New England Biz Law Update

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision barring certification of what would have been the largest job discrimination class action in history has spurred a debate among legal experts about the role of class actions not only as a tool for seeking ...

Tagged with: July 2011 issue

A temporary employment agency could not enforce a confidentiality provision barring workers from disclosing the terms of their employment to “other parties,” the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has decided.

Tagged with: July 2011 issue

An insurance company could not deny long-term disability benefits claimed by a policyholder who worked fewer hours after undergoing orthopedic surgery, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has decided.

Tagged with: May 2011 issue

Employers that improperly treat workers as independent contractors are the target of stepped-up audit and enforcement efforts by the federal government.

Tagged with: May 2011 issue

Massachusetts Superior Court judge has determined that minority shareholders of Demoulas Super Markets Inc. can sell their stock to third parties even if doing so causes the corporation to lose its favorable tax status.

Tagged with: May 2011 issue

Consumer class actions largely could be a thing of the past in New England and across the country as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gives companies broad authority to compel consumers to arbitrate their disputes individually.

Tagged with: May 2011 issue

For the first time in recent history, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has addressed what constitutes the practice of law in connection with real estate transfers. And while the highly anticipated decision leaves several questions unanswered, it clearly reaffirms the ...

Tagged with: May 2011 issue

A controversial whistleblower provision in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that invalidated pre-dispute arbitration clauses applies retroactively, a U.S. District Court judge in Boston has ruled in an issue of first impression.

Tagged with: May 2011 issue

It took about two years, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released a final version of regulations that reflect significant changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Tagged with: May 2011 issue

Most employers are doing it. Few admit to it, and even fewer have considered the legal implications. Companies are mining the Internet and social media for information about job applicants that can’t be found on a résumé.

Tagged with: May 2011 issue