Legal News

Many states and localities have been adopting “ban-the-box,” prohibiting employers (including private employers) from asking applicants to disclose information concerning their criminal histories prior to an initial interview or a conditional offer...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

On January 12, 2020, Governor Janet Mills signed L.D. 1645, establishing a Maine affordable housing tax credit (AHTC). The Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing) will be tasked with administering and allocating $80 million of credits to...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

For the first time in over 50 years, the City of Portland is rewriting its Land Use Code, which is found in Chapter 14 of the City’s Code of Ordinances. The effort involves several substantive policy changes aimed at making the Code consistent with...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

In a pair of significant year-end rulings, the National Labor Relations Board overturned two Obama-era precedents that had restricted the ability of both unionized and non-unionized employers to limit the use of company email and to require internal...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

On December 20, 2019 the SECURE Act was signed into law, making major changes to retirement planning for persons who die after December 31, 2019. The SECURE Act will impact estate planning with retirement accounts in a number of ways....By: Pierce Atwood LLP

The Rhode Island Superior Court came down with a few interesting decisions this year concerning Rhode Island General Law Section 37-13.1-1.  That statute deals with actions against the State of Rhode Island on Highway and Public Works contracts. ...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

On December 19, 2019, the Rhode Island Contractors Registration and Licensing Board’s (“CRLB”) revised regulations for contractors and new regulations home inspectors, well drillers/pump installers/water-filtration contractors, and commercial roofers...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

Last week, John Bulman and I attended the National Construction Dispute Resolution Committee’s (NCDRC) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. The NCDRC is an advisory committee formed by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) to engage in discussion...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

I was fortunate to attend the ABA Forum on Construction Law’s fall meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from October 23 – 25, 2019. The program titled Building a Better Construction Industry through Inclusion, Diversity, and Professionalism was a...By: Pierce Atwood LLP

Mechanic’s lien claims are complex in that each state’s statutes differ dramatically.  There are certain unique issues when a contractor seeks to commence a mechanic’s lien proceeding for improvements made to a condominium....By: Pierce Atwood LLP