On March 18th, the U.S. Congress passed and President Trump signed, the Families First Coronavirus Act (“FFCA”). FFCA includes numerous sweeping measures designed to help both families and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. What is FFCA? Below is a summary of some of the key provisions of the FFCA 2020 for employers. Emergency Paid Sick
Zoning disputes range from single family homes to complex commercial, residential, or mixed use developments. Regardless of the monetary value of the project from a cost-standpoint, the zoning disputes that get to court all have one thing in common – someone owning a nearby property is not happy. Anyone can talk at a local hearing
To reduce the impact of COVID-19 outbreak conditions on businesses, workers, customers, and the public, it is important for all employers to plan now for COVID-19. COVID-19 has the potential to cause extensive outbreaks and because there is no current vaccine, an outbreak may become an extended event, as a result, workplaces may experience: Higher
Congress has enacted and on Friday, August 23, 2019 the President signed a bill which will add a new subchapter V to Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code designed to streamline the reorganization process for small businesses. This new law follows some unsuccessful stories about small businesses being unable to successfully reorganize under
According to Airbnb, hosts in Massachusetts earned over $256 million from 1.2 million renters. The growth of private vacation rentals deriving from Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO, and similar websites has provided extra income for property owners in Massachusetts and additional options for travelers to the state. The tremendous growth, however, has also prompted state and local
Typically when entering a commercial lease, the tenant pays to the landlord a security deposit to ensure that the tenant complies with the lease and returns the space in the proper condition. Depending on the credit history and specifics of the lease, the commercial lease security deposit can range from one month’s rent to a
It has been a long-time coming, but it is finally here, Non-Compete reform in Massachusetts. The new law, which was recently signed by Governor Baker, places significant restrictions on how employers can use non-compete agreements with employees and independent contractors. Here are the highlights: The new law, M.G.L. c. 149 §24L (Massachusetts Non-Competition Agreement Act)
Like many seaside areas of Massachusetts, Dennis has a sought-after beach on Cape Cod Bay. So much so in fact that access to one particular beach area is the subject of three appellate decisions. The seaside neighborhood in dispute consists of approximately 200 acres, which was developed into residential lots beginning approximately 1903. Generally, the
Unfortunately, a significant percentage of people fail to have any sort of estate planning in place, forcing their families and beneficiaries to navigate the complexities of probate court in order to acquire the deceased person’s property. Probate is a long and costly process, but can often be entirely avoided through proper estate planning and trust
The recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) is a sweeping tax package. Here’s an overview of some of the more important business tax changes in the new law. Unless otherwise noted, the changes are effective for tax years beginning in 2018. Corporate tax rates reduced. One of the more significant new law provisions