Massachusetts

  • May 19, 2025

    21 AGs Join Fight To Keep DHS Oversight Offices Open

    A group of 21 attorneys general joined nonprofits Friday in urging a D.C. federal judge to force the Trump administration to reopen offices that oversee various U.S. Department of Homeland Security programs and investigate related civil rights claims, arguing that the DHS' abrupt closure of the offices could have devastating consequences.

  • May 19, 2025

    Justices Punt On Tribe Leader's Extortion Immunity Claim

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition from the former head of a Native American tribe who argued that the First Circuit was wrong to reinstate his convictions tied to the development of a casino project after it concluded that federal extortion law applies to tribal leaders.

  • May 19, 2025

    Copyright Law's Nuances Pose Challenges To AI Music Suits

    The rise of music created by artificial intelligence is introducing new challenges to copyright law, especially when AI-generated songs can sound strikingly similar to the works the technology is trained on.

  • May 19, 2025

    GM Issued 'Inadequate' Recall For Bad Engines, Drivers Claim

    General Motors LLC knowingly sold vehicles "that were engineered to fail" and issued an "inadequate" recall to prevent "catastrophic" internal engine failure, a group of vehicle owners alleged in a proposed class action filed in Michigan federal court.

  • May 19, 2025

    Mass. Atty Sues Town Official For Blocking Him On Facebook

    A partner and litigation chair at a Massachusetts boutique firm said an official in his town blocked him from viewing her Facebook posts, including posts about official town business.

  • May 19, 2025

    SharkNinja Blender Defect Caused Severe Burns, Suit Says

    A Tennessee woman suffered severe burns after the lid of her SharkNinja single-serving blender popped off due to a design flaw, causing hot milk and oatmeal to explode out of the cup, according to a suit filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • May 19, 2025

    Partner Hire Kills Jurisdiction In Referral Suit, Mass. Firm Says

    A Boston law firm told a Massachusetts federal court on Monday that it plans to refile its suit seeking a referral fee from a Minnesota firm that served as co-lead counsel in a salmon purchaser antitrust case, after the latter firm's hiring of a Massachusetts-based partner defeated federal court jurisdiction.

  • May 16, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Gold Card, Hospitality, Revolving Door

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney insights into the "Gold Card" visa program, the hospitality sector's reaction to tariffs, and the path from in-house attorney to private practice. 

  • May 16, 2025

    1st Circ. Rejects Appeals By Trio Of 'Varsity Blues' Parents

    The First Circuit has upheld the guilty pleas of three parents in the "Varsity Blues" college admissions scheme, finding that a past ruling in the long-running case undercut their bids to unwind the convictions.

  • May 16, 2025

    23 States Win Order Halting Billions In HHS Public Health Cuts

    A Rhode Island federal judge on Friday barred the Trump administration from cutting off billions of dollars in funding to state public health programs, determining the abrupt grant terminations likely violated congressional authority over spending.

  • May 16, 2025

    Judge Blocks Energy Department's Cap On Research Costs

    A Boston federal judge blocked a U.S. Department of Energy policy capping research costs, saying the suit was "far from identical" to another case in which the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to education grant cuts.

  • May 16, 2025

    Surgical Center Operator Inks $15M Deal Over Data Breach

    Shields Health Group Inc., which runs dozens of MRI and surgical centers around New England, has agreed to pay around $15 million to resolve claims in a proposed class action stemming from a data breach that compromised the personal information of over 2 million people.

  • May 16, 2025

    Susan Sarandon, Contractor End Dispute Over Vt. Home

    Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon has resolved a dispute with a contractor that oversaw construction and maintenance for her $2 million sustainable Vermont retreat, which featured a geothermal heating system she claimed was less efficient due to missing insulation, according to a filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • May 15, 2025

    Each Justice's Key Comments At Universal Injunction Args

    U.S. Supreme Court justices conducted a searching inquiry Thursday regarding the Trump administration's quest to curtail sweeping injunctions against its agenda, sometimes sounding sympathetic but also wary of alternative remedies and the White House's willingness to accept any future courtroom losses.

  • May 15, 2025

    Harvard Alum Drops Antisemitism Suit Over Campus Incidents

    A former Harvard University student has voluntarily dismissed his suit over the Ivy League school's handling of antisemitic incidents on campus, according to a stipulation of dismissal filed Thursday in Massachusetts federal court.

  • May 15, 2025

    Student Clearinghouse Gets Final OK For $10M Breach Deal

    A Massachusetts federal judge has granted final approval to National Student Clearinghouse's proposed $9.95 million settlement resolving allegations that the student data company's lax security practices exposed Social Security numbers and personal information in the hack of Progress Software's MOVEit file transfer tool.

  • May 15, 2025

    Spinal Implant Co. CEO Pleads Guilty Ahead Of Kickback Trial

    The head of a Massachusetts medical device company pled guilty Thursday to a false statements charge days before he was set to face a jury over claims that he and another executive bribed surgeons with sham consulting deals to get them to use the company's spinal implants.

  • May 15, 2025

    Justices Wary Of Pausing Sweeping Injunctions In Birthright Case

    A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court seemed eager Thursday to limit lower courts' use of universal injunctions generally, but several justices voiced concerns about the effect such a ruling would have on lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's executive order that aims to limit birthright citizenship.

  • May 15, 2025

    Mass. Town's $102K Deal For Firefighters Gets Final OK

    A Massachusetts town will shell out about $102,000 to end claims that it failed to pay overtime to nearly 120 firefighters, as a federal court gave the deal its final sign-off Thursday.

  • May 15, 2025

    SEC Says RI Investment Firm Ran $2.5M Ponzi-Like Scheme

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday accused the owner of a Rhode Island-based investment firm in a complaint of using misleading statements to solicit about $2.5 million from investors and misappropriating much of it to enrich himself and pay back earlier investors.

  • May 15, 2025

    Apple Accused Of False IPhone AI Promises In 50-State Suit

    Apple pulled a bait-and-switch on phone buyers when it promised that new artificial intelligence features would be available on the iPhone 16, despite knowing it hadn't yet developed those features, according to a sprawling proposed class action that brings claims under consumer protection laws in all 50 states.

  • May 15, 2025

    Harvard Researcher Held By ICE To Be Returned To Mass.

    A Harvard Medical School researcher and Russian national taken into custody by immigration officers who found frog embryos in her luggage three months ago will be returned to Massachusetts to face a smuggling charge, a Louisiana federal judge ordered on Thursday.

  • May 15, 2025

    Gov't Fights Expansion Of Transgender Passport Ruling

    The U.S. State Department is fighting a request to expand to thousands of people a Massachusetts federal court's preliminary ruling ordering the government to issue or renew passports to six transgender or nonbinary people to reflect their gender identity.

  • May 15, 2025

    Judge Puts Buffer Between ICE And Tufts Student After Bail Order

    A Vermont federal judge on Thursday said he will require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to provide at least 48 hours' notice to his court of any future plan to detain Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, after her lawyers expressed concern that the government could attempt an end-run around his bail order.

  • May 15, 2025

    Feds, Immigrants Spar Over Defense Dept. Role In Removals

    A group of immigrants facing deportation to countries where they have no prior ties and may be at risk of harm urged a Massachusetts federal judge to add the U.S. Department of Defense as a defendant in their pending class action, a move the government says is unnecessary.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • Predicting Where State AGs Will Direct Their Attention In 2025

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    In 2025, we expect state attorneys general will navigate a new presidential administration while continuing to further regulate and police financial services, artificial intelligence, junk fees and antitrust, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • FTC Privacy Enforcement Takeaways From 2024

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    In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission distinguished three prominent trends in its privacy-related enforcement actions: geolocation data protections, data minimization practices, and artificial intelligence use and marketing, say Cobun Zweifel-Keegan at IAPP and James Smith at Dechert.

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • Issues To Watch In 2025's ERISA Litigation Landscape

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    Whether 2024’s uptick in new Employee Retirement Income Security Act cases will continue this year will likely depend on federal courts’ resolution of several issues, including those related to excessive fees, defined contribution plan forfeitures, and pleading standards for ERISA-prohibited transaction claims, say attorneys at Groom Law.

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

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    State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Opinion

    A Federal Insurance Mandate For Private Aviation Is Overdue

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    A recent private plane crash in California that killed two people and injured 19 others spotlights the dangers of such occurrences — and serves as a reminder that because there is no federal requirement for general aviation pilots to carry insurance, the victims of these accidents are often unable to obtain fair compensation, says Timothy Loranger at Wisner Baum.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Top 10 Noncompete Developments Of 2024

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    Following an eventful year in noncompete law at both state and federal levels, employers can no longer rely on a court's willingness to blue-pencil overbroad agreements and are proceeding at their own peril if they do not thoughtfully review and carefully enforce such agreements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • Trump, Tariffs And Tech: The Right To Repair In 2025

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    The "right-to-repair" movement has helped make it easier for independent repair shops and consumers to repair their devices and vehicles — but President-elect Donald Trump's complicated relationship with Big Tech, and his advocacy for increased tariffs, make the immediate future of the movement uncertain, say attorneys at Carter Ledyard.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

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