Recent Posts
Posted In: COVID-19
Governor Mandates Wearing of Face Masks in Public and Delegates Enforcement Authority to Local Boards of Health
On May 1, Governor Baker issued an order mandating that people wear face coverings in public. The order, available here, is the governor’s latest measure responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic. …
Posted In: COVID-19
Notarizing By Video Chat: Massachusetts Temporarily Allows Remote Notarization
With the closure of non-essential businesses, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenges and risks associated with meeting a notary in person has become…
Posted In: COVID-19
Court Confirms Governor’s Powers to Determine What Businesses Are Essential
On April 16, 2020, the Suffolk Superior Court denied a bid by the recreational cannabis industry to stay open as “essential services” during the Coronavirus State of Emergency. The decision…
Posted In: COVID-19
CARES Act Minimum Service Requirements: A Brief Guide for Airports
April 12, 2020- Sections 4005 and 4114(b) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, H.R. 748 (the “CARES Act”) authorize the Department of Transportation to require an air…
Posted In: COVID-19
7 Things You Need to Know About Massachusetts Municipality Act Gov. Baker Signed Today
The Governor signed into law today Chapter 53 of the Acts of 2020, which includes multiple provisions aimed at reducing burdens on municipalities and state agencies caused by the ongoing…
Posted In: COVID-19
What The CARES Act Means for Airports, Airlines, and Other Airport Tenants
On March 29, 2019, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, H.R. 748 (the “CARES Act”) providing an unprecedented $2 trillion in aid to individuals, businesses and…
Posted In: COVID-19
What Municipal Employers Need to Know About the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Please click here to download a copy of the client alert. Update: U.S. Department of Labor Publishes Guidance Explaining Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave Under the Families…
Posted In: COVID-19
The Open Meeting Law, Untested Local Emergency Powers, and the Response to COVID-19
Responding to the COVID-19 outbreak demands navigating uncharted territory, not least of which for Massachusetts local governments. Cities and towns are making crucial public health decisions with complex effects like…
Posted In: Marijuana
Municipalities Can Choose Cannabis Winners – Superior Court Confirms Local Authority over Cannabis Licensing
A Superior Court judge confirmed that municipalities are not obligated to enter into Host Community Agreements (“HCA”) with recreational cannabis retailers. A prospective recreational cannabis retailer sued the City of…
Posted In: Uncategorized
Developers No Longer Need to Undertake Any Active Construction to Save a Variance from Lapsing.
Beginning construction, or even simply breaking ground, is no longer necessary to exercise rights under a use variance. Last week, the Appeals Court clarified what qualifies as an “exercise” of…