Amanda Schreyer Speaking on IP Protection and Limitations for Fictional Characters Webinar

Amanda Schreyer will be a speaker on the Strafford webinar IP Protection and Limitations for Fictional Characters: Trademark, Copyright and Contract Rights on April 17. The webinar will provide guidance with respect to the legal protections available for fictional characters, including strategies for using copyright, trademark rights and contract provisions to build equity in fictional characters. …

Payroll Software and Services Company MPAY Acquires BenePAY and IDM Solutions

Firm client MPAY, Inc. has acquired Michigan-based payroll company, BenePAY, a leader in payroll, tax and HR services, to accelerate MPAY's national payroll and human resource services expansion strategy through its Payentry brand. MPAY has also acquired California-based payroll and insurance company, IDM Solutions, further expanding its reach and giving MPAY its first West Coast …

Employment Law Alert: Equal Pay Day in Massachusetts – are you in compliance?

April 2, 2019, is National Equal Pay Day – a date designated by the National Committee on Pay Equity to highlight inequities in wages between men and women. With the recent passage of the Massachusetts Equal Pay Law, Equal Pay Day also serves as a reminder to all Massachusetts employers that they have specific legal obligations to examine, …

Matt Mitchell and Amanda Thibodeau Join MBBP’s Employment Practice

MBBP is pleased to welcome Matthew L. Mitchell and Amanda E. Thibodeau to the Firm. Matt joins the Firm's Employment Law Group as a Member, and Amanda joins as an Associate. As Chair of the Firm’s Employment Law Group, Matt is experienced in the broad range of complex laws that affect the relationships between employers and employees, including wage and hour, …

Jon Gworek Moderating Panel at ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting 2019

Jon Gworek will be moderating a panel on corporate venture capital (CVC) at the ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting in Vancouver later this week. Whereas a traditional venture capital firm is investing purely to maximize ROI, CVC investors may also invest for strategic reasons. This gives rise to the potential for conflicts of interest …

Scott Bleier on ABA Panel Discussing Recent Judicial Developments Relating to Private Equity and Venture Capital

At the March 2019 ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting in Vancouver, the Private Equity and Venture Capital Jurisprudence Subcommittee will feature presentations from a panel on recent judicial developments relating to private equity and venture capital. The panel will include corporate partner Scott Bleier, Lisa Hedrick of Hirschler, and Meghan Adams of Morris James. More information …

Employment Law Alert: U.S. Department of Labor Proposes Significant Changes to FLSA Overtime Regulations

On March 7, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) that proposes new regulations that relate to overtime and minimum wage exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Learn more on our Employment Law Blog.

Trademarks – Use Them (Properly) or Lose Them

To acquire and maintain trademark rights, it comes down to use of the mark. If the mark is no longer used, no longer used in association with all of the goods/services identified in registration for the mark, or if the mark is used incorrectly, rights in the mark will be lost. Therefore, it is crucial …

Supreme Court Rules Works Must Be Registered Before Copyright Owners May Sue

On March 4, 2019, the Supreme Court unanimously held in Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com, LLC, et al., that the statute requiring copyright owners to register their works before suing means that no suit for infringement can be brought until the Copyright Office officially approves the copyright claimant’s application for registration (or officially …

John Hession Speaking on CFIUS and Cross-Border Biotech Transactions

At the April 9th MassBio event Cross-Border Biotech Transactions: CFIUS and Other Risks, corporate partner John Hession will speak on the risks that early-stage biotech companies face when pursuing strategic alliances with foreign partners or investors. The discussion will center around the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States' (CFIUS) expansion of its regulation …