The Latest on the Law: Updates from the Boston Bar

Preparing for a Legal Career While in College

Interested in law school but not sure where to start? Attend this program to learn about how you can chart a path to law school! The panelists will discuss what undergraduate students can do to prepare for a career in law school while in college. Topics will include how to choose courses that are helpful for law school and preparing for the LSAT, as well as other key items undergraduate students should know when thinking about law school. 

 

Don't miss your chance to hear from practicing attorneys and law school admissions personnel!

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Tax-Exempt Fundamentals Series: Private Foundations - Rules of Behavior

Private Foundations - Rules of Behavior is the fourth in our six-part Fundamentals Series on public charities and private foundations.  The series will provide a basic overview geared toward new attorneys and attorneys new to the practice area on forming, operating and dissolving a tax-exempt organization in Massachusetts.  The Private Foundations - Rules of Behavior program will describe the essential differences between private foundations and public charities and why these distinctions matter from a tax and donor perspective.

 

Speakers:

Valerie Sussman (Hurwit & Associates)

Kelly Guarino (Fiduciary Trust Company)

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Hot Topics in Life Sciences Enforcement

Hear from leading prosecutors in the Boston U.S. Attorney’s Office about recent enforcement trends in the life sciences industry involving the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute and fraud and abuse regulations, as well as the DOJ’s latest approach to self-disclosure and cooperation in civil and criminal investigations. How would you counsel your client about the self-disclosure process or cooperating with a government investigation? You will also learn key strategies from a seasoned member of the life sciences litigation Bar about the nuances to consider when advising your client, communicating with law enforcement, and designing a compliance plan.

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Sports Sponsorship and Licensing Deals: How Legal and Business Teams Work Together

This panel will explore how legal and business teams work together to properly vet, negotiate, and finalize sponsorship and licensing deals. We will hear from our esteemed leaders from marketing, sales, and legal departments with perspectives from apparel/footwear and professional sports industries.

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Tax-Exempt Organizations Section: Tips on Efficient Use of MA AGO Charities Division Charity Portal

Effective September 1, 2023, Massachusetts charities must submit their annual filings to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) using the online Charity Portal that was launched in 2022. As part of the AGO’s effort to support the charities sector through this transition, the Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division has offered interactive webinars to demonstrate the use of the Charity Portal. This Brown Bag program offers an opportunity for practitioners to learn tips on efficient use of the portal and to ask questions directly to members of the AGO team who were involved in the development of the Charity Portal. 

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Recent Delaware Law Updates Affecting M&A Transactions

This program will cover recent opinions of the Delaware courts on important aspects of M&A agreements, including remedies for damages based on “lost premiums” available to sellers and the parties capable of brining those claims and equitable limits on specific performance, as well as equitable and process considerations, including the standard of review applicable in controller buyouts as well as claims for aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty on the part of buyers.  

 

The program will address, among others, the Court of Chancery’s opinion in Crispo v. Musk finally resolving Delaware’s take on so-called “Con Ed provisions” as well as the opinions in Smart Local Unions and Councils Pension Fund v. BridgeBio Pharma, Inc., In re Columbia Pipeline Group, and 26 Capital Acquisition Corp. v. Tiger Resort Asia Ltd.  Materials summarizing these and other opinions will be available.

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

 

Bar Coaching Series – Stress Management

The BBA welcomes all who are preparing for the bar exam to a stress management workshop. Shawn Healy, Clinical Psychologist at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, will offer insight and guidance on managing the stresses and expectations that come with preparing for the bar exam. 

Bar Exam coaches support students as they prepare to sit for the Bar Exam and confront all the stresses that come along with studying. This program helps law students prepare for the test and offers support on the non-substantive aspects of preparing for the exam.

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

 

Tax-Exempt Fundamentals Series: Board Structure, Governance, and Fiduciary Duty

Nonprofit organizations must meet federal and state legal requirements and regulatory best practice expectations in the areas of board structure, governance and fiduciary duty. This program will review laws and rules that govern nonprofit corporation board operations, and the fiduciary duties board members assume when joining a nonprofit board as a director or officer.  This is the third in a series of six Exempt Organization Fundamentals presentations.

 

Speakers:

Jocelyn Bishop (Hurwit & Associates)

Martha J. Nahill Frahm (Goulston & Storrs PC)

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Trust & Estates Mid-Year Review

An annual event not to be missed, the Trusts & Estates Mid-Year Review covers recent federal and state case law, legislation and tax law matters. This year's program will include updates from:

New Developments Committee: The committee will review recent cases regarding a trustee’s duty to account to remainder beneficiaries, issues involved when a charitable gift under a decedent’s will presents a latent ambiguity, the inclusion in the value of an irrevocable trust for the benefit of one spouse in the calculation and division of marital assets, the division of proceeds from a partition sale, and the severing of a joint tenancy by agreement.  

Public Policy Committee:  The committee will report on various bills filed and pending during the current legislative cycle, including legislation pertaining to decanting, digital assets, unitrusts, and special needs trusts for seniors. The committee will also discuss other topics of interest to Trusts & Estates practitioners.

Tax Law Updates Committee: The committee will report on recent developments in federal and Massachusetts tax law that are relevant to estate and tax planning including the Millionaire’s Tax, changes to the Massachusetts Estate Tax and final regulations issued under the Corporate Transparency Act.  These are in addition to cases, private letter rulings and other written determinations in the estate, gift, GST, retirement benefits, and income taxes and tax compliance realms.  

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Business Immigration Fundamentals

Comprehensive introduction to the basics of business immigration law; including overview of various employment-based temporary (non-immigrant) visas and employment-based immigrant visas. Panelists will discuss key points of different visa types and eligibility criteria. Attendees will come away with an understanding of the scope of visa types and some specific considerations for each type. This presentation will be beneficial for new immigration attorneys or law students interested in immigration law.

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org