New England Biz Law Update

With rare bipartisan support on Capitol Hill building momentum, U.S. patent laws may soon get their first major overhaul in more than 50 years.

A recent list touting law firms for progressive “women-friendly” work policies has garnered an equal measure of praise and criticism. In-House assesses the current state of affairs by taking a look at some success stories and hearing from experts who question much progess law firms have made.

State consumer protection statutes are typically used by state attorneys general and other litigants to protect consumers from fraudulent or deceptive business practices. But businesses are increasingly facing class actions based on these laws filed by consumers.

A defendant did not waive the attorney-client privilege when its attorney shared documents with a co-defendant’s counsel as part of a joint defense agreement, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled in a case of first impression. A trial court ...

A recent list published in Working Mother magazine honors 50 law firms around the country for having “women-friendly” work policies. Celebratory toasts all ‘round! Well, maybe not so fast. The survey was completed by the law firms themselves, leading some ...

New Associations John A. Beccia III recently joined Boston Private Wealth Management Group as senior vice president and assistant general counsel. He was previously with Investors Bank and Trust. Beccia co-chairs the Boston Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Committee. Jonathan L. ...

Agency being called more efficient, effective

While patent legislation deliberately makes its way through in Congress, the courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are making changes on their own. In an opinion expected to have a significant impact on patent practice, the Federal Circuit ...

As convenient and efficient as e-mail is, for employers it can also be a “clicking” time bomb exposing them to security problems and potential liability, as well as costly and time-consuming system searches.

Ruling that RAM data is discoverable may expand new e-discovery rules