Legal News

In a business where time is money, large construction projects – at least those that are properly managed – proceed at a feverish pace. To keep up, project managers up and down the chain are often forced to communicate with one another in shorthand – a quick phone call, text message, or email, rather than something more formal – and to prioritize emergencies over the exchange of routine paperwork. But, at least according to one Superior Court judge, PMs must reconsider how and when they resp...

Imagine the following. A developer consults with an architect in 2020 about a six-building condominium project. The architect promptly produces a set of plans, which are stamped by an engineer. Over the next three years, the developer secures the necessary permitting from a notoriously stingy local planning board. The developer finally breaks ground in 2024. He completes buildings 1-3 in 2026. Then a recession hits and the developer suspends construction for three years......By: Conn Kavanaugh

As public health measures slow the spread of COVID-19, the Commonwealth and its municipalities have begun to ease restrictions on commercial activity, including construction. But it’s far from business as usual on job sites. With a only few...By: Conn Kavanaugh

On Monday, March 9, we dusted off the weekend cobwebs, packed ourselves into commuter trains and buses, and headed to work or school like we always do. Most of us viewed COVID-19 as a distant public-health aberration, just the latest infectious...By: Conn Kavanaugh

In response to the public-health crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Walsh has ordered all construction activity halted in Boston, effective March 17, 2020. The order carves out exceptions for emergency utility hookups and road repairs,...By: Conn Kavanaugh

On March 6, 2020, just a day after hearing oral argument, the Supreme Judicial Court reaffirmed the longstanding principle that abutting landowners have standing to challenge the application of zoning bylaws only if they prove that they have suffered...By: Conn Kavanaugh

Keeping an eye on changes and trends in employment law is an excellent way for businesses to mitigate risk. Benjamin Franklin famously said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This adage rings especially true in the frequently...By: Conn Kavanaugh

Employers must issue Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, to employees by January 31st, so you should have received yours by now. But have you ever actually stopped to look at your W-2? And do you know what it all means? Your W-2 is an important tax...By: Conn Kavanaugh

The Massachusetts Statute of Repose requires litigants to assert within six years all tort claims arising out of the design, construction, or administration of improvements to real property. The Statute begins to run upon the earlier of: (1) the...By: Conn Kavanaugh

The holiday season is always a busy and eventful time, so you may have missed a new law that can impact how you plan for your retirement assets. On December 20, 2019, as part of a more comprehensive appropriations act, the Setting Every Community Up...By: Conn Kavanaugh