In the matter of Trustees of 10 Porter Street Condominium Trust v. Cerda, the Massachusetts Appeals Court has, for the first time, distinguished the types of condominium charges that must be “paid under protest” as a condition of challenging their propriety. Based on longstanding law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the appeals court affirmed the […]
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Imagine you are a parent paying tuition totaling almost $50,000 a year to send your child to a to a well-regarded, pricey liberal arts college in southern Massachusetts. In the spring of 2020 COVID-19 hits, and the college closes its campus to students and transitions to “virtual learning” for the foreseeable future. As a result, […]
Federal and Massachusetts laws guarantee that no person shall be denied the right to work based on characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability/handicap, criminal record and genetic information (including family medical history). In order to comply with the law, employers […]
Many states and jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, have been prompted to re-examine their construction and design liability related laws in the wake of the Champlain Towers South high-rise condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida. One such law is under particular scrutiny in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 260, §2B (the “Statute of Repose”) generally prevents […]
A Superior Court judge has ruled that an individual injured in an automobile accident can bring a claim for negligent entrustment against a mother whose disabled adult son allegedly caused the crash. The mother and her son, who suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)—for which he took medication, were […]
The COVID pandemic has affected all aspects of our lives. Our workplaces, schools, religious institutions, social venues and restaurants have adapted to meet social distancing requirements in efforts to limit the possibility of the spread of the virus. Courts have been particularly affected because shutdowns, remote staff, and in-person limitations have slowed the administrative work […]
In the current age of global pandemics and unprecedented economic instability, many employers and employees find themselves stressed to the maximum. A recent decision by a Federal Appeals Court that an employer did not discriminate against an employee by firing her for misconduct she attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder has shed some new light on […]
Laws permitting the medicinal use of marijuana were enacted in Massachusetts in 2012 and on July 1, 2018, recreational marijuana was legalized. The Commonwealth’s evolving law governing marijuana usage presents profound challenges for Massachusetts employers seeking to protect their customers, employees and themselves. This article will briefly examine some of the current trends in marijuana […]
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) resolved an important question concerning how long prospective plaintiffs have to pursue construction defect claims against a developer when a condominium development consists of multiple buildings constructed over an extended period of time. In D’Allesandro v. Lennar Hingham Holdings, LLC, the SJC held that the six-year statute of repose […]
UMNV 205-207 Newbury, LLC (referred to as “UMNV”) leased its Newbury Street location to Caffe Nero Americas, Inc. (referred to as “Caffé Nero”) for a 15-year term starting June 1, 2017. The lease stipulated that Caffé Nero was to use the leased premises “solely for the operation of a Caffé Nero themed café under Tenant’s […]
