Massachusetts

  • July 31, 2025

    Dept. Head Ends Claim Of Being Forced To Work After Injuries

    Scientific Systems Company Inc., a Massachusetts-based military contractor, and a former department head have agreed to dismiss a Connecticut federal employment discrimination lawsuit that claimed the company forced its ex-employee to work with a spinal injury and broken fingers after he fell during a travel assignment.

  • July 31, 2025

    Mass. Court Allows Consecutive Resentencing In Murder Case

    Massachusetts' highest court has ruled that prosecutors may seek two consecutive life sentences with parole eligibility in a double murder case after outlawing life without parole sentences for defendants who committed crimes between the ages of 18 and 20-years-old.

  • July 31, 2025

    1st Circ. Denies Marathon Bomber's Bid To DQ Trial Judge

    The First Circuit on Thursday denied a request by convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to have the judge who presided over his 2015 trial removed from conducting a probe into whether some of the jurors who sentenced him to death were biased.

  • July 31, 2025

    Judge Questions Gov't Objection To Shielding FEMA Funds

    A Massachusetts federal judge Thursday questioned the Trump administration's assertion that it has not redirected funds allocated by Congress for natural disaster mitigation efforts toward other Federal Emergency Management Agency programs, even as the government was objecting to states' narrow request to protect the funds for now.

  • July 30, 2025

    8th Circ. Tosses Ruling Striking Binding NEPA Regulations

    The Eighth Circuit has granted blue states' bid to vacate a ruling that faulted the White House Council on Environmental Quality for issuing binding regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act, following the Trump administration's decision to withdraw those regulations.

  • July 30, 2025

    'Peace Promoter's' Bitcoin Sentencing Upheld At 1st Circ.

    A church founder and self-described "peace promoter" must serve an eight-year sentence, the First Circuit affirmed, rejecting his argument that the U.S. Department of the Treasury overstepped its bounds by charging him with tax evasion and a slew of other crimes tied to a Bitcoin operation he founded in 2014.

  • July 30, 2025

    Trump Official Denies Shutting Down FEMA Disaster Program

    The administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency told a Massachusetts federal judge that President Donald Trump's administration has not decided whether to end the agency's flagship natural disaster protection program, despite a lawsuit by 20 states claiming it had been shut down.

  • July 30, 2025

    Dem Senators Press 9th Circ. Pick On Gender Role Beliefs

    Eric Tung, a partner at Jones Day and nominee for the Ninth Circuit, faced questions from Democratic senators during his nomination hearing Wednesday about his views on gender roles, based on remarks he gave to the Yale Daily News in 2004, when he was in college.

  • July 30, 2025

    Housing Groups Want $30M Grant Case Kept In District Court

    A coalition of housing advocacy groups challenging the termination of $30 million in federal antidiscrimination grants asked the First Circuit on Wednesday to let the Massachusetts federal district court keep jurisdiction over the case, if only to keep it alive long enough to figure out next steps.

  • July 30, 2025

    4 Firms Steer Palo Alto Networks' $25B CyberArk Buy

    Cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks revealed plans Wednesday to acquire identity security company CyberArk in a cash-and-stock megadeal valued at $25 billion and built by four law firms.

  • July 29, 2025

    States Sue To Block Feds' Demand For Benefit Recipient Data

    Nearly two dozen state attorneys general are fighting the USDA's directive for states to turn over private information about millions of food assistance benefit recipients, arguing in a new lawsuit filed in California federal court that this demand violates multiple privacy laws and the U.S. Constitution.

  • July 29, 2025

    Mass. Appeals Court Won't Overturn $6.6M Fatal Stroke Award

    A Massachusetts appellate panel on Tuesday declined to toss a $6.6 million medical malpractice award in a suit accusing a physician of causing a patient's fatal stroke, saying certain instructions did not unfairly influence the jury.

  • July 29, 2025

    J&J Owes $43M For 30-Year Talc User's Mesothelioma

    A Massachusetts state court jury ordered Johnson & Johnson Tuesday to pay more than $42.6 million to a former talc user with mesothelioma and his wife, following a trial in which the man's lawyer told jurors the alleged cancer-causing effects of the company's baby powder were its "dirty little secret."

  • July 29, 2025

    Fight Over End To Migrant Parole May Be Moot, 1st Circ. Hints

    The First Circuit grappled Tuesday with whether the Trump administration could elect to abruptly end a Biden-era immigration parole program, even as it appeared to acknowledge that as a practical matter, the measure could die of attrition before the question is answered.

  • July 29, 2025

    Hershey Tries To Sink Suit Over Spicy Chip Blamed For Death

    The Hershey Company has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the family of a teen who died after participating in a viral social media trend dubbed the "One Chip Challenge," which involved consuming an extremely spicy tortilla chip, saying the product is legal and includes "prominent warning labels."

  • July 29, 2025

    Harvard Escapes Title IX Suit Over Transgender Swimmer

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday dismissed Harvard University and stayed proceedings in a lawsuit filed by three former collegiate swimmers over the participation of a transgender athlete in a 2022 competition at the school, pending the decision on a similar case in Georgia.

  • July 29, 2025

    22 States Sue To Block Defunding Of Planned Parenthood

    California and more than 20 other states on Tuesday launched their own legal challenge to budget legislation that halts federal Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, alleging the measure illegally targets the organization and violates its First Amendment rights.

  • July 29, 2025

    Justices Can Fix Circuit Split On Compassionate Release

    The First Step Act drastically reduced the mandatory minimum sentences for certain federal crimes, but it will be up to the U.S. Supreme Court to settle a 6-4 circuit split over whether courts can consider those changes when weighing a prisoner's compassionate release, attorneys tell Law360.

  • July 29, 2025

    Pot Growers Not Forum-Shopping In $17M Suit, Judge Finds

    A Massachusetts state court judge has rejected claims of forum shopping made by a berry farm accused of contaminating nearby cannabis fields with pesticides, denying a motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.

  • July 28, 2025

    SEC Pushes $630K Penalty Against Atty In Stock Fraud Suit

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission renewed its motion Monday for a more than $630,000 civil penalty and final judgment against securities attorney Henry Sargent, after years of litigation in Massachusetts federal court alleging he orchestrated a sham merger, saying Sargent "has never recognized the wrongfulness of his conduct."

  • July 28, 2025

    Mass. Judge Denies Injunction Against Trash Co. Hit By Strike

    A Massachusetts state court judge on Monday denied a request by six communities for an injunction forcing trash hauler Republic Services to fully comply with the terms of its existing waste collection contracts, as a strike by its workers entered its fourth week.

  • July 28, 2025

    Mass. Planning Group Looks To Bar AFSCME Union Petition

    A publicly funded regional planning entity in Massachusetts has asked a judge to deem it is not a public employer, seeking to head off further efforts by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to organize the group's workers.

  • July 28, 2025

    State Justices' Financial Disclosures 'Didn't Get Worse' In '24

    Several states are making information about their Supreme Court justices' finances and potential financial conflicts somewhat more accessible, according to a new report.

  • July 28, 2025

    Judge Again Cites Bias In NIH Fund Freeze As Gov't Appeals

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Monday reiterated his conclusion that the Trump administration's freeze of $783 million worth of National Institutes of Health grants was based on "palpable" gender and racial discrimination, as he acknowledged a pending request by the government to the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his order that the money be released.

  • July 28, 2025

    Biotech GC Says She Was Ousted Amid 'Systemic' Bias

    A former general counsel at Massachusetts life sciences firm Repligen has filed a lawsuit in state court claiming that a pervasive culture of gender bias led to her and other women being treated differently and paid less.

Expert Analysis

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

    Author Photo

    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Expect Surging Oil And Gas Industry Under New Trump Admin

    Author Photo

    Throughout his recent campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised increased oil and natural gas production and reduced reliance on renewables — and his administration will likely bring more oil and gas dealmaking, faster federal permitting and attempts to roll back incentives for green energy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

    Author Photo

    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Expect More State-Level Scrutiny Of Noncompetes Ahead

    Author Photo

    Despite the nationwide injunction against the Federal Trade Commission’s noncompete ban, and the incoming Republican administration, employers should anticipate that state legislatures will continue to focus on laws that limit or ban noncompetes, including those that target certain salary thresholds or industries, says Benjamin Fryer at FordHarrison.

  • In Terror Case, DC Circ. Must Weigh Justices' Twitter Ruling

    Author Photo

    When the D.C. Circuit hears oral argument in AstraZeneca UK v. Atchley, how the court interprets the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Twitter v. Taamneh will have a significant impact on future claims brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • Video Privacy Law Claims After 2nd Circ. NBA Ruling

    Author Photo

    The Second Circuit's recent ruling in Salazar v. National Basketball Association expanded the definition of what constitutes a consumer under the Video Privacy Protection Act, breathing new life into the law by making any newsletter subscriber to a platform that hosts video content a potential plaintiff, say attorneys at Clark Hill.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

    Author Photo

    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Why K-Cup Claims Landed Keurig In Hot Water With SEC

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Keurig Dr. Pepper for making incomplete statements regarding the recyclability of K-cup pods highlights the importance of comprehensive corporate disclosures, particularly with respect to ESG matters, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Notable Q3 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

    Author Photo

    Total loss valuation cases and labor depreciation cases dominated the past quarter of insurance class actions, with courts continuing to reject challenges to condition adjustments in the former, and a pro-insured trend persisting in the latter, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Copyright Questions Surround AI Music Platform Suits

    Author Photo

    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
    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Massachusetts archive.