector in 2023, the industry appears poised for growth in the coming year, with improving economics, more flexible procurement procedures and increasing legislative support, say Emily Huggins Jones and Ben Cowan at Locke Lord.

  • Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

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    Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

  • The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

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    A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.

  • Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

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    Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.

  • In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

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    Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.

  • How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

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    Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Top 10 Whistleblowing And Retaliation Events Of 2023

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and federal and state courts made 2023 another groundbreaking year for whistleblower litigation and retaliation developments, including the SEC’s massive whistleblower awards, which are likely to continue into 2024 and further incentivize individuals to submit tips, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • A Former Bankruptcy Judge Talks 2023 High Court Rulings

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    In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued four bankruptcy law opinions — an extraordinary number — and a close look at these cases signals that changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code will have to come from Congress, not the courts, says Phillip Shefferly at the University of Michigan Law School.

  • Series

    Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Benefits Limitations Period Ruling Carries ERISA Implications

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    The First Circuit's recent decision in Smith v. Prudential — over enforcing a benefits claim limitations period that expires before the claim accrued — has ramifications for Employee Income Security Act cases, where limitations issues can arise in the termination of ongoing benefit payments rather than an initial application for benefits, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.

  • How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Lessons From This Year's Landmark Green Energy IP Clash

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    In this year's Siemens v. General Electric wind turbine patent dispute, a Massachusetts federal court offers a cautionary tale against willful infringement, and highlights the balance between innovation, law and ethics, as legal battles like this become more frequent in the renewable energy sector, say John Powell and Andrew Siuta at Sunstein.

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