Amy Mastrobattista, Russ Stein and Gene Landy all appeared in various articles in the May 29, 2009 Special How-To Section of Boston Business Journal

Amy Mastrobattista was quoted in the article entitled VCs look at the team as much as product, market by Keith Rogan:

Before approaching venture capitalists, a firm that is seeking funding should first seek some good advice, said Amy Mastrobattista, an attorney with Ruberto, Israel & Weiner PC in Boston.

"It's really important to have good people around you that you trust to help you. You should get your team assembled sooner rather than later," she said.

Those experts may include attorneys and accountants as well as experts in a market or regulatory niche a business will be competing in. "From there, a business needs to prepare to spend hours upon hours honing a business plan, " Mastrobattista said.

 This article appeared on page 9 of the How-To Section

Russ Stein & Gene Landy both appeared in the article entitled Specifics count when it comes to courting lawyers by Keith Rogan.

Russ Stein was mentioned as the chosen lawyer  by Nikki Doggart, Chief Operating Officer of Hotel Chocolat, who was searching for an attorney to help bring the U.K. based company into the U.S. market;

Doggart began her search by networking for recommendations, and after a set of brief screening interviews done by phone, engaged several firms in more in-depth meetings, seeking to find the right fit.

In the end , she chose to work with Ruberto, Israel & Weiner PC in Boston and attorney Russ Stein, who has experience in the retail and restaurant industries - important considerations, because although Hotel Chocolat operates only online in the United States, the parent has expanded aggressively into real-worl retail.

"They've picked up a lot of expertise and knowledge over the years that was very attractive to us as we laook ahead," Doggart said.

 
In the same article, Gene Landy touched base briefly on how to approach clients:

 Whether a client gets that information in that form often depends on chemistry and how well the two parties click with one another, notes Gene Landy, who chairs the technology group at Ruberto, Israel & Weiner.

"Make sure you have enough conversation and interaction with them upfront to really feel comfortable that they are familiar with your world," Landy said.

"It's important to find somebody who speaks your language because you can't afford to have them come up to speed on your dime."

A client should also feel that it can get access to attorneys to discuss bigger-picture issues as well. "A startup in particular may want to know they can take a breakfast or lunch meeting with their lawyer without the billing clock being turned on," said Landy.

A business may want to consider size, especially if hiring a major law firm with Fortune 500 clients, he adds. "You may end up paying Fortune 500 rates."

This article appeared on page 20 of the How-To Section