RIW Shareholder Stacey Friends is speaking at the MCLE 16th Annual New England Intellectual Property Law Conference 2013. 

Click here for program details.

RIW Attorney Brad Croft has been appointed to the Steering Committee of the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, Workplace Management and Human Resources Division.

To view press release, click here.

Taming the Litigation Beast

At the first sniff of a claim or a lawsuit against your company, the in-house legal department must take charge of a case and not let go. Join In-House Legal, host Paul D. Boynton Esq., with trial attorney, Barry Weiner , from the law firm Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, as they discuss how to tame the litigation beast and share thoughts and insights on how in-house lawyers can effectively control their litigation budgets.

Click here for official website or click on links below to download podcast now!

MP3 Link:    http://websrvr82il.audiovideoweb.com/ny60web16519/LTN/IHL/IHL_012909_LitigationBeast.MP3

WMA Link:    mms://win40nj.audiovideoweb.com/avwebdsnjwin4287/LTN/IHL/IHL_012909_LitigationBeast.wmv

Ruberto, Israel & Weiner is pleased to announce that Matthew D. Ray has joined RIW as an associate in our Banking, Finance & Lending and Commercial Real Estate Practice Groups.

Matthew concentrates his practice in real estate lending and asset-based lending as well as general commercial real estate transactions.  Mr. Ray’s experience includes representation of institutional and private lenders as well as borrowers in the closing of commercial credit facilities.  His transactional experience includes the review of titles to commercial properties and assisting clients in the acquisition and disposition of commercial properties as well as the representation of landlords and tenants in the negotiation of commercial lease agreements.  Mr. Ray also has experience in corporate law and has counseled privately held companies with entity formation, general corporate governance matters as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, Mr. Ray practiced with a greater Boston law firm concentrating in commercial real estate, asset-based lending and real estate finance as well general corporate law.  While attending Suffolk University Law School, Mr. Ray was a member of the Moot Court Honor Board and an editor on the Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy. 

Learn more about: Stacey C. Friends

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RIW Shareholder Barry Weiner has been named to the Board of Trustees of the Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA.  Click here for additional information regarding the Montserrat College of Art.

Learn more about: Gary C. Bubb

Congratulations to RIW attorneys named to the 2011 Boston Magazine list of Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Super Lawyers:

James Fox

Chris Litterio

Maureen Mulligan

Deborah Pechet Quinan

Mike Ruberto

Barry Weiner

Rising Stars:

Mike Duffy

Brendan Recupero

David Robinson

Katherine Sheehan

 

 

 

Learn more about: David W. Robinson

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RIW's Trusts and Estates Practice Group launched its' quarterly newsletter "Trusts & Estates Update".  Click here to read the most current issue.

 

 

Learn more about: David Baer, Robert M. Connolly and Russell N. Stein

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Maureen Mulligan was re-appointed by the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section of the ABA as its liaison to the Commission on Women in the Profession.  As the national voice for women lawyers, the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession ensures that women have equal opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

 Maureen has also been appointed to Boston Bar Foundation John and Abigail Adams Benefit Steering Committee.

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Howie Altholtz appointed to Citi Performing Arts Center Board of Overseers.  Click here for more information.

 

Learn more about: Bethany A. Grazio

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Ruberto, Israel & Weiner is pleased to congratulate Maureen Mulligan, who has been named as a Top Women of Law Honoree. The awards are made by a selection committee coordinated through Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

This honor celebrates women who have made great professional strides and demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in private practice, the corporate arena and social advocacy.

Learn more about: Bradley L. Croft

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The Boston Bar Association has named Bradley Croft to co-chair its Litigation Section for a term beginning September 1, 2012.  Click here for details.

Learn more about: Daniel J. Goldberg and Christopher P. Litterio

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Ruberto, Israel & Weiner is pleased to announce that Katherine M. Sheehan has joined RIW as an associate in our Trusts & Estates Practice.

Ms. Sheehan's practice is concentrated in the areas of estate and tax planning as well as trust and estate administration.

Prior to joining Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, Ms. Sheehan was with Cody & Cody, LLC in Quincy, where she focused her practice in the areas of estate planning, both general and sophisticated, charitable planning, and long term care planning, as well as trust, probate and estate administration.  Before joining Cody & Cody, Katie was Trust Counsel for Boston Financial Management, Inc. a Boston based investment advisory firm.  

 

Learn more about: David Baer

RIW is also pleased to announce Bradley L. Croft has been appointed Chair of the Membership Committee for the Massachusetts Building Congress.

RIW is pleased to announce Michael J. Duffy has been appointed Co-Chair of the Securities Litigation Subcommittee of the ABA Litigation Section's Commercial & Business Litigation Committee for the 2011-2012 bar year.

Learn more about: Christopher P. Litterio

Recent victory at the Supreme Judicial Court streamlines loan recovery process for lenders

When Beal Bank had its hard-earned judgment overturned by the Massachusetts Appeals Court, it turned to Chris Litterio to take the case to the Supreme Judicial Court. The stakes were not simply the mid-six figure judgment, but reversing the stringent standard set by the appellate court for proving a debt owed by a creditor. Under the Appeal Court's decision, a bank that acquired a loan in the secondary market would be forced to resurrect a witness from every other bank that had previously owned that loan to testify as to what payments were made while that bank owned the loan. In modern day banking, buying and selling loans is routine. Had the Appeals Court's decision stood, banks that owned large portfolios of purchased loans stood to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. The cost of credit could have increased significantly.

In Beal Bank v. Eurich, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that bank records of a loan payment history based on the records of prior owners of the loan were admissible without the need to have a witness from the prior owners testify about the accuracy of that information. In doing so, the court observed:

We recognize that the problem of proving a debt that has been assigned several times is of great importance to mortgage lenders and financial institutionsl Given the common practice of banks buying and selling loans, we conclude that it is normal business practice to maintain accurate business records regarding such loans and to provide them to those acquiring the loan. Therefore, the bank need not provide testimony from a witness with personal knowledge regarding the maintenance of the predecessors' business records. The bank's reliance on this type of record keeping by others renders the records the equivalent of the bank's own records. To hold otherwise would severely impair the ability of assignees of debt to collect the debt due because the assignee's business records of the debt are necessarily premised on the payment records of its predecessors.

For more information, please contact Chris Litterio at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

RIW is pleased to announce
Maureen Mulligan was appointed to a

three-year term on the Board of Bar Overseers

by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.

Maureen Mulligan has also been appointed as a

liaison to the American Bar Association Commission

on Women in the Profession.

Learn more about: Maureen Mulligan

Maureen Mulligan was quoted in "Online IR Companies Take Fraud Charges to Mediation" in the April 29th issue of the Boston Business Journal. The article discusses the decision to mediate the fraud and trade secret case Shareholder.com v. CCBN.com Inc. et al.

RIW's trial team of Christopher Litterio and Michael Duffy recently won a jury verdict for an international consulting firm in an employment wage and hour action. The case
arose as a class action advanced by a former entry level consultant claiming misclassification as an exempt employee and failure to pay overtime
wages. Specifically, the Plaintiff employee claimed that entry level associates only performed rote tasks such as typing interview notes and compiling research into
spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. Our client argued that the employee met the administrative exemption from overtime pay requirements because entry level
associates performed important research and analysis requiring significant judgment and discretion. Through discovery, we were able to develop evidence that Plaintiff's description of his duties and responsibilities was not representative of entry level associates, who typically exercised independent judgment and discretion. As a result, RIW successfully defeated
certification of the class in a pretrial motion. At trial, we established that the Plaintiff qualified for the administrative exemption due to the significant amount of judgment
and discretion he exercised on a daily basis, resulting in a verdict in favor of our client on all claims after a four day jury trial in Suffolk County Superior Court. The
verdict was returned after less than an hour of deliberations. For more information or questions, contact Chris Litterio at (617) 742-4200 or
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Learn more about: Bradley L. Croft and Stacey C. Friends

Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C. congratulates four of its attorneys who have been named Massachusetts Rising Stars. Bradley Croft, Barry Dicker, Brian French and Stacey Friends will be listed in the May 2005 issue of Boston Magazine and Massachusetts Super Lawyers - Rising Star Edition.

The distinction, awarded to less than five (2.5%) percent of all Massachusetts lawyers, was based on ballots cast by Massachusetts attorneys, asking them to identify the best up-and-coming lawyers whom they had personally observed in action.

 

RIW is pleased to announce Lisa Weinstein Burns has been elected to the Boston Estate Planning Council Board of Directors.  Lisa will serve a term of three years - 2011 to 2014.

Learn more about: Christopher P. Litterio

On Tuesday May 3, 2005 Chris Litterio, Head of the Firm's Litigation Department, argues on behalf of a banking client before the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. The matter relates to the admissibility, under the business records exception to the hearsay rule, of loan documents acquired from the records of predecessors in interests.

The outcome could have broad implications for holders of notes seeking to recover monies due, as well as for other businesses which have acquired assets and later seek to prove an issue through the business records of the prior business.

The case is Beal Bank, SSB v. Richard R. Eurich, SJC Docket No. 09408, and may be seen streaming live on the internet at www.suffolk.edu/sjc.

Congratulations to Bethany Grazio who has been appointed to the membership committee of the Massachusetts Lodging Association.

We are pleased to announce that Maureen Mulligan and Debra Chionchio are now Shareholders of the firm.

Maureen Mulligan is a member of the Litigation Group. A trial lawyer, her practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and general business disputes in the areas of corporate and professional liability, banking and finance, employment, securities and technology issues. In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Mulligan acts as a mediator for commercial disputes.

Debra A. Chionchio is a member of the corporate department and the food, beverage and hospitality group. Ms. Chionchio counsels closely-held businesses and also handles real estate matters and commercial financing.

Russ Stein, Chair of RIW's Corporate and Business Law group, will appear this Sunday August 1, on Radio WBNW 1120AM, Mind Your Own Business radio show: http://www.myobtheradioshow.com/

Russ' segment on Mergers & Acquisitions will air somewhere between 9 :00 and 9:30 AM. His topic will be "The Improving Economic Climate and the Uptick in M&A deals".

Learn more about: Christopher P. Litterio

Chris Litterio was quoted in the June 4, 2004 issue of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. Chris argued on behalf of Baystate Financial Services LLC on a trademark dispute over their name.

Deborah Pechet Quinan was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Glen Urquhart School located in Beverly, MA.

Learn more about: Christopher P. Litterio

Chris Litterio was quoted in the March 22, 2004 issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly regarding his recent tip pooling case. The article "Employment Bar Waits For Decision In Tip-Pool Case" discusses the argument that Chris made before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. No decision has been made yet in this case.  

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RIW is delighted to announce that Lisa Weinstein Burns has joined the firm as a Shareholder in the Trusts & Estates Group.

Ms. Burns’ practice is concentrated in the areas of tax planning, multi-generational wealth transfers, business-succession planning, and estate planning and administration. Ms. Burns counsels her clients in a variety of estate-planning matters, including revocable trusts, irrevocable insurance and generation-skipping trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, charitable trusts, wills, and durable powers of attorney, among others. Ms. Burns also assists executors and fiduciaries with the administration of estates and trusts.

 

Learn more about: Christopher P. Litterio

On March 4, 2004, Chris Litterio argued before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in the restaurant tip pooling case. This case will determine whether employers can impose tip pooling agreements on employees engaged in food and beverage services.

Stacey Friends appeared on the NECN segment entitled "Sidebar". Stacey joined NECN to talk about the legal issues surrounding author J.D. Salinger's work following his death on January 27, 2010.

To view the segment, which aired Monday, February 1, 2010, click here.

Learn more about: James C. Fox

Jim Fox was elected Clerk of the Turnaround Management Association. TMA is the premier professional community dedicated to corporate renewal and turnaround management.

RIW is delighted to announce that Deborah Pechet Quinan has joined the firm as a Shareholder in the Trusts & Estates Group.

Ms. Quinan’s practice is concentrated in the areas of estate planning, tax planning, and the administration of trusts and estates, with an emphasis on estate and business succession planning for individuals, closely-held business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Her practice includes estate planning for retirement assets, international estate planning and charitable giving. Ms. Quinan also coordinates closely with other advisors in assisting clients with their financial planning needs.

Click here to view full announcement

Chris Litterio was quoted in the article "Restaurant Could Require All Staff To Share Tip Pool" in the May 19th issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Chris represented the defendants in this case which could affect many restaurants and other service businesses.

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RIW is pleased to announce that Michael Dana Rosen has joined the firm as of August 3, 2009.

Mr. Rosen has extensive experience representing developers regarding the acquisition, development, sale, leasing, and financing of complex commercial and residential real estate projects. He has represented both borrowers and lenders in sophisticated real estate financing transactions and has appeared before zoning and planning boards regarding a variety of residential and commercial matters.

Click here to view complete announcement

Learn more about: Christopher P. Litterio

Chris Litterio was quoted in the article "Restaurant Could Require All Staff To Share Tip Pool" in the May 19th issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Chris represented the defendants in this case which could affect many restaurants and other service businesses.  

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Chris Litterio, Managing Shareholder of Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, presented an oral argument before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appealing an SEC Chief Administrative Law Judge's decision concerning market timing activities by several stockbrokers.

To view webcast, click player of choice below:

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Captioned Version: WindowsMedia | RealMedia

RIW launched a new ad campaign highlighting the technology group. The ads will run bi-monthly in MA High Tech. View the ads (PDF).

RIW Attorney Maureen Mulligan was named one of the Top Ten Lawyers in the region by Women’s Business Boston.

Maureen's practice includes Litigation, Technology, Securities, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

To view, click here.

Learn more about: Gene K. Landy

After his presentation to the Irish Software Council on present and future of US IT Markets, Gene Landy was interviewed and quoted in Irish Independent Business.

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