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Meet some of our Massachusetts Business Lawyers
Christopher R.
Corporate and transactional attorney in sixth year of practice. Focus areas include general corporate counsel, labor and employment law, business partnership matters, securities matters related to privately-held companies, and regulatory compliance in securities and finance matters.
Briana C.
Legal services cost too much, and are often of low quality. I have devoted my law practice to providing the best work at the most affordable price—in everything from defending small businesses against patent trolls to advising multinational corporations on regulatory compliance to steering couples through a divorce.
Jo Ann J.
Jo Ann has been practicing for over 20 years, working primarily with high growth companies from inception through exit and all points in between. She is skilled in Mergers & Acquisitions, Contractual Agreements (including founders agreements, voting agreements, licensing agreements, terms of service, privacy policies, stockholder agreements, operating agreements, equity incentive plans, employment agreements, vendor agreements and other commercial agreements), Corporate Governance and Due Diligence.
Keidi C.
Keidi S. Carrington brings a wealth of legal knowledge and business experience in the financial services area with a particular focus on investment management. She is a former securities examiner at the United States Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and Associate Counsel at State Street Bank & Trust and has consulted for various investment houses and private investment entities. Her work has included developing a mutual fund that invested in equity securities of listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other listed real estate companies; establishing private equity and hedge funds that help clients raise capital by preparing offering materials, negotiating with prospective investors, preparing partnership and LLC operating agreements and advising on and documenting management arrangements; advising on the establishment of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs/Token Offerings) and counseling SEC registered and state investment advisers regarding organizational structure and compliance. Ms. Carrington is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in International Relations. She earned her Juris Doctorate from New England Law | Boston and her LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law from Boston University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and New York. Currently, her practice focuses on assisting investors, start-ups, small and mid-size businesses with their legal needs in the areas of corporate and securities law.
Ralph S.
Ralph graduated from University of Florida with his JD as well as an LLM in Comparative Law. He has a Master's in Law from Warsaw University , Poland (summa cum laude) and holds a diploma in English and European Law from Cambridge Board of Continuous Education. Ralph concentrates on business entity formation, both for profit and non profit and was trained in legal drafting. In his practice he primarily assists small to medium sized startups and writes tailor made contracts as he runs one of Florida disability non profits at the same time. T l Licensed. in Florida Massachusetts and Washington DC this attorney speaks Polish.
Moss S.
Over 30 years of experience practicing commercial real estate and complex business litigation law.
Elizabeth W.
Liz is an experienced insurance professional, having worked with carriers and brokers for over 10 years. She can review or draft a variety of commercial agreements and is here to help your business. Specialties include: Master Service Agreements, business process outsourcing, marketing and partnership agreements, broker agreements, business associate agreements, and NDAs.
Richard G.
Attorney Gaudet has worked in the healthcare and property management business sectors for many years. As an attorney, contract drafting, review, and negotiation has always been an area of great focus and interest. Attorney Gaudet currently works in Massachusetts real estate law, business and corporate law, and bankruptcy law.
October 27, 2020
Ross F.
I am an experienced technology contracts counsel that has worked with companies that are one-person startups, publicly-traded international corporations, and every size in between. I believe legal counsel should act as a seatbelt and an airbag, not a brake pedal!
June 28, 2021
Joshua C.
Attorney Joshua K. S. Cali is a respected business, estate planning, and real estate attorney based in Ashland serving Middlesex County and other nearby areas. Joshua graduated summa cum laude from Bentley University in Waltham, MA, and from UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles. Before starting his own firm, Joshua practiced estate planning for high net worth clients at a boutique law firm in San Diego, CA.
July 29, 2021
Stanley K.
Stan provides legal services to small to medium-sized clients in the New England region, and throughout the U.S. and abroad. His clients are involved in a variety of business sectors, including software development, e-commerce, investment management and advising, health care, manufacturing, biotechnology, telecommunications, retailing, and consulting and other services. Stan focuses on the unique needs of each of his clients, and seeks to establish long term relationships with them by providing timely, highly professional services and practical business judgment. Each client's objectives, business and management styles are carefully considered to help him provide more focused and relevant services. Stan also acts as an outsourced general counsel for some of his clients for the general management of their legal function, including the establishment of budgets, creation of internal compliance procedures, and the oversight of litigation or other outside legal services.
September 7, 2022
Doug F.
Doug has over 20 years of private and public company general counsel experience focusing his legal practice on commercial transactions including both software and biotech. He is a tech savvy, business savvy lawyer who is responsive and will attain relationship building outcomes with your counterparty while effectively managing key risks and accelerating revenue. He received his Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law earning the Book Award in Professional Ethics and after graduation he taught legal writing there for a number of years. Prior to law school, Doug earned a M.A in Mathematics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a B.S in Honors Mathematics at Purdue University. After law school, Doug joined Fish & Richardson, where his practice focused on licensing software, trademarks and biotech. While at Fish & Richardson Doug authored a book on software licensing published by the American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association. Later he joined as General Counsel at FTP Software and led an IPO as well as corporate development. Doug has broad experience with a broad range of commercial agreement drafting and negotiation including SaaS software and professional services, distribution and other channel agreements, joint venture and M&A. Doug continued his leadership, corporate governance and commercial transaction practice at Mercury Computers (NASDAQ:MRCY) leading corporate development. Doug’s experience ranges from enterprise software to biotech and other vertical markets. He joined the board of Deque Systems in 2009 and joined in an operating role as President in 2020 successfully scaling the software business.
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Browse Lawyers NowBusiness Legal Questions and Answers
Business
Shareholders Agreement
Massachusetts
Should I form a corporation around my research if I don't plan to conduct any other forms of business (e.g., hire, sell, or raising funding) in the next year?
Should I form a corporation around my work if I don't plan to conduct any other forms of business (e.g., hire, sell, or raise outside funding) in the next year? My research is computational in nature (can be done on my laptop) and doesn't require many resources.
Richard G.
The answer to this questions to some degree depends upon your tolerance for risk. If in performing your "business" you are not exposing yourself in any way to the outside world, e.g., hiring, selling, inviting investors, etc., then you may no little to no liability exposure. However, if there is any aspect of your work that would or could develop into something which does involve others, or which is relied upon by others, then the safest path would be to incorporate or form an LLC. LLC's are more expensive to maintain in Massachusetts, i.e., $500 annually, but require less paperwork (no shares to consider, etc.). An LLC should have an operating agreement, even with a single member to clearly distinguish the member as an individual from the LLC as a company. Incorporation is more expensive in the early stages as it requires you to pay your fee to the Secretary of State (about $275), which recurs annually. It is more heavy in terms of annual meeting minutes of shareholders, and other formal documents, and can be a bit more expensive as incorporating will require a shareholder's agreement and other documentation at the outset (not repeated annually).
Business
Terms and Conditions
New York
How much would it be to draft Terms and Conditions for our App?
We are a mobile app that lets homebakers post free baked goods (feature called 'poom') to be claimed by neighbors. Any one can bake and share. No money is exchanged.
Ema T.
The pricing for drafting terms and conditions depends on the complexity of your services and business. The cost can vary significantly. Lawyers can charge anywhere between $500 to $5,000. Any information provided as an answer to these questions does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the attorney and anyone in relation to any information provided under the Q & A section of this website.
Business
Cease and Desist
Georgia
When to send a Cease and Desist Letter?
I am a small business owner (retailer), and had a long time staff member (Michael) develop a drinking problem. He felt comfortable enough to come to work intoxicated on a few occasions putting the rest of the staff and my business at risk. He was a supporting manager and had keys to the store. One day he had to be driven home from work because he was too inebriated. Another staff member who drove him to his home gave him a couple of days to come clean to me before she would tell me what happened. He never told me even though i gave him every opportunity to do so. So I had a meeting with him and explained that I was disappointed and wanted to help him, but my business and family had to be protected as well so I took his keys and title away while keeping him employed and at the same pay rate. I did this in hopes that he would get some help and didn't have to worry about being unemployed. Then Covid hit. Had to shut down for a little while. I kept in communication with my team (including Michael) throughout. Everyone responded except Michael. When it was time to re-open I asked everyone to respond letting me know if they were coming back to work. Everyone responded except Michael. Never heard from him again. So, I terminated him under "job abandonment". He then went to work at another local shop, and so I was happy for him and went on with my life and business. A couple of weeks ago I started to get some messages from mutual friends asking me what Michael was posting about on Facebook and other platforms and it turns out he has been posting derogatory comments (all lies) about how we treated him horribly and these could affect my business. None of our staff members can see these posts directly because he has blocked us all. We have, however, been receiving screenshots from mutual friends. Again, this went down over two years ago! I kept him employed I paid him through the pandemic including doing his unemployment paperwork weekly. I didn't fire him. He chose not to come back to work I demoted him and kept him at the same pay rate I tried every way that I could to help him find help I simply want this to stop as I did nothing wrong and did much more than any other employer would have. His parents are enablers and are probably behind this.
Meghan T.
Hello, In Georgia, defamation consist of producing a false and defamatory statement about another. Libel consists of writing (via text, social media, or even through a review) a false and malicious defamation of another, expressed in print, writing, pictures, or signs, tending to injure the reputation of the person. Finally, slander of (oral defamation) occurs by making charges against another in reference to his trade, office, or profession, calculated to injure him therein; or uttering any disparaging words productive of special damage which flows naturally therefrom. You can write a letter to your former employee outlining the law and describing how they defamed you and your business. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me and set up a consultation. Thanks, Meghan K Thomas, Esq
Business
Employment Offer
Arizona
Can I get an advance on accepting the employment offer?
I recently received an offer for a position that I am very interested in, but I am concerned about the timeline of the offer. I need to give an answer soon, but I'm not sure if I can afford to take the job right away. I'm wondering if it's possible to get an advance on accepting the employment offer so that I can make a more informed decision.
Brian W.
Yes, it is possible. Remember opportunities with employers should be mutually beneficial. Ultimately, you will receive an offer from the employer that you negotiate. In all negotiations, negotiate confidently and reasonably. It is ok to walk away from an offer if it does not meet you expectations.
Business
Demand Letter
Florida
How often are demand letters effective?
I recently received a demand letter from a creditor regarding an unpaid debt. I'm trying to understand the effectiveness of demand letters and how to respond. I'm looking for some guidance on the best course of action to take.
Matthew F.
Please see article that I wrote on this subject. Unveiling the Myth of Demand Letters: Why They Are not the Silver Bullet You Think They Are Unveiling the Myth of Demand Letters: Why They Are not the Silver Bullet You Think They Are The world of contracts and payments is often a murky one, with defaults and delays being unfortunately common. For professionals seeking their rightful payments, demand letters are often presented as the magic wand that will resolve all disputes. However, in real-world scenarios, the effectiveness of demand letters is debatable. Let’s dissect this widely accepted norm and reveal why demand letters might not be the solution they are often made out to be. The Proclaimed Power of Demand Letters: More Illusion than Reality? Demand letters are typically portrayed as the first and most potent step in the payment recovery process. After all, they do convey your seriousness about the issue at hand. Furthermore, their legal format can give them an intimidating aura, making the other party think twice about withholding payment. But while these reasons may seem compelling, they often fail to convert into the desired action, i.e., the release of your due payment. The bitter truth is that if an individual or business was going to comply with the terms of a contract or make a payment, they likely would have done so without the need for a demand letter. It is not uncommon for the receiving party to view the demand letter as another stall tactic, giving them additional time to avoid paying without any real consequence. Why Demand Letters Miss Their Mark In theory, a demand letter can lay down a solid foundation for your case if you have to resort to litigation. But again, the question is, would you need to go to court if the demand letter was as effective as it is made out to be? At its core, a demand letter is a tool designed to inspire fear of legal repercussions. However, more often than not, it simply does not wield enough influence or power to elicit the desired response from the recipient. Many times, it merely serves as a reminder of an existing obligation, not a compelling reason to fulfill it. The Better Alternative: An Educated Business Decision A more effective and practical approach could be to shift the focus from using demand letters to make an educated business decision. This involves analyzing the unique aspects of your situation, such as the size of the debt, the debtor’s ability to pay, and the cost and time required for a lawsuit. By taking into consideration all relevant factors, you can devise a strategy that is likely to get you your money without wasting excessive time, effort, or resources. Often, this approach might include exploring alternative dispute resolution methods or even pursuing litigation if that seems the most practical way forward. Summing It Up Demand letters have proven to be far less effective than often perceived. Their inherent limitations and the attitude of the recipients often make them inadequate to coerce an owner into making due payments. They are often ignored or yield ineffective responses if any at all. Instead of relying on demand letters, it is more productive to make a well-informed business decision about how best to recover your due payment. Consider all your options, weigh their pros and cons, and then make a decision that is likely to bring you the results you desire. After all, in business, actions that bring you closer to your goals are the ones that truly matter.
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