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Land use attorneys across the state are hailing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that greatly reduces the amount of leverage municipalities can wield in granting developers permits. A 5-4 majority in Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District held ...
Read More »Bankruptcy bar braces for new fee guidelines
Bankruptcy practitioners are bracing themselves for a new set of guidelines that will drastically change the way their fee petitions are reviewed in large Chapter 11 cases.
Read More »Guardian ad litem blows whistle on overbilling by big banks
When Warren M. Yanoff agreed to review the fees a bank charged to administer an Ashburnham, Mass., woman’s $5.5 million estate, he assumed it was a run-of-the-mill guardian ad litem appointment, much like others he has accepted over the years. ...
Tagged with: attorney misconduct charitable trust estate administration estate planning guardian ad litem
Read More »Non-compete case bucks trend, results in trial
Boston attorney C. Max Perlman recently found himself doing something few litigators can claim they’ve done: He impaneled a jury in a non-compete trial.
Tagged with: non-compete non-compete agreements
Read More »Defamation case exposes social media controversy
A Massachusetts judge’s refusal to issue an injunction in a suit involving a car dealership allegedly defamed by the relatives of an ex-employee demonstrates the struggle for courts that are asked to strike a balance between the First Amendment and ...
Tagged with: defamation Facebook First Amendment Massachusetts social media Twitter wrongful termination
Read More »1st Circuit to take up DiMasi honest services appeal
The stage is set for the 1st Circuit to hear the appeal of ailing former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and issue a ruling that promises to significantly impact honest services fraud prosecutions across the country.
Tagged with: 1st Circuit honest services fraud Massachusetts
Read More »1st Circuit: Class-wide arbitration claim OK
The 1st Circuit has held that an arbitrator, and not a judge, must decide if an arbitration agreement allows for a dispute to move forward individually or on a class-wide basis.
Tagged with: arbitration class actions franchises
Read More »Bankruptcy bar takes aim at ‘unfair’ fee proposal
A controversial fee proposal from the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees is receiving a cold reception from bankruptcy lawyers, with some even threatening to leave the practice if the policy is implemented.
Tagged with: billing Chapter 11 Executive Office for U.S. Trustees fees
Read More »Jury finds tavern not to blame for beating
A Massachusetts jury has rejected plaintiff’s allegations that over-serving by a Gloucester-area bar, inadequate security and failure to call police were contributing causes in the beating of a gay man that occurred just outside the establishment.
Read More »Fatal fall into septic system results in $21.5M award
A Quincy, Mass. attorney who has secured what is believed to be the state’s largest judgment for the death of a child is hoping that the eight-figure damage award in the case will prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the ...
Tagged with: Children Massachusetts septic system wrongful death
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