Massachusetts

  • January 23, 2026

    Ex-Mass. Pol's Sister Cops To Obstructing Benefit Fraud Case

    The sister of a former Massachusetts state senator pled guilty to attempting to interfere in a grand jury investigation into the politician's allegedly fraudulent collection of unemployment benefits, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

  • January 23, 2026

    Live Nation Antitrust Judge Wants To 'Punt' On State Claims

    A federal judge in Manhattan asked Friday whether federal and state authorities accusing Live Nation of stifling competition in live entertainment would consent to staying the state law claims and focus on federal claims in an upcoming trial so it won't end up "lasting five years."

  • January 22, 2026

    Pizzeria Owner Can't Beat 8-Year Sentence For Forced Labor

    The First Circuit on Wednesday refused to vacate a Boston-area pizzeria chain owner's forced labor convictions and an 8½-year prison sentence, finding adequate evidence to back the jury's findings and no error in how the court calculated his sentence.

  • January 22, 2026

    Patent Office Beats La Jolla Pharma's Application Denial Suit

    A Virginia federal judge on Wednesday upheld a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decision that denied patent applications from drug developer La Jolla Pharma LLC claiming a unique dosage and delivery method of a drug the company markets to treat low blood pressure, finding the claims are all anticipated or obvious.

  • January 22, 2026

    DOJ's Revival Of Mediation Agency Doesn't End Suit Yet

    Community organizations told a Massachusetts federal judge Thursday they are planning to continue fighting what they alleged was the dismantling of a small racial-justice mediation agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, even as the agency's employees have been called back to work, saying it is still not clear if services have been restored.

  • January 22, 2026

    Feds Given More Time To Revisit School Grant Cancellations

    A Washington federal judge agreed Thursday to extend a deadline for the Trump administration to make fresh determinations as to 138 public school mental health grants that the court has found were illegally canceled, but admonished the federal government for previously understating how long those reassessments would take.   

  • January 22, 2026

    Meta Fights Late Data Request In Instagram Addiction Suit

    Meta Platforms has told a judge that Massachusetts' attorney general should not be allowed to fill what the company said are holes in the state's Instagram addiction lawsuit with a late subpoena for records from two of its own health agencies.

  • January 22, 2026

    Designer Akris Settles FCA Claim Over Pandemic Loan

    The U.S. subsidiary of Swiss designer Akris AG has agreed to pay $1.8 million to settle a False Claims Act complaint alleging the company improperly obtained a pandemic relief loan for which it was not eligible, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston announced Thursday.

  • January 22, 2026

    Hologic Faces Del. Class Suit Over $18.3B Sale Disclosures

    Citing alleged failures to make news about litigation settlements public ahead of a proposed $18.3 billion company sale, a pension fund stockholder of women's health-focused tech company Hologic Inc. has sued for a Delaware Court of Chancery hold on the deal pending disclosures or damages awards.

  • January 22, 2026

    Roomba Maker IRobot Gets Ch. 11 Plan Approved

    A Delaware bankruptcy court Thursday gave final confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan proposed by iRobot Corp., the maker of the Roomba robot vacuum, that calls for eliminating $257 million in debt and transferring ownership of the company to its secured creditor.

  • January 22, 2026

    Hotel Must Honor Deal Reached By Solo Atty, 1st Circ. Rules

    A Massachusetts hotel cannot escape a $580,000 deal settling a class action and three individual wage and hour cases, the First Circuit ruled, rejecting the entity's argument that a conflict of interest arose when the plaintiffs' counsel represented both the workers in all four cases.

  • January 21, 2026

    Robinhood Warns Of Gambling Suit 'Threat' After Kalshi Loss

    Trading platform Robinhood is once again calling for a federal judge to block Massachusetts from taking enforcement action against it for allegedly offering access to sports betting, saying it faces a "a real and imminent threat" of prosecution given the state's victory against another prediction markets firm Tuesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    Feds Say Medicare Steering Case Meets FCA Legal Bar

    The government said Wednesday that its False Claims Act complaint accusing insurers and brokers of participating in a kickback scheme to steer customers to Medicare Advantage plans doesn't conflict with a First Circuit decision last year setting out the standard for such cases.  

  • January 21, 2026

    CFIUS Review Could Delay IRobot Ch. 11 Deal, DOJ Warns

    The Department of Justice has notified the Delaware bankruptcy court that an evaluation of Roomba maker iRobot's proposed Chapter 11 plan transactions by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. could postpone those deals on the eve of a plan confirmation hearing.

  • January 21, 2026

    Dem States Warn Harvard Visa Ban Could Ripple Nationwide

    A coalition of Democratic-led states told the First Circuit that the Trump administration's bid to bar Harvard University from admitting foreign students exemplifies its larger attempt to use immigration enforcement to retaliate against disfavored higher education institutions.

  • January 21, 2026

    FedEx Dodges Claims It Owed OT, Was Drivers' Employer

    Drivers who worked for FedEx through intermediary entities failed to support their arguments that the freight company was their joint employer or that they worked unpaid overtime under federal wage law, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Wednesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    Widow Of 'Sophie's Choice' Author Settles Stage Rights Spat

    The 97-year-old widow of author William Styron has settled a suit by a playwright who claimed he held exclusive rights to the stage version of Styron's novel "Sophie's Choice," according to a filing in Massachusetts state court.

  • January 21, 2026

    Massachusetts Owes Developer $15M Tax Credit, Court Rules

    Massachusetts' Department of Revenue owes a Boston Seaport developer a $15.3 million brownfields tax credit, a state judge said, finding that the tax agency was not entitled to second-guess the extent and cost of environmental remediation at the site to justify a smaller amount.

  • January 20, 2026

    Adviser Can't Freeze Funds From $2.1B Plymouth REIT Buy

    A Massachusetts state judge declined Tuesday to set aside $60 million from a pending $2.1 billion deal to take Plymouth Industrial REIT private, finding the criteria to escrow the funds as a "debt" to Plymouth's financial adviser were not met.

  • January 20, 2026

    Law360 Names Firms Of The Year

    Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 48 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, achieving milestones such as high-profile litigation wins at the U.S. Supreme Court and 11-figure merger deals.

  • January 20, 2026

    Mass. Senate OKs Property Tax 'Shock' Protection Plan

    Massachusetts would allow local governments to grant tax credits to certain residential property owners whose property tax levies would otherwise increase by more than 10% under legislation passed by the state Senate.

  • January 20, 2026

    Immigration Courts 'Ignoring' Bond Hearing Order, Judge Says

    A Massachusetts federal judge said Tuesday that immigration court judges appear to be "effectively ignoring" rulings by her and other district judges to grant bond hearings for detainees, but acknowledged there's little she can do about it.

  • January 20, 2026

    Mass. High Court Says In-Custody Charge Can't Revoke Bail

    Massachusetts' highest court decided Tuesday that a man charged with weapons possession could not have his bail revoked for an alleged custodial offense due to statutory language requiring offenses altering bail to have been committed after release.

  • January 20, 2026

    Mass. Judge Slams Brakes On Kalshi Sports Offerings

    Prediction market operator Kalshi will soon be barred from offering sports event contracts in Massachusetts after a state judge ruled Tuesday that the contracts are likely functioning as unlicensed sports wagering.

  • January 16, 2026

    Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year

    Law360 would like to congratulate the winners of its Practice Groups of the Year awards for 2025, which honor the attorney teams behind litigation wins and significant transaction work that resonated throughout the legal industry this past year.

Expert Analysis

  • When Atty Ethics Violations Give Rise To Causes Of Action

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    Though the Model Rules of Professional Conduct make clear that a violation of the rules does not automatically create a cause of action, attorneys should beware of a few scenarios in which they could face lawsuits for ethical lapses, says Brian Faughnan at Faughnan Law.

  • Series

    Practicing Stoicism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Practicing Stoicism, by applying reason to ignore my emotions and govern my decisions, has enabled me to approach challenging situations in a structured way, ultimately providing advice singularly devoted to a client's interest, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Educating Your Community

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    Nearly two decades prosecuting scammers and elder fraud taught me that proactively educating the public about the risks they face and the rights they possess is essential to building trust within our communities, empowering otherwise vulnerable citizens and preventing wrongdoers from gaining a foothold, says Roger Handberg at GrayRobinson.

  • Federal Grantees May Soon Face More Limitations On Speech

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    If courts accept the administration’s new interpretation of preexisting case law, which attempts to graft onto grant recipients the existing limitations on government contractors' free speech, a more deferential standard may soon apply in determining whether an agency’s refusal or termination of a grant was in violation of the First Amendment, say attorneys at Venable.

  • What To Know About Interim Licenses In Global FRAND Cases

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    Recent U.K. court decisions have shaped a framework for interim licenses in global standard-essential patent disputes, under which parties can benefit from operating on temporary terms while a court determines the final fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms — but the future of this developing remedy is in doubt, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

  • 5 Crisis Lawyering Skills For An Age Of Uncertainty

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    As attorneys increasingly face unprecedented and pervasive situations — from prosecutions of law enforcement officials to executive orders targeting law firms — they must develop several essential competencies of effective crisis lawyering, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For The Judiciary To Fix Its Cybersecurity Problem

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    After recent reports that hackers have once again infiltrated federal courts’ electronic case management systems, the judiciary should strengthen its cybersecurity practices in line with executive branch standards, outlining clear roles and responsibilities for execution, says Ilona Cohen at HackerOne.

  • Series

    Writing Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Writing my debut novel taught me to appreciate the value of critique and to never give up, no matter how long or tedious the journey, providing me with valuable skills that I now emphasize in my practice, says Daniel Buzzetta at BakerHostetler.

  • New Mass. 'Junk Fee' Regs Will Be Felt Across Industries

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    The reach of a newly effective regulation prohibiting so-called junk fees and deceptive pricing in Massachusetts will be widespread across industries, which should prompt businesses to take note of new advertising, pricing information and negative option requirements, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

  • SDNY OpenAI Order Clarifies Preservation Standards For AI

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    The Southern District of New York’s recent order in the OpenAI copyright infringement litigation, denying discovery of The New York Times' artificial intelligence technology use, clarifies that traditional preservation benchmarks apply to AI content, relieving organizations from using a “keep everything” approach, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • State Paid Leave Laws Are Changing Employer Obligations

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    A wave of new and expanded state laws covering paid family, medical and sick leave will test multistate compliance systems, marking a fundamental operational shift for employers that requires proactive planning, system modernization and policy alignment to manage simultaneous state and federal obligations, says Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau at PrestigePEO.

  • Opinion

    High Court, Not A Single Justice, Should Decide On Recusal

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    As public trust in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to decline, the court should adopt a collegial framework in which all justices decide questions of recusal together — a reform that respects both judicial independence and due process for litigants, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Series

    Traveling Solo Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Traveling by myself has taught me to assess risk, understand tone and stay calm in high-pressure situations, which are not only useful life skills, but the foundation of how I support my clients, says Lacey Gutierrez at Group Five Legal.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Client Service

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    Law school teaches you how to interpret the law, but it doesn't teach you some of the key ways to keeping clients satisfied, lessons that I've learned in the most unexpected of places: a book on how to be a butler, says Gregory Ramos at Armstrong Teasdale.

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