The Massachusetts Court of Appeals recently affirmed a lower court ruling that held a sports bar liable for the death of a patron who entered a door marked “Employees Only” and was subsequently killed falling down a flight of stairs, in Bernier, et al. v. Smitty’s Sports Pub, Inc. (MA Appeals Court 14-P-1967). The bar, […]...
I will concede that discussing indemnification provisions in commercial leases is not the most riveting topic. However, this is a critical issue for landlords and tenants alike. Nearly every commercial lease I have reviewed, from small transactions (e.g. a boutique Boston restaurant) to larger, complex transactions (e.g. a state-of-the-art laboratory facility in Cambridge), has a provision […]...
In the case of United States for the Use and Benefit of Metric Electric, Inc. v. CCB, Inc. and the Hanover Insurance Company, Civil Action No. 15-11934, in the United States District Court in Massachusetts, the court ruled in favor of Strang Scott’s motion for summary judgment, dismissing all of the plaintiff’s claims. […]...
Tenants will often want to make alterations to the premises they have leased to fit their specific business needs. Before entering into a lease, the landlord and tenant must determine what kind of consent is needed for different types of alterations, how alterations or additions will be paid for and completed, and who retains the […]...
Business revolves around transactions. Most transactions occur in the ordinary course of business, such as selling products and services to clients. Some transactions are less common, but may fundamentally alter the business itself: mergers and acquisitions. A merger is a combination of two or more companies, while an acquisition involves one company buying the stock […]...
Hostile work environments exist when an employer’s statements, actions, and behavior make it impossible for an employee to perform their job. Massachusetts law protects employees against discrimination and hostile work environments by prohibiting an employer, or its agents, from refusing to hire an individual, discharging an employee, or discriminating on the basis of a protected […]...
A federal court judge has allowed a plaintiff to proceed with claims against a Massachusetts company that rescinded a job offer shortly after the plaintiff left his prior job. The defendant, Loomis, Sayles & Co., is an international investment firm that had intended to launch a new hedge fund. Over a course of six months, […]...
On August 1, 2016, Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker signed the equal pay law, a law that has been working through the legislature since 1998. The law takes effect on July 1, 2018. The law bars discrimination on the basis of gender in the payment of wages, including benefits and other compensation, for “comparable work.” The statute […]...
When negotiating the security deposit for a commercial lease, the parties often simply focus on the dollar amount required. While this is important, and can vary wildly depending on several factors, the language of the security deposit provision is often overlooked. This seemingly standard language, however, is important for both landlords and tenants. Unlike residential […]...
On August 1, 2016, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”), will raise the limits of its maximum penalties for the first time in nearly twenty-six years.Current maximum penalties for “serious,” “other than serious” and “posting requirement” penalties will increase from $7,000.00 per violation to $12,471.00 per violation. Penalties for failure to abate hazards or […]...