During the COVID pandemic, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a law allowing for Remote Online Notarizations (“RON”). By doing so, real estate transactions could continue even though in-person meetings were discouraged, and the Registries of Deeds were closed to the public. The COVID-era process was tedious. Physical documents needed to be delivered to the signer. Then, […]
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The U.S. District Court of Northern Texas issued a final judgment in a case challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s (the “FTC”) new rule banning employment related non-compete clauses. The August 20, 2024, ruling was issued in a suit brought by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, among other co-plaintiffs, against the […]
Many suppliers of goods have long-standing credit relationships with certain purchasers. A recent decision by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts illustrates the precarious situation a supplier can find itself in when it alters the terms of a credit agreement after learning the purchaser is in financial difficulty. The decision involved […]
In the dynamic world of real estate transactions, exclusivity agreements play a pivotal role in securing deals and protecting the interests of brokers and their clients. These agreements, often entered into between a broker and a prospective buyer or seller, grant exclusive rights to the broker to represent the client in a specific transaction or […]
The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) is a federal law that was enacted in 2021 and took effect on January 1, 2024. Under the CTA, certain businesses must report the beneficial owners of the company to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crime Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). This blog post is intended to alert you to […]
Vinay Mehra (“Mehra”), former President of Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC (the “Globe”), brought a lawsuit against the Globe asserting claims to recover monies he claimed were owed to him after he was terminated by the Globe. Count I of Mehra’s complaint was a claim for violation of the Massachusetts Wage Act, G.L. c. 149, […]
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) approved a new rule prohibiting employment related non-compete clauses. FTC Commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines to approve the new rule. The rule will be effective 120 days after publication in the Federal Register, and employees and employers should expect the rule to become effective […]
Many real estate purchase and sale agreements contain a specific deadline by which the parties must perform and a clause stating that “time is of the essence.” This clause makes the deadline a condition subsequent, and if the deadline is not met or waived, then the parties’ obligations to each other are extinguished. Although “time […]
To combat fraud by companies seeking to profit off government contracts and reimbursement programs, Congress and Massachusetts lawmakers enacted what are known as “False Claim” acts. The Federal False Claims Act (FCA) and the Massachusetts False Claims Act (MFCA) have similar purposes and are similarly designed, but they have distinct characteristics that set them apart. […]
