Beck Reed Riden LLP Attorneys Named Super Lawyers

Russell Beck, Stephen ReedStephen Riden, and Bob Shea have been recognized as Super Lawyers by the 2020 issue of Massachusetts Super Lawyers Magazine. In addition, Nicole Daly, Hannah Joseph, and Jillian Carson have been recognized as Rising Stars by the Magazine.

Super Lawyers Magazine has selected Russell Beck as one of the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Massachusetts for 2020.

Stephen Reed and Stephen Riden were selected as two of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Massachusetts.

The title of Super Lawyer is given to 5% of the lawyers in the Commonwealth while the Rising Star designation recognizes 2.5% of lawyers under 40.  The Super Lawyers selection process is described in detail here.

Beck Reed Riden LLPis Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment.

We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Steve Riden Giving Presentation on Tortious Interference

On Tuesday, October 27, 2020, Steve Riden will be a panelist for a Strafford presentation titled “Tortious Interference With Contracts, Business Relations, and Economic Advantage: Proving and Defending Claims.”

The presentation will be conducted via webinar on October 27, 2020, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. ET. Registration information and other details are available here.

The CLE webinar will focus on proving and defending claims of tortious interference with contract, tortious interference with business relations, and tortious interference with economic advantage.

These claims arise when a person intentionally disrupts a formal agreement between two parties or when a third party takes unlawful action to deliberately drive business away or to cause another party to not enter into a business relationship with the plaintiff.

The presentation will address the following issues:

  • What must plaintiffs prove to establish a tortious interference claim?
  • What are the potential defenses to defeat tortious interference claims?
  • Can preliminary injunctive relief be obtained for tortious interference?
  • What economic damages are available to prevailing plaintiffs in tortious interference cases?
  • How do tortious interference claims overlap with related employment, unfair competition, and defamation claims?

The other panelist for the presentation is V. John Ella
of Trepanier MacGillis Battina P.A.

teve Riden is the President of the Board of Directors for the Boston College Law School Alumni Association. He is the current Chair of the Board of Editors for the Boston Bar Journal. Previously, Steve was the Co-Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Business and Commercial Litigation Section.

Beck Reed Riden LLP is Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment.

We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Beck Reed Riden LLP Attorneys Named to 2021 Best Lawyers in America List

Beck Reed Riden LLP is pleased to announce that five of its lawyers have been named to the 2021 Edition of Best Lawyers, and one of its lawyers was included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Russell Beck, Stephen Reed, Stephen Riden, Nicole Daly, and Bob Shea were named to the 2021 Best Lawyers in America list in the following categories:

  • Russell Beck, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Steve ReedCommercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Steve RidenCommercial Litigation
  • Nicole DalyEmployment Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Bob Shea, Employment Law – Management

In addition, Hannah Joseph was included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the areas of Commercial Litigation, Labor and Employment Law – Management, and Litigation – Intellectual Property.

Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 65 countries.

Best Lawyers Award BadgeLawyers on the Best Lawyers in America © list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. For the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 9.4 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in the inclusion of more than 67,000 lawyers, or approximately 5% of lawyers in private practice in the United States.

Beck Reed Riden LLP is Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legaland business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Beck Reed Riden LLP in Law360 for Preliminary Injunction Win

An article in Law360 higlights Beck Reed Riden LLP’s success in defeating a bid to enforce a noncompete agreement. The article is titled “Facebook Beats AI Startup’s Bid To Shield Trade Secrets.”

The article summarizes a decision by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts:

An artificial intelligence startup has failed to prove that its first employee ran off with the company’s trade secrets when he took a job at Facebook, a Massachusetts federal judge said, denying the firm’s request to block the former worker’s ongoing research at the social media giant.

U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper … denied Neural Magic’s bid for an injunction, saying it wasn’t clear whether the work that Aleksandar Zlateski did for Facebook even qualifies as a trade secret.

The article explains that:

Aleksandar Zlateski is represented by Russell Beck, Stephen D. Riden, and Hannah Tso Joseph of Beck Reed Riden LLP.

The case is Neural Magic Inc. v. Facebook Inc. et al., case number 1:20-cv-10444, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

The article is by Brian Dowling.

eck Reed Riden LLP is among the leading authorities in trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition law, and our experience handling these matters is backed by our extensive employment law and business litigation experience. Our hand-picked team combines attorneys with complementary expertise and practical experience.

Beck Reed Riden LLP is Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legaland business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Unauthorized Acts by Shareholder Leads to Judgment in Close Corporation Dispute

A recent Massachusetts Appeals Court decision about a close corporation dispute illustrates the challenges that can arise when there is a conflict among a small group of investors.

Being part of a company with a small number of investors or a family-owned business can be a great experience. These companies – known as “close corporations” – are typically run by a tight-knit group of family members or individuals.

When things are going smoothly, and the company’s owners are making a return on their investment, there’s no cause for complaint. As with any business venture, however, internal conflicts can arise. Shareholder disputes in close corporations can take many forms. For example, it is not uncommon for a shareholder or group of shareholders to want a co-owner to leave the company. Differences in management styles or personality conflicts can drive a wedge between business partners. Tensions can also develop between majority and minority ownership interests.

Discord Among Shareholders Leads to IT Lockdown

On July 7, 2020, the Massachusetts Appeals Court issued a decision titled Bernstein v. MyJoVE Corp. describing the deterioration of a relationship among co-founders of a close corporation. The dispute involves MyJoVE, an internet-based publisher of scientific journals, and one of its shareholders. According to the Appeals Court decision, MyJoVE’s former chief technology officer – who was also a thirty percent shareholder – left the company, and later used his knowledge of MyJoVE’s computer systems to gain control of MyJoVE’s website, and to cut off the email access of MyJoVE’s chief executive officer for several days.

MyJoVE was started in 2006, and its co-founders included Nikita Bernstein and Moshe Pritsker. Each co-founder owned thirty percent of the company. Mr. Pritsker is the company’s president and CEO, and Mr. Bernstein was the CTO.

In 2011, Mr. Bernstein stepped down as the company’s CTO, but continued to provide some consulting. In late 2011, according to the Appeals Court decision, Mr. Bernstein “became increasingly critical of what he perceived as various missteps by MyJoVE’s IT department, as well as, more generally, of Pritsker’s management. Bernstein and Pritsker had several disagreements about the extent to which Bernstein would be permitted to interact with other employees, and to have access to the company’s offices. Bernstein also became frustrated that Pritsker was not communicating with him as he wished.”

In November 2012, Mr. Bernstein transferred the company’s website to his personal account, gained access to the company’s emails, and changed the password on Mr. Pritsker’s email account – thereby blocking the company’s CEO from accessing his own emails.

The parties filed claims against each other in a Massachusetts Superior Court, and the company obtained a preliminary injunction compelling Mr. Bernstein to relinquish the company’s domain name, and to return control of the company’s computer system to the company.

The Appeals Court ruled that Mr. Bernstein’s “status as a shareholder of a close corporation did not give him a right to engage in unauthorized acts.” Adding that “[a]llowing a party who has [allegedly] suffered harm within a close corporation to seek retribution by disregarding its own duties has no basis in our laws and would undermine fundamental and long-standing fiduciary principles that are essential to corporate governance.” The Appeals Court explained that if shareholders are “unable to resolve matters amicably, aggrieved parties should take their claims to court and seek judicial resolution.” The Appeals Court upheld the trial court’s $60,313 judgment in favor of the company.

Resolving Shareholder Conflict With Help From Advisors

As this case shows, the very thing that can make a close corporation successful – a small group of investors who decide among themselves how to operate the venture – can also make resolution of internal disputes difficult. Because when the small group of owners disagree about how to run the company or who should be in charge, the path to a resolution is not always clear. When tempers flare, shareholder agreements and by-laws are not always helpful for resolving management deadlock.

It can be tricky to find the right solution for parties who are involved in a close corporation dispute. Sometimes, a collaborative process can yield positive results. Other times, it is necessary to resort to litigation. The type of solution is heavily dependent on the nature of the dispute and the dynamics of the owners.

In most cases, obtaining the advice of an attorney who has experience untangling the thicket of ownership interests and legal obligations is the critical first step toward reaching a resolution. Beck Reed Riden LLP’s attorneys frequently handle these types of disputes – both in and out of court. If you have any questions or if you are involved in a close corporation dispute, please contact us to discuss your situation. Attorneys Russell Beck and Stephen Riden have years of experience in this area and they can be reached via email (info@beckreed.com) or telephone (617-500-8660).

Beck Reed Riden LLP is Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Steve Riden Elected President of Boston College Law School Alumni Board

On November 1, 2019, Stephen Riden was elected President of the Board of Directors for the Boston College Law School Alumni Association. His one-year term as president began on January 1, 2020.

The stated purpose of the BC Law Alumni Association is to “further the ideals and tradition of Boston College Law School through the education and involvement of alumni in the life of the Law School and to promote the tradition of service to others, consistent with the Jesuit tradition, through the development and involvement of alumni, students and faculty.”

One goal of the BC Law Alumni Association is to connect and reconnect the graduates of BC Law to the institution and to one another. There are nearly 14,000 alumni of BC Law School.

Steve Riden joined the Alumni Board in 2011, and has served on the Board in various capacities, including Treasurer and Secretary.

In 2010, Steve received Boston College Law School’s 2010 Chapter Award for Boston.

Steve Riden graduated from Boston College Law School in 1999, and he graduated from Boston College in 1995.

Stephen has extensive experience litigating business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, trade secrets, and noncompete agreements. He has represented companies in a variety of governmental investigations. Stephen also has substantial experience representing owners involved in intra-corporate disputes, including shareholder litigation and close-corporation control matters.

Steve Riden was selected as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in New England and Top 100 Lawyers in Massachusetts.

Steve is the author of the first chapter in the book Damages, Interest, and Attorney Fees in Massachusetts Litigation. The chapter, supplemented in 2017, is titled “General Law of Damages in Massachusetts.”

Beck Reed Riden LLPis Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience at large law firms, working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Russell Beck and Stephen Riden Named Top 100 Lawyers

Super Lawyers Magazine has selected Russell Beck and Stephen Riden as two of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Massachusetts and two of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in New England for 2019.

Russell BeckRussell Beck is a business and intellectual property litigator, nationally recognized for his trade secrets and noncompete experience. Russell has more than twenty-five years of experience as a complex business and intellectual property litigator, representing corporate and individual clients throughout the country in federal and state trial and appellate courts, arbitrations, and mediations.

Steve Riden is a commercial litigator who represents corporate and individual clients in a wide array of disputes across the country. Steve has extensive experience litigating business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, unfair competition, trade secrets, and noncompete agreements. Steve also has substantial experience representing owners involved in intra-corporate disputes.

The selection of the top 100 Super Lawyers in Massachusetts and New England is based on a process of peer review following a survey of lawyers from the region. The Super Lawyers selection process is described in detail here.

Russell Beck and Steve Riden have been selected to Super Lawyers Top 100 lists in several prior years.

is Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience at large law firms, working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Beck Reed Riden LLP Attorneys Named Super Lawyers

Russell Beck, Stephen ReedStephen Riden, and Barry Guryan have been recognized as Super Lawyers by the 2019 issue of Massachusetts Super Lawyers Magazine. In addition, Nicole Daly and Hannah Joseph have been recognized as Rising Stars by the Magazine.

Super Lawyers Magazine has also selected Russell Beck and Stephen Riden as two of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Massachusetts and two of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in New England for 2019.

The title of Super Lawyer is given to 5% of the lawyers in the Commonwealth while the Rising Star designation recognizes 2.5% of lawyers under 40.  The Super Lawyers selection process is described in detail here.

 

Beck Reed Riden LLPis Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience at large law firms, working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Beck Reed Riden LLP Attorneys Named to 2020 Best Lawyers in America List

Beck Reed Riden LLP is pleased to announce that four of its lawyers have been named to the 2020 Edition of Best Lawyers.

Russell Beck, Stephen Reed, Stephen Riden, and Nicole Daly were named to the 2020 Best Lawyers in America list in the following categories:

  • Russell BeckCommercial Litigation
  • Steve ReedCommercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment
  • Steve RidenCommercial Litigation
  • Nicole Daly, Employment Law – Management

Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 65 countries.

Best Lawyers Award BadgeLawyers on the Best Lawyers in America © list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. For the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 8.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in the inclusion of more than 62,000 lawyers, or approximately 5% of lawyers in private practice in the United States.

Beck Reed Riden LLPis Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience at large law firms, working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

Stephen Riden Analyzes Appeals Court Decision in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

A recent issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly features discussion with Steve Riden in an article titled “Investor’s suit against foreign bank revived.”

The article covers a decision by the Massachusetts Appeals Court concerning whether a foreign bank had sufficient ties with Massachusetts to be subject to suit within the Commonwealth. The decision was entered in the case titled Von Schönau-Riedweg, et al. v. Rothschild Bank AG.

The decision addresses the exercise of long-arm jurisdiction by a Massachusetts court over a Swiss bank based on the conduct of an advisor that acted as the bank’s agent.

In the article, Steve Riden is quoted as follows:

Attorneys said the decision, while not breaking new ground, is helpful.

“It provides a good road map for any practitioner interested in the status of agency law in Massachusetts,” said Stephen D. Riden, co-chairman of the Boston Bar Association’s Business and Commercial Litigation Section.

***

Riden also noted the Appeals Court’s “back to basics” approach in looking at “elemental hallmarks” of the existence of an agency-principal relationship, such as the advisor’s use of the bank’s business cards, stationery and email system.

“If you are a putting together an affidavit, you should be looking for things like that,” Riden said.

The article is by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s reporter, Kris Olson / @KO_Reporter.

Beck Reed Riden LLP is Boston’s innovative litigation boutique. Our lawyers have years of experience at large law firms, working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and individuals. We focus on business litigation and employment. We are experienced litigators and counselors, helping our clients as business partners to resolve issues and develop strategies that best meet our clients’ legal and business needs – before, during, and after litigation. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help you. Read more about us, the types of matters we handle, and what we can do for you here.

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