New England Biz Law Update

The Rhode Island Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a landmark lead paint case that is being closely watched by other states, as well as plaintiffs’ attorneys throughout the nation.

Employment defense lawyers say a new damage provision in the Massachusetts Wage Act is so bad for businesses that some companies likely will pack up and leave.

Company counsel looking to shield privileged communications and documents from the prying eyes of the government and litigation adversaries historically have faced a tougher battle than their outside counsel counterparts. A closely-watched case pending before the 1st Circuit presents an ...

The president of a Connecticut-based sheet-metal manufacturing company in 2006 informed his predominantly Latino work force that he would no longer tolerate them speaking Spanish on the job. The new policy, written in English and Spanish, was pinned to bulletin ...

After he retired, Robert V. Williams thought getting a job as a FedEx driver would be a good way to stay busy and pick up some extra money. Williams, 71, of Berlin, Mass., had worked for several other delivery services ...

Want a cure for the common cold? According to the makers of Airborne, an herbal supplement, their product was it. “They advertised the product as the ‘miracle cure for the common cold,’ and one press release even said it could ...

The recent jump in the number of federal discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the last fiscal year – the largest annual increase since the early 1990s – has employment lawyers urging companies to take a ...

A controversial test that is supposed to detect “malingering” is gaining popularity among defense experts in personal injury, workers’ compensation and other cases. The “Fake Bad Scale” is being offered by medical experts as evidence that plaintiffs are fabricating or ...

Patricia Mundy, 35, an associate in Sullivan & Worcester’s Boston office, works a reduced schedule that includes one day a week at home, and Fridays off. “It’s about as good as it gets,” said Mundy, who works in the firm’s ...

Requiring employees to carry work documents with them while commuting does not mean they have to be compensated for that time under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the 2nd Circuit recently ruled. A group of New York City fire alarm ...