On June 21, 2023, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its decision in Adams v. Schneider Electric USA, Inc., addressing the so-called “Cat’s Paw” theory of liability. In reversing summary judgment originally granted in favor of the employer Schneider Electric, the SJC concluded that an employer can still violate the Massachusetts anti-discrimination statute, G.L. c. […]
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The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts recently issued a favorable decision for remote employees seeking to invoke the protections of the Massachusetts Wage Act. The Wage Act is a generous statute for employees that provides for treble damages as liquidated damages for any lost wages, as well as attorney’s fees, costs, […]
A choice of law provision allows parties to agree that the law of a particular state will apply to the interpretation of a contract and any conflict arising therefrom. Choice of law provisions are particularly important when the parties are from different states and there are significant differences between the laws of the differing states. […]
In today’s hard economic environment, it is often hard for borrowers to obtain conventional loans from a lender. As a result, it is often necessary for borrowers to turn to less conventional lenders, sometimes referred to as hard-money lenders. The non-traditional lenders often times charge interest rates much higher than that of a traditional lender […]
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly featured Bobby Rudolph in its August 14, 2023, issue in “Land Court judge rescues sale of property from improperly filed lis pendens.” The article highlights a case Bobby recently handled, Sharari v. Laura Road Holdings, which involved the sale of a residential property at 20 Laura Road in Newton, MA. The plaintiff […]
Massachusetts General Law Chapters 93A and 176D, long a compelling and formidable mechanism for consumers, has been extended beyond its usual confines to become a further source of consternation in the insurance industry. The Consumer Protection Act and the Unfair Methods of Competition and Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices in the Business of Insurance […]
In the matter of Empire Dealer Services, Inc., et. al. v. Kimberly A. Guerin, et. al, a Massachusetts Court recently granted a preliminary injunction to a corporation enjoining a minority shareholder/former employee from directly competing. Kimberly Guerin (“Guerin”) was vice president and a minority shareholder of Empire Dealer Services, Inc. (“Empire”). In March of 2022, […]
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 […]
We are pleased to announce that Sean Cullen has joined the firm as an associate. Sean is an experienced litigator with more than 15 years of experience. He has a successful track record in state and federal court defending against claims for alleged violations of the Massachusetts Consumer Credit Cost Disclosure Act (MCCCDA), the Fair […]
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the “SJC” or the ‘Court”) recently issued a noteworthy decision in a case involving the rights of joint tenants and their heirs when one joint tenant passes away during a partition proceeding. The case of Brattle v. Howard arose out of a petition to partition filed in the Massachusetts Land […]
