New England Biz Law Update

Since the pandemic, small businesses have faced ongoing challenges in hiring and retaining employees — a struggle that continues into 2025.

A Cambridge, Massachusetts, tech company’s recent agreement to settle a False Claims Act suit has contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense scrambling to avoid similar fates for failing to abide by the military’s strict cybersecurity standards.

On March 19, the EEOC and the Department of Justice released two technical assistance documents offering guidance for employers navigating DEI compliance.

Spring has arrived and now is a great time for employers to review their Form I-9 practices and conduct any necessary “spring cleaning” to bring their business into compliance and prepare for potential audits or investigations.

In recent weeks, two separate cases have emerged involving business owners accused of harboring illegal aliens and, in one case, failing to pay millions in employment taxes.

Across many industries, businesses must navigate complex sets of regulations. Failing to comply can result in large fines and harm to their reputation and finances. An experienced Managed Services Provider (MSP), though, can help companies of all sizes to easily remain complaint.

Commercial leases are full of provisions that can each have a significant impact on a tenant’s business operations. When negotiating, it may be tempting to focus more on provisions that seem the most critical, and less on provisions that are considered “unlikely” to happen. However, when unlikely events do happen, preparation is often the key to better outcomes.

As new tariffs reshape the global trade landscape, small business owners must navigate both challenges and opportunities. While these policies could impact their bottom line, they may also drive operational shifts that could benefit small businesses long-term.

A stock market that has swung widely in recent days is one measure of the uncertainty Americans are feeling about tariffs. Businesses are also wading through the uncertainty, trying to both adapt to what has happened and predict what will happen.

A plaintiff who was reassigned months after filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could not hold her employer liable under Title VII for retaliation, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.