Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Massachusetts
-
June 21, 2024
Ex-Mass. Pol Hit With New Charges In COVID Fraud Case
A former Massachusetts state senator already accused of pandemic-related fraud has been charged alongside his sister with attempting to cover up a scheme to make him eligible for unemployment benefits, the U.S. attorney's office announced Friday.
-
June 21, 2024
Attys Eye $1.4M Slice Of State Street Retirement Plan Deal
Class counsel are requesting a one-third cut from a $4.3 million settlement with State Street Corp. to resolve claims the bank stocked its employees' 401(k) plan with imprudent funds that it managed or that were run by its subsidiaries or affiliates.
-
June 20, 2024
1st Circ. Says Song Royalties Go To Artists, Not Band Owners
The First Circuit ruled that members of musical groups, not their owners or managers, are due royalties as featured "recording artists" under federal law.
-
June 20, 2024
Boston College Settles 401(k) Participants' Suit
Boston College and participants in the school's employee retirement plan told a Massachusetts federal court they have struck a deal to resolve claims the college mismanaged the 401(k) plan.
-
June 20, 2024
19 Dem AGs Urge Law Group, Others To Ignore DEI Detractors
A coalition of 19 Democratic state attorneys general issued a letter Thursday rebutting criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the American Bar Association, Fortune 100 corporations and law firms.
-
June 20, 2024
GOP Sens. Get Tough On 6th Circ. Nominee's History
Republican senators hammered Sixth Circuit nominee Karla M. Campbell, of counsel at Stranch Jennings & Garvey PLLC, during a hearing on Thursday about her political donations, past advisory roles and the process by which she was nominated.
-
June 20, 2024
ZoomInfo Hit With Race Bias Claim By Fired Account Exec
A Black former senior account executive at ZoomInfo Technologies Inc. says he was repeatedly denied promotions and transfers despite outperforming white colleagues, then was fired in retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint.
-
June 18, 2024
Home Builders Sued For Non-FHA-Compliant Apartments
A group of home building and financing companies including the Toll Brothers were sued by Manhattan federal prosecutors Tuesday for allegedly violating the Fair Housing Act by building residential units that weren't accessible to people with physical disabilities.
-
June 18, 2024
Town, Race Organizer Reject Boston Marathon Bias Claims
Town officials and the organizers of the annual Boston Marathon want the courts to toss a Black running group's race bias suit, arguing that group members were not barred from being spectators and that a confetti cannon, not discrimination, is to blame for a confrontation with police.
-
June 18, 2024
Fed Should Vote Now On Basel Capital Hike Plan, Warren Says
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has accused Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell of "doing the bank industry's bidding" as federal regulators look to back off of significant proposed increases to big-bank capital requirements, saying he should instead put those increases to a board vote by the end of June.
-
June 18, 2024
Blue States And Enviro Groups Back DOE Furnace Rule
Several blue states and environmental and consumer groups have thrown their support behind the U.S. Department of Energy's tighter energy efficiency standards for furnaces and water heaters, telling the D.C. Circuit that challenges to the new rules are meritless.
-
June 18, 2024
Lender Sues To Recoup $1M From Renowned Boston Chef
A small Massachusetts bank is taking an award-winning Boston chef and restaurateur to court in an effort to recover more than $1 million in loans intended to start what turned out to be a short-lived eatery just outside the city in 2023.
-
June 18, 2024
Epstein Becker Partner Rejoins Ogletree In Rhode Island
Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC has rehired an attorney who spent the past three years working with Epstein Becker & Green PC on a range of employment-related matters, the firm announced Tuesday.
-
June 18, 2024
Restitution Plan For Lead-Test Defects Leaves Judge Uneasy
A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday questioned the legality of a plan to have a claims administrator, rather than the court, oversee victim compensation in a criminal case alleging Magellan Diagnostics hid information about inaccurate results in its lead-testing devices.
-
June 18, 2024
Insurers Must Keep Defending Heating Oil Co. In Class Suit
Two Crum & Forster units must continue defending a heating oil company and several executives in a class action claiming the company provided oil with elevated levels of biodiesel that caused property damage, a Massachusetts federal court ruled, saying the policies' "failure to supply" provisions do not limit or exclude coverage.
-
June 17, 2024
Teva, DOJ Signal Key Kickback Case May Fizzle At 1st Circ.
A U.S. Department of Justice kickback case against Teva Pharmaceuticals — closely watched by False Claims Act lawyers because of its multibillion-dollar stakes and its link to a major circuit split — is poised for settlement, according to a new First Circuit filing ahead of eagerly awaited oral arguments.
-
June 17, 2024
Fed. Circ. Says Errors Led To Injunction In Trade Secrets Suit
A Federal Circuit panel on Monday overturned a preliminary injunction against a South Korean insulin pump patch manufacturer that allegedly stole trade secrets from a rival, saying a Massachusetts federal court made a series of errors in its determination to grant an injunction.
-
June 17, 2024
Split Mass. Top Court Backs Strict View Of Prompt Pay Law
The top appeals court in Massachusetts said in a divided opinion Monday that contractors must pay overdue invoices before disputing claims under the state's prompt pay law, with two dissenting judges criticizing the majority for trying to rewrite the law "by judicial fiat."
-
June 17, 2024
Mass. Dentist Indicted In Alleged $2M Medicaid Fraud
A Massachusetts dentist and her practice have been charged with fraudulently billing the state's Medicaid program, MassHealth, more than $2 million for services that were never provided.
-
June 17, 2024
College Students Say Mass. COVID Liability Shield Unjust
Three former students seeking tuition refunds are urging a Massachusetts court to rule on the constitutionality of a state law wiping away schools' liability for switching to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a statute that has all but doomed their separate federal complaints.
-
June 14, 2024
Real Estate Recap: Special Servicers, 'Dirty' Money, Alt Energy
Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including recent litigation targeting special servicers, a 700% increase in brownfield funding, and one BigLaw real estate leader's take on alternative energy as interest rates hold steady.
-
June 14, 2024
Mass. Seeks Damages From Trucking Co. In Highway Crash
Massachusetts is suing an Alabama trucking company whose driver crashed into and seriously damaged a highway overpass on I-93 just outside Boston three years ago, saying the firm hasn't paid for repairs to the structure.
-
June 14, 2024
Dog Adoption Groups Assail 'Radical' CDC Import Rule
A "radical" new rule issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention banning the import of dogs younger than six months does nothing to combat canine rabies and instead will lead to the death of thousands of puppies that U.S. citizens are eager to adopt, according to a suit filed by a group of animal adoption charities.
-
June 14, 2024
Dunkin' Franchise Must Face Customer's Race Bias Suit
An intermediate appellate court in Massachusetts on Friday revived part of a lawsuit brought by a Black customer of a Dunkin' franchise who says an employee deliberately ignored his order for 15 minutes, then threw his food at him and called him a racist epithet.
-
June 14, 2024
Mass. Pot Regulators Lift Ban On Shipping To Islands
Massachusetts cannabis regulators approved an administrative order that will allow retailers on the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket to source their pot from mainland suppliers.
Expert Analysis
-
Cos. Must Show Discretion In Public Statements When Sued
A recent securities class action ruling in Massachusetts federal court against software company Pegasystems shows that a boilerplate public denial of a lawsuit's merits can form the basis for a claim that the statement was false or misleading, underscoring the need to use discretion when responding to pending claims, say Brian Kearney and Stephen Kastenberg at Ballard Spahr.
-
Autonomous Vehicles Must Navigate Patchwork Of State Regs
With only modest action by the federal government on the autonomous vehicle regulatory front in 2023, states and localities remain the predominant source of new regulations affecting AVs — but the result is a mix of rules that both help and hinder AV development and adoption, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
-
Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
-
Alleged $636M Deal Error Highlights Ethics Considerations
Adelman v. Proskauer, a malpractice suit that allegedly arose from a cut-and-paste error resulting in potential damages of $636 million, presents an intriguing juxtaposition of facts and legal issues — and practical ethical considerations for transactions attorneys, says Richard Leisner at Trenam Law.
-
Federal Policies Keeping Autonomous Vehicles In Slow Lane
In the first installment of this two-part article, attorneys at Faegre Drinker examine recent federal regulations and programs related to autonomous vehicles — and how the federal government's failure to implement a more comprehensive AV regulatory scheme may be slowing the progress of the industry.
-
Mass. Ruling Shows Value Of Additional Insured Specifics
A Massachusetts court’s recent D.F. Pray v. Wesco Insurance decision demonstrates that blanket additional insured endorsements can create issues with personal jurisdiction, so those named as additional insureds should require their lower-tier contractors to use specific endorsements, say Thomas Dunn and Sheya Rivard at Pierce Atwood.
-
5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
-
Alleged $636M Deal Error Shows Value Of Old-School Methods
Though Proskauer Rose has now settled claims involving a copy-paste error in deal documents that could have resulted in $636 million in damages, the debacle reminds attorneys that classic revision methods using paper copies can help avoid drafting errors and actually save time in the long run, says Richard Leisner at Trenam.
-
Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
-
What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
-
Checking In On How SuperValu Has Altered FCA Litigation
Four months after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in U.S. ex rel. Chutte v. SuperValu, the decision's reach may be more limited than initially anticipated, with the expansion of the scienter standard counterbalanced by some potential defense tools for defendants, say Elena Quattrone and Olivia Plinio at Epstein Becker.
-
Series
Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
-
Opinion
Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
-
Mass. Robinhood Ruling Will Affect Broker-Dealers Nationwide
Following the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's recent ruling in Robinhood v. Galvin, which upheld the state's rule imposing a fiduciary duty standard on broker-dealers, the Massachusetts Securities Division will likely target in-state and out-of-state firms under the rule, say attorneys at Mintz.
-
How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI
When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.