Proposed tax regulations to be released this year may clarify whether agricultural land contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) qualify for a federal tax credit that would incentivize renewable energy…
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/ Energy & Utilities, Environmental Law, Taxation, Zoning, Planning & Land Use
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just issued a direct final rule amending reporting deadlines for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
As described in our prior…
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/ Environmental Law, Science, Computers, & Technology, Toxic Torts
Disputes between members of different branches of government frequently raise thorny issues—and standing is often one of them. The Maine Law Court tackled the issue of legislator standing in its recent decision in Clardy v…
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/ Constitutional Law, Elections & Politics, Government Contracting
On August 20, 2024, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) exceeded its authority when it adopted a regulation essentially banning non-competition agreements in the United States.
Importantly,…
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/ Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Commercial Law & Contracts, Labor & Employment Law
Employers are running out of time to comply with the FTC’s purported regulatory ban on non-competition agreements. The ban – announced on April 23, 2024 – is scheduled to take effect on September 4. 2024…
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/ Administrative Law, Commercial Law & Contracts, Labor & Employment Law
In its $5.2 billion Affordable Homes Act (AHA) signed by Gov. Maura Healey last week, the Massachusetts Legislature came down the chimney with some presents that have been on developers’ wish lists for decades. In addition to…
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/ Real Estate - Commercial, Real Estate - Residential, Zoning, Planning & Land Use
Estate planning and wealth transfer professionals have their eyes on the sky as the future of federal estate taxation grows increasingly nebulous.
Background -
The federal gift and estate tax exemption is the amount of…
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/ Taxation, Wills, Trusts, & Estate Planning
Effective August 9, 2024, a new Maine law has streamlined the application process for obtaining a license for the wholesale or retail sale of liquor. This will be especially helpful for any bar or restaurant seeking to obtain an…
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/ Administrative Law, Business Organizations
As has been widely reported, Governor Maura Healey on Tuesday signed into law the Affordable Homes Act (AHA), also known as the Housing Bond Bill (H.4977), which the Legislature passed in the wee hours of August 1, 2024. Among…
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/ Administrative Law, Real Estate - Residential, Zoning, Planning & Land Use
We are pleased to present our second quarter 2024 update to the New England and First Circuit Class Action Tracker, which focuses on class action filings in state and federal courts within the boundaries of the First Circuit in…
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/ Civil Procedure, Consumer Protection, Privacy
The Massachusetts Legislature just passed legislation modernizing the procedure for withdrawing land from the registered land system. The legislation, part of the Legislature’s Housing Bond Bill, now goes to the governor’s desk…
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/ Real Estate - Commercial, Real Estate - Residential, Zoning, Planning & Land Use
On July 31, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey made it official – with the goal of closing existing wage gaps, Massachusetts is the latest state to require employers to disclose pay range information…
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/ Administrative Law, Civil Rights, Labor & Employment Law
Three recent Supreme Court Decisions—Coinbase v. Suski, Smith v. Spizzirri, and Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries—based on consumer and employment disputes have resolved significant circuit splits over arbitration. These cases were…
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/ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Civil Procedure, Labor & Employment Law
On July 19, 2024, the D.C. Circuit Court upheld modified EPA regulations on monitoring biogas-derived renewable fuel, rejecting the petition of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (the Coalition) -- a trade association that…
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/ Administrative Law, Energy & Utilities, Environmental Law
In 2023, we discussed the uptick in data privacy and cybersecurity class action lawsuits; as expected, this trend has persisted throughout 2024 as plaintiffs continue to test new theories of liability and the boundaries of…
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/ Consumer Protection, Privacy, Science, Computers, & Technology
