Supreme Court Upholds Third Party Retaliation Claims Under Title VII
In one of several employment-law decisions expected to be handed down this term, the United States Supreme Court on Monday issued its decision in Thompson v. North American Stainless, LP, 562 U.S. ___ (2011), upholding the right of third parties to bring retaliation claims under Title VII without actually engaging in pro...
Massachusetts SJC Strikes Down Employer’s Wage Deduction Policy
A recent decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court holds that an employer may not deduct money from an employee’s paycheck to compensate it for damage the employee has done to its property without running afoul of the Massachusetts Wage Act, G.L. c. 149, § 148. In Camara v. Attorney General (SJC-10693) (Janua...
Superior Court Expands Wage Act to Include Severance Pay
In a departure from established precedent, a Massachusetts Superior Court has ruled for the first time that severance pay qualifies as “wages” under the Massachusetts Wage Act, G.L. c. 149, § 148. In Juergens v. MicroGroup, Inc. (Docket No. 10-CV-2379-D), the plaintiff Albert Juergens successfully negotiated a six-month...
Riden Quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly on E-discovery
This week's issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly features a story on the rise of sanctions issued for e-discovery violations. In Christina Pazzanese's article, Stephen Riden comments on a recent study published in the Duke Law Journal that documents the increase of sanctions awards involving e-discovery matters. Of the...
Boston Globe Endorses Tax Incentives for Video Game Companies
In today’s Boston Globe, its editors endorse a plan to offer tax incentives to video game companies. Recognizing that this sector offers significant growth potential and jobs, the Globe editorial characterizes incentives as a long-term investment: Incentives for video game developers … could serve as an invaluable long-t...
New Bill to Modernize Noncompete Agreements Filed
Today Representative Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) and Representative William Brownsberger (D-Belmont) filed a bill to codify, clarify, and modernize Massachusetts law relative to employee noncompetition agreements. In-depth analysis of the bill can be found here. Noncompete agreements are frequently used by employers to...
BBA’s IP Year in Review
Russell Beck will be covering trade secrets and noncompetes in this year's Boston Bar Association's Intellectual Property Year in Review. The event will be on January 19, 2011, from 2:00 to 5:30, with a reception to follow. More information is available here. >> Follow-up: Photos from the event can be found here...
What Are Reasonable Attorneys’ Fees?
Today's story in the Boston Globe provides a glimpse into the kinds of disputes that that can arise when a law firm's client believes its legal fees are too high. The story covers an arbitrator's finding that one of Boston's premier law firms overcharged a client by more than $540,000. The arbitrator reportedly faulted t...
What Are Reasonable Attorneys’ Fees?
Today's story in the Boston Globe provides a glimpse into the kinds of disputes that that can arise when a law firm's client believes its legal fees are too high. The story covers an arbitrator's finding that one of Boston's premier law firms overcharged a client by more than $540,000. The arbitrator reportedly faulted t...
BRR’s Blog Named One Of Top 100 Best Law Blogs by ABA Journal
Editors of the ABA Journal announced they have selected Beck Reed Riden's Fair Competition Law as one of the top 100 best law blogs by lawyers, for lawyers. The list was compiled by the editors based on their personal favorites. ABA Journal is inviting readers to vote on the top blog in each category. To vote for Fai...
Noncompete Updates
Russell Beck, the lead drafter and advisor on the Massachusetts noncompete bill, will be participating in two up-coming discussions: (1) a Q&A on the noncompete bill and (2) a keynote panel on noncompete law more generally. The first will be at the Boston Bar Association on Thursday, December 2, at 12:00. The topic...
Video Games Law Before Supreme Court
June 27, 2011, update: The Supreme Court rejects California's law banning the sale of violent video games to children. A copy of the Court's decision can be found here. The following is a previously-published summary of the arguments that were made by each side of Schwarzenegger v. EMA: On November 2, 2010, the Supreme...
Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Video Game Statute
On November 2, 2010, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the matter of Schwarzenegger v. EMA. This case is about a California law that bans the sale of certain violent video games to minors. This is an historic moment for video games – as this is the first time the Supreme Court has considered a statute directed to...
Video Games and the High Court: Summary of EMA’s Arguments in Supreme Court Case Schwarzenegger v. EMA
On November 2, 2010, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the matter of Schwarzenegger v. EMA. This case is about a California law that bans the sale of certain violent video games to minors. This is an historic moment for video games – as this is the first time the Supreme Court has ruled on a statute directed to th...
Video Games and the High Court: Summary of California’s Arguments in Supreme Court Case Schwarzenegger v. EMA
On November 2, 2010, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the matter of Schwarzenegger v. EMA. This case is about a California law that bans the sale of certain violent video games to minors. In today’s installment, the State of California’s position is summarized. (As the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegg...
Beck Profiled in BU Law IP Newsletter
Russell Beck is profiled in the current edition of "B informed," Boston University School of Law's IP Newsletter. The article discusses Russell's career from Tufts University through Beck Reed Riden LLP and his course at BU. From the article: This spring, Beck left the large law firm and started his own boutique firm,...