In a diversion from longstanding Massachusetts law, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) has adopted the modern trend that following a failed engagement, regardless of which party breaks off the engagement, the engagement ring must be returned to the donor. The decision overturns the Commonwealth’s previously settled rule that if…
As we ring in the New Year, now is a great time to take inventory of some important and comprehensive tax legislative changes that occurred in 2023. On October 4th, 2023, Governor Maura Healy signed into law Bill H. 4104, “An Act to improve the Commonwealth’s competitiveness, affordability, and equity”…
Recently, the City of Quincy attempted to shut down a client’s ability to rent part of her home on Airbnb. We defended the client in a hearing in July, and this week the court ruled against the City and in favor of our client. Many municipalities including Quincy have recently…
Drastic regulatory changes are taking place in the world of private funds. On August 23, 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) introduced amendments to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) which substantially impact both SEC-registered investment advisers and unregistered investment advisers. The SEC voted 3-2…
Congress approved new investments in clean energy at an unprecedented scale in November 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (“IIJA”) and August 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”). These laws expanded or created dozens of tax incentives and grant programs to support investment in established renewable energy technologies, like solar and…
When a client has asserted a claim against someone and we are unable to negotiate a voluntary resolution, we have to start thinking about plan B—filing a lawsuit to vindicate the client’s rights. Invariably, the client’s first questions are: how much will it cost, and how long will it take?…