New England Biz Law Update

In an effort to fend off an actual audit of their books, one of the major tobacco companies hired a law firm to look into whether it was classifying its 5,000 workers correctly.

Tagged with: April 30 2013 issue

A federal appellate court has struck down the National Labor Relations Board’s controversial notice posting rule, the latest in a series of blows to the agency that has been mired in legal controversy.

Cybersecurity experts say a recent blockbuster report linking the hacking of more than 100 organizations to the Chinese military is the latest, though not the first, wake-up call to law firms. But this time they hope attorneys won’t hit the ...

Tagged with: April 30 2013 issue

A Boston law firm whose payroll company allegedly stole more than $500,000 of its money could not bring a negligence suit against the banks at which the company maintained accounts, a U.S. District Court judge has decided.

Tagged with: April 30 2013 issue

One year after the National Labor Relations Board sent shockwaves through the labor and employment bar by ruling that mandatory arbitration clauses barring class actions violated the National Labor Relations Act, the decision is coming under direct fire from federal ...

In a major milestone in the smartphone patent wars, a federal jury has found that Apple’s iPhone infringes on three patents with respect to the camera feature and the handling and rejection of calls.

Tagged with: February 28 2013 issue

A business consultant who was fired after a negative performance evaluation could sue her employer for gender discrimination based on evidence that a manager who had taken part in the evaluation process had previously engaged in allegedly sexist behavior toward ...

Tagged with: February 28 2013 issue

A nurse who was fired for insubordination after refusing to carry out an order she felt she could not handle while recovering from a serious injury could sue her employer for retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 1st ...

Tagged with: February 28 2013 issue

It’s safe to say that Boston lawyer Joseph M. Makalusky ended 2012 on a high note. In late December, Makalusky’s client Mark Giddarie was awarded $18.5 million for his role as a whistleblower in a False Claims Act suit against ...

Tagged with: February 28 2013 issue

In its first full year, a federal whistleblower program that boosted the amount of awards to employees and others who report credible information about fraud and other securities violations spurred more than 3,000 tips and resulted in one five-figure payout.

Tagged with: February 28 2013 issue