Category: News

On April 3, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker signed an emergency bill into law which covers a comprehensive set of topics to address challenges facing municipalities and state agencies. Section 17 of House No. 4617 specifically addresses extending certain deadlines applicable to municipalities as well as applicants with respect to the permitting and approval process. Key…

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On April 3, 2020, Governor Charlie Baker signed an emergency bill into law allowing take-out and delivery of alcohol for licensed restaurants in Massachusetts. The authorization applies to any restaurant which currently holds a valid “all alcoholic beverages” or “malt and wine beverages” license approved by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission and issued by the…

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On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (“CARES”) Act (the “Act”), as approved by the Senate on March 26, 2020, and the House on March 27, 2020. This article is intended to focus on those provisions of Phase 3 of the federal COVID-19 stimulus package relative to the…

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Since the Senate passed and the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act” or “FFCRA”), the Department of Labor has issued guidance regarding the Act as well as a mandatory workplace notice that employers must provide to employees.  How to Comply with the Mandatory Notice Requirement  Each covered employer can…

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Thank you to everyone who was able to participate in the Restaurant Industry Discussion on Legal & Business Issues Related to the COVID-19 Outbreak webinar on Monday, March 23, 2020. These are challenging times and we hope it was useful. If you have any questions related to the subjects discussed in the webinar, or if…

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Governor Baker Seems to Overturn COVID-19 Municipal Construction Work Stoppages in the Commonwealth, But Mayor Walsh Balks In the fast-moving environment of “Can v. Can’t” and “Do v. Don’t” resulting from COVID-19 and governmental shutdowns, it is a challenge to keep track of what business activities are permitted to continue and who can perform them….

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In an effort to mitigate the significant harm to commerce caused by COVID-19, several organizations including the American Land Title Association (“ALTA”), the Mortgage Bankers Association (“MBA”), and the National Association of Realtors (“NAR”) are rallying around the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2020 (the “SECURE Notarization Act”) to…

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Last Wednesday, the Senate passed and the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act”). The Act has undergone revisions regarding the paid sick and family leave programs since the House’s passing of the Act, mostly designed to limit some of the leave provided and capping the paid leave to match…

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Before the spread of COVID-19 last week, the Massachusetts court system—which consists of the Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”), the Appeals Court, and the Trial Court (itself comprised of the Superior Court, District Court, Land Court, and Housing Court, among others)—was already stretched thin. For example, it is typical in many Superior Court civil sessions to…

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As sectors of the US economy effectively shut down one by one in response to COVID-19, a quick review of those sectors and essential functions that remain open for business may be the better approach to measure where things stand. In the world of real estate and mortgage financing, certain transactions may be able to…

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