Massachusetts

  • November 08, 2024

    Mass. Auditor Ready For Beacon Hill Oversight Rumble

    The Massachusetts state auditor told Law360 she's ready to scrap with Beacon Hill over expansive new powers that a majority of voters handed her office to scrutinize the legislature, a constitutional clash that seems destined for the state's highest court.

  • November 08, 2024

    Mass. Hay Farm Not Eligible For Ag Tax Break, Court Affirms

    A Massachusetts land parcel that is used for growing and harvesting hay is not eligible for a reduced tax assessment as agricultural land because not enough of the parcel is devoted to the haying operation, the state Court of Appeals affirmed Friday.

  • November 08, 2024

    Judge Will Give Solar Co. $3M Interim Lifeline In Ch. 11

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge said Friday she will grant Oya Renewables, a solar energy producer with offices in Boston and Toronto, interim access to $3 million in postpetition funding on offer from its Chapter 11 stalking horse bidder once some final modifications are made.

  • November 08, 2024

    Mass. Justices Order Return Of Failed Engagement Ring

    Massachusetts' highest court on Friday told a jilted bride seeking to hold on to a $70,000 Tiffany diamond engagement ring that she must return it to her former fiancé, calling it quits on a 65-year-old precedent concerning who gets to keep a ring after a breakup.

  • November 07, 2024

    Solar Energy Co. Hits Ch. 11 With $100M In Debt, Sale Plans

    Oya Renewables, a solar energy producer with offices in Boston and Toronto, has filed for Chapter 11 protection in the Delaware bankruptcy court, disclosing at least $100 million in liabilities — including almost $87 million in funded debt — and plans to sell its assets, while blaming factors such as project delays and litigation for its liquidity crunch.

  • November 07, 2024

    DOL Secretary Seeks Unpaid OT From Health Staffing Cos.

    A pair of health care staffing companies in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania failed to pay overtime to a group of employees it classified as independent contractors, the U.S. Department of Labor alleged Thursday.

  • November 07, 2024

    Mass. Court Affirms Nix Of Property Tax Appeal Citing Blight

    A Massachusetts homeowner's request for a property tax abatement because of local blight was properly rejected by a state tax board because the owner did not pay the tax at issue as required, the state appeals court ruled Tuesday.

  • November 07, 2024

    Teva Can't End Inhaler Antitrust Suit But Gets Claim Nixed

    A Massachusetts federal court refused Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.'s attempt to end a case accusing it of orchestrating a decade-long scheme to delay generic competition for its QVAR asthma inhalers, but cut allegations that Teva paid Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc. not to launch its version.

  • November 07, 2024

    Ex-Cop, Brother Admit Energy Contract Kickback Scheme

    A former Massachusetts police officer and his electrician brother pled guilty Wednesday to paying off employees of a utility ratepayer-funded energy savings program administrator who steered $36 million in contracts their way, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

  • November 07, 2024

    Boston Firm Says Atty Diverted Leads To Keches Law Group

    Personal injury firm Keches Law Group has been hit with a Massachusetts state court complaint alleging it secretly worked with an associate at a smaller firm to obtain leads on potential cases.

  • November 06, 2024

    1st Circ. Tells Immigration Board To Rethink Torture Definition

    The First Circuit has ordered the Board of Immigration Appeals to reconsider denying removal relief for a man wanted for murder in Jamaica, finding that the board incorrectly assumed that direct police participation was needed to back his fear of torture.

  • November 06, 2024

    Mass. Gov. Taps 3 For Superior Court

    Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has nominated three attorneys from within the ranks of state government to the state's Superior Court, her office announced Wednesday.

  • November 06, 2024

    Mass. Tobacco Law's Penalty Provision Hits State's Top Court

    Massachusetts' highest court on Wednesday attempted to reconcile a state law mandating a $1,000 fine for selling flavored tobacco products with a separate statute requiring local officials to file a criminal complaint if they seek to enforce penalties of that amount.

  • November 06, 2024

    Mass. Justices Dubious Of Karen Read's Double Jeopardy Bid

    Massachusetts' highest appellate court on Wednesday appeared skeptical that Karen Read, the woman accused in a high-profile case of striking and killing her boyfriend with her SUV, should be cleared on two counts after jurors came forward following a mistrial to say they had voted to acquit.

  • November 06, 2024

    Mass. Voters Back Gig Driver Unions, Setting Up Possible Suit

    Massachusetts voters on Tuesday handed Uber and Lyft drivers a novel route to unionization, likely setting up a legal challenge to the measure that experts predict will face an uphill climb.

  • November 06, 2024

    TA Makes €1.21B Bid For German Healthcare Tech Biz

    U.S. private equity firm TA Associates Management LP has offered to acquire Nexus AG in a public takeover offer, valuing the German healthcare technology company at €1.21 billion ($1.3 billion).

  • November 05, 2024

    Mass. Voters Reject Tipped Minimum Wage Proposal

    Massachusetts voters on Tuesday rejected a hotly contested measure that would have fundamentally changed how servers and other tipped workers are compensated, one of a collection of ballot initiatives dealing with employment rights, education and legalized hallucinogens.

  • November 05, 2024

    Trump Has Official Immunity. What About His Aides?

    Whether the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity extends to subordinates who follow a president's orders has become a more pressing question in the wake of Donald Trump's projected election win, according to legal experts.

  • November 05, 2024

    How Trump Can Quash His Criminal Cases

    Donald Trump's projected victory at the polls also translates to a win in the courts, as the second-term president will have the power to end both of his federal criminal cases. And the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity would shield him from any consequences for ordering his charges to be dismissed, experts say.

  • November 05, 2024

    An Early Look At Trump's Supreme Court Shortlist

    With former President Donald Trump projected to win the 2024 presidential election and the Republicans' success in securing the U.S. Senate majority, Trump may now get the chance to appoint two more justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, cementing the court's conservative tilt for decades to come.

  • November 05, 2024

    GOP's Senate Win Hands Future Of The Judiciary To Trump

    Republicans were projected to take back the White House and Senate and possibly the House early Wednesday, putting the GOP in position to back Donald Trump's agenda and his slate of young, conservative judicial nominees. 

  • November 05, 2024

    The Firms With An Inside Track To A New Trump Admin

    Law firms that have represented Donald Trump and the Republican Party on everything from personal legal woes to election-related lawsuits could see the risks of that work pay dividends as Trump is projected to secure a second term in office.

  • November 05, 2024

    Cannabis And Psychedelic Reform Bids Fail In Multiple States

    Efforts to liberalize cannabis and psychedelic laws via ballot initiatives met with defeat in multiple states on Election Day, dealing a blow to reformers of drug policies.

  • November 05, 2024

    Immigrant Bond Cos. Slam 'Knee-Jerk' CFPB In $811M Fight

    Immigrant bond companies appealing an order to pay $811 million for allegedly abusive bonding practices have told the Fourth Circuit that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's attempt to uphold that sanction is "aimed at the heartstrings and meant to evince a knee-jerk reaction to conduct that was distasteful" but said there is "nothing that can be done to alter the past."

  • November 05, 2024

    Day Pitney Adds Trademark, Copyright Pro In Boston

    A former ArentFox Schiff LLP attorney has jumped to Day Pitney LLP's intellectual property law practice, bringing with her years of experience in Boston helping clients defend trademarks and register copyrights.

Expert Analysis

  • Copyright Questions Surround AI Music Platform Suits

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    If recent lawsuits filed by the Recording Industry Association of America against two artificial intelligence music platform developers — who maintain that use of copyrighted works to train AI models constitutes fair use — go to trial, this novel issue will make for potentially precedent-setting decisions, says intellectual property lawyer Eric Lane.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • Considering Chevron's End Through A State Tax Lens

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    States took the lead in encouraging Chevron's demise, turning away from Chevron-type deference in state tax administration ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, a trend likely to accelerate as courts take a more active role in interpreting tax laws, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review

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    As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.

  • Election Could Bring Change In Weather For Offshore Wind

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    Under another Trump administration, the offshore wind sector would encounter substantial headwinds, as Trump's policy track record emphasizes fossil fuel dominance and environmental rollbacks, while a Harris victory would likely further entrench the pro-renewable energy stance taken by the Biden administration, say attorneys at Jones Walker.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Takeaways From The IRS' Crypto Doc Summons Win

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    A recent First Circuit decision holding that taxpayers do not have a Fourth Amendment reasonable expectation of privacy in cryptocurrency transaction records should prompt both taxpayers and exchanges to take stock of past transactions and future plans, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Employer Lessons From Mass. 'Bonus Not Wages' Ruling

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    In Nunez v. Syncsort, a Massachusetts state appeals court recently held that a terminated employee’s retention bonus did not count as wages under the state’s Wage Act, illustrating the nuanced ways “wages” are defined by state statutes and courts, say attorneys at Segal McCambridge.

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