Most astute entrepreneurs will avoid running a business as a sole proprietor or as part of a partnership and opt to limit their personal liability by forming a separate entity to operate the business. A corporation or a limited liability company (“LLC”) is often the best vehicle to shield the business owner’s personal assets from […]
Blog
The short-term rental sector continues to gain momentum among investors as it disrupts traditional real estate investments thanks to the rise in remote work around the country. Accommodation-sharing platforms report that interest in owning short-term rentals or becoming hosts on marketplace platforms is at an all-time high. Whether you’re leasing a spare room or an […]
Jim Rudolph, the firm’s managing partner and a construction litigator, was quoted in “Building contractor’s suit against insurer revived” in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly on April 13. The article discusses the Appeals Court’s decision in John Moriarty & Associates, Inc. v. Zurich American Insurance Co., where the court ruled the general contractor for a Boston construction […]
Imagine you receive an email from a known creditor containing an invoice for an account payable. The email contains instructions for you to pay the invoice through an accredited clearing house (“ACH”). The email further contains the creditor’s bank account information for depositing the ACH payment. You pay the invoice by depositing the ACH payment […]
In a stunning proposal, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proffered a universal ban on noncompete agreements. This proposal, albeit a considerable step away from the norm, was not necessarily unpredictable. Most recently, the FTC made a preliminary finding that noncompete agreements constitute an unfair method of competition and therefore violate Section 5 of the […]
Commercial construction projects of $3 million or more are subject to the Prompt Payment Act, G.L.c. 149, §29E (“PPA”), which ensures prompt payment, or resolution, of disputes about, invoices for periodic payment made by contractors during the course of work. It requires owners to approve or reject periodic payment requests within 15 days after submission […]
Since the gruesome May 5, 2017, double murder of two doctors in their penthouse South Boston condominium unit, multiple lawsuits have ensued. The murderer, now convicted of two charges of first-degree murder, lurked inside the 11th-floor hallway of the condominium and attacked one of the victims when she returned home. The murderer had worked in […]
Creating incentives for employees to perform better can take many forms, such as merit bonuses or grants of equity through restricted stock or stock options. Each strategy should have the effect of aligning the employee’s interests with the long-term success of the company, and hopefully creating an economic incentive for the employee to increase their […]
According to Massachusetts case law, an order directing specific performance of a contract to sell real property is appropriate where one party to that contract, either a buyer or seller, has shown: there is a binding contract to sell property; the agreed time for performance has arrived; and the party seeking performance has performed, or […]
When presented with a contract, consumers should “read the fine print.” This adage is particularly important to general contractors (GCs) who have obtained a commercial general liability insurance policy and those who hire them. Many GCs believe that a general liability insurance contract will protect them for any hazard or event that could transpire in […]
