Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Massachusetts
-
January 10, 2025
Real Estate Recap: REIT Activism, Enviro Policy, Power Woes
Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including one attorney's expectations for shareholder activism at real estate investment trusts in 2025, the environmental policies that are top of mind for attorneys going into the new year, and the impact power constraints may have on data center gains.
-
January 10, 2025
GSK Hits Back At Moderna Counterclaims In Patent Feud
GlaxoSmithKline wants a Delaware federal court to quickly reject some of the counterclaims leveled by Moderna in response to patent suits over the company's mRNA vaccines.
-
January 10, 2025
Blue State AGs Urge Walmart To Reinstate DEI Initiatives
A group of Democratic state attorneys general sent a letter to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon on Thursday urging the retail giant to reconsider scrapping diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying such programs "are not just good policy, but in many cases are necessary to comply with the law."
-
January 10, 2025
New Pirate Loot Claims Lodged In Chancery
A Flying Dutchman of a legal wrangle over a treasure-laden, sunken pirate ship off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, surfaced again Friday in Delaware's Court of Chancery in an investor suit demanding books and records on a decades-long salvage operation and alleging possible fraudulent conveyances by "rogue fiduciaries."
-
January 10, 2025
Patent Partner Leaves Kilpatrick Townsend For K&L Gates
K&L Gates LLP has added to its Orange County, California, office a Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP partner with a practice of working with Chinese companies looking to file patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
-
January 10, 2025
SEC's $93M Win Not Backed By Proof, Adviser Tells 1st Circ.
Commonwealth Financial asked a First Circuit panel Friday to undo a $93 million award the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission won last year, saying the lower court was too quick to find that the firm's disclosure practices harmed investors.
-
January 10, 2025
Couple Says EBay, Top Brass Can't Duck Trial In Stalking Suit
A Massachusetts couple argued Friday that eBay Inc. and several of its top executives were at least aware of a harassment campaign perpetrated by employees of the online retailer and should not be let off the liability hook.
-
January 10, 2025
1st Circ. Questions Reach Of Anti-Torture Law In Civil Cases
The First Circuit on Friday hinted it may be considering limits on the jurisdiction of the Torture Victims Protection Act, during a hearing where former Justice Stephen Breyer recalled concerns he first raised on the Supreme Court that an overly broad reading could pave the way for other nations to arrest Americans for incidents on U.S. soil.
-
January 10, 2025
Ex-McKinsey Partner Admits To Obstructing Purdue Probe
A former senior partner at consulting giant McKinsey & Co. pled guilty Friday to obstructing the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into the firm's work with opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma LP, a month after McKinsey agreed to pay $650 million to resolve related charges.
-
January 09, 2025
DraftKings Says Fired Worker 'Has No Legal Path' Forward
DraftKings asked a Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday to throw out a former engineer's lawsuit claiming that he was fired in retaliation for seeking paid parental leave, saying the claims have no legal basis.
-
January 09, 2025
Mass. Hospital, Insurer Settle Pandemic Coverage Row
A Massachusetts hospital and its commercial property insurer told a Boston federal judge Thursday that they had settled a suit over costs and lost revenue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
January 09, 2025
SharkNinja Customer Sues For $3.75M After Blender Explodes
A woman who was nearly blinded when her Ninja brand blender "exploded" claimed SharkNinja's design of the appliance was defective in a complaint transferred to Michigan federal court this week.
-
January 09, 2025
MoFo Taps Goodwin Duo To Grow Exec Comp, Benefits Team
Morrison Foerster announced Wednesday that it has tapped two former Goodwin Procter LLP partners to expand its executive compensation and benefits group.
-
January 09, 2025
Beer Sales Rep Can't Show Lasting Harm From Noncompete
A former Boston Beer Co. sales employee challenging a one-year noncompete agreement has failed to show how she will suffer irreparable harm without a preliminary injunction, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying any damages are "readily calculable" if she ultimately wins the case.
-
January 09, 2025
Wind Power Substation Is Quiet Enough, Mass. Justices Say
Massachusetts' top court on Thursday gave the green light for an electric substation connected to an 800-megawatt wind turbine generation facility in federal waters south of Martha's Vineyard, rejecting a resident's argument that the new facility would be too noisy.
-
January 08, 2025
Edward Jones Fined $17M Over Customer Transition Fees
Edward Jones has agreed to pay $17 million to end an investigation into alleged supervisory failures that may have led it to overcharge customers who transitioned from its brokerage division to its advisory division, state regulators announced Wednesday.
-
January 08, 2025
Departing Mass. US Atty Predicts Similar Goals For Successor
As he prepares to leave his ninth-floor office at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse on Boston's waterfront for the final time next Friday, U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy told reporters he expects his successor will continue to pursue the types of nonpartisan cases nearly everyone would agree are important.
-
January 08, 2025
Feds Say Official Used City Cash For Steak Tips, Studio Time
A former Massachusetts city official was charged Wednesday with using city funds to pay for an eclectic array of personal expenses, including hundreds of pounds of steak tips, a music studio session for himself and a lacquered self-portrait.
-
January 08, 2025
Boston Scientific Paying Up To $664M For Bolt Medical
Boston Scientific Corp. said Wednesday it plans to acquire the remaining stake it does not own in Bolt Medical Inc., the developer of a proprietary laser-based treatment for coronary and peripheral artery disease, for up to $664 million.
-
January 08, 2025
Mortgage Cos. Fined $20M Over Cybersecurity Breach
Bayview Asset Management LLC and three affiliates on Wednesday agreed to pay a $20 million fine and improve their cybersecurity programs to settle allegations from 53 state financial regulators that the mortgage companies had deficient cybersecurity practices and didn't fully cooperate with regulators after a 2021 data breach.
-
January 08, 2025
Divisive Mass. Housing Law Can Stand With Administrative Fix
Massachusetts' top appellate court on Wednesday upheld a controversial law requiring towns in Greater Boston to add housing density near mass transit facilities, but found that the state must take additional procedural steps before the law can go into effect.
-
January 07, 2025
HHS Fines Mass. Health Firm $80K Over Ransomware Attack
Elgon Information Systems, which provides digital medical record and billing support services, will pay $80,000 over alleged healthcare data protection rule violations following a ransomware attack on its systems in March 2023 that impacted roughly 31,248 customers, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.
-
January 07, 2025
Hockey Pro Says Ex-Teammates Stole 'Moms Who Puck' TM
Two retired professional women's hockey players who started a podcast last year called "Moms Who Puck" have been sued for trademark infringement by a former teammate who alleges they stole that phrase from her, according to a lawsuit in Connecticut federal court.
-
January 07, 2025
Developer Says Mass. Stalling $15M Brownfields Tax Credit
The developer of a 3.5-acre luxury condo and apartment complex in Boston's Seaport District is accusing the state of improperly second-guessing the work of its licensed environmental remediation consultant to deny a $15.3 million brownfields tax credit, then dragging its feet on an administrative appeal.
-
January 07, 2025
DOJ Ropes Landlords Into RealPage Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice dramatically expanded its antitrust case against RealPage on Tuesday, accusing half a dozen residential landlords of using the software company's tools to coordinate rental rates while reaching a settlement with one of the property owners.
Expert Analysis
-
What 7th Circ. Collective Actions Ruling Means For Employers
With the Seventh Circuit’s recent Fair Labor Standards Act ruling in Vanegas v. Signet Builders, a majority of federal appellate courts that have addressed the jurisdictional scope of employee collective actions now follow the U.S. Supreme Court's limiting precedent, bolstering an employer defense in circuits that have yet to weigh in, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.
-
Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics
Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.
-
It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers
Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.
-
5 Lessons From Consulting Firm's Successful DOJ Disclosure
The Boston Consulting Group recently received a rare declination of prosecution from the U.S. Department of Justice after self-disclosing a foreign bribery scheme, and the firm’s series of savvy steps after discovering the misconduct provides useful data points for white collar defense attorneys, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
-
Video Game Release Highlights TM Pitfalls Of App Store
The upcoming release of poker video game Balatro in Apple's App Store underscores the tradeoff of keyword advertising and trademark protection for indie developers who, unlike corporate counterparts, lack resources but seek to maximize the reach of their game, say Parmida Enkeshafi and Simon Pulman at Pryor Cashman.
-
Missouri Injunction A Setback For State Anti-ESG Rules
A Missouri federal court’s recent order enjoining the state’s anti-ESG rules comes amid actions by state legislatures to revise or invalidate similar legislation imposing disclosure and consent requirements around environmental, social and governance investing, and could be a blueprint for future challenges, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.
-
How States Are Approaching AI Workplace Discrimination
As legislators across the U.S. have begun addressing algorithmic discrimination in the workplace, attorneys at Reed Smith provide an overview of the status, applicability and provisions of 13 state and local bills.
-
How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
-
Avoiding Corporate Political Activity Pitfalls This Election Year
As Election Day approaches, corporate counsel should be mindful of the complicated rules around companies engaging in political activities, including super PAC contributions, pay-to-play prohibitions and foreign agent restrictions, say attorneys at Covington.
-
Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
-
Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
-
5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.
-
Series
Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer
My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.
-
How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'
Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.
-
Election Outlook: A Precedent Primer On Content Moderation
With the 2024 election season now in full swing, online platforms will face difficult and politically sensitive decisions about content moderation, but U.S. Supreme Court decisions from last term offer much-needed certainty about their rights, say Jonathan Blavin and Helen White at Munger Tolles.