Did Led Zeppelin copy the opening of its iconic song “Stairway to Heaven” from a lesser-known band? A jury in California will decide in May whether the song copied elements of “Taurus,” a 1967 instrumental track from the band Spirit. Written in 1971, “Stairway to Heaven” is arguably the best known rock song of all...
Client AlertsPart II: Taking Investment Advice with a Grain of Salt: The DOL Fiduciary Rules May Help Your 401(k) Plan Participation
April 13, 2016
If you have a 401(k) plan and are trying to increase participation, you are aware of this frustrating trend: a participant comes to you when she turns 59.5 or is about to retire, and wants to withdraw everything and roll it into an IRA, on the recommendation of her investment adviser. By the time the paperwork hits...
Client AlertsPart I: Taking Investment Advice with a Grain of Salt: The DOL Fiduciary Rules May Make You Rethink that Rollover
April 13, 2016
You probably know when you can withdraw/rollover money from your 401(k) plan (generally when you leave employment, turn 59.5, or retire). But many folks don’t realize that in most cases, those withdrawals/rollovers are optional; you could leave your money in your 401(k) plan after retirement and use it just like you would an IRA. So the real question is, what should you do...
If you are a founder of an early stage company, the issue of raising money is likely top of mind and a material source of anxiety. My guess is that when you hatched your great idea and decided to launch your company, you knew that raising capital would be something you’d need to do, but...
If you are a founder of an early stage company, the issue of raising money is likely top of mind and a material source of anxiety. My guess is that when you hatched your great idea and decided to launch your company, you knew that raising capital would be something you’d need to do, but...
Client AlertsCorporate & BusinessIntellectual PropertyCyber Preparation Moves to Main Street
April 5, 2016
As in The Anchor, First Quarter 2016 Is your organization prepared for a cyber-attack? No, this is not a tagline to promote or sell cyber security insurance (although the cyber-related insurance market is growing into the multiple of billions of dollars). It is a question for you and your customers. Increasing cyber threats and government regulations designed to protect against them, mean...
Client AlertsReal EstateChinese Investment in Boston Commercial Real Estate Expected to Continue
March 25, 2016
As seen in the March 25, 2016 edition of the New England Real Estate Journal. China’s volatile stock market has only increased the desire for foreign capital inflow from China to U.S. Chinese foreign investment in U.S. commercial real estate has increased steadily from $3 billion in 2013 to $6.6 billion in 2014 to $8.6 billion...
Client AlertsReal EstateCrowdfunding Commercial Real Estate: Panacea or Path to Disaster?
March 22, 2016
As seen in the March 14, 2016 edition of the Providence Business News. Much has been written about crowdfunding commercial real estate since the passage of the Jumpstart Our Business Start-ups Act of 2012 (“JOBS Act”). Websites such as Selequity, Fundrise, and Realty Mogul have sprung up to provide what Selequity calls “the leading edge CRE investment...
Client AlertsNewsThe Nature of Workers’ Compensation as Affected by Pain and Suffering
March 17, 2016
Under the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act, M.G.L. c. 152, § 1, et seq., particularly § 15, an employee who is injured in a work-related incident due to the acts of an unrelated third party may seek redress of that injury through the civil tort process while also having received benefits afforded through the Workers’ Compensation system. In...
Rhode Islanders are fast becoming familiar with the Sharing Economy and the disruption in the marketplace that comes with it. The insurance industry is no exception. In fact, of all the policy and legal implications surrounding the Sharing Economy, issues relating to how, whether and when insurance will cover a claim or loss potentially touch all participants in this...
