Sheehan Phinney shareholder Anna Barbara (Bobbie) Hantz has been named to the firm’s five person management committee as the ‘At-Large’ member, effective immediately. Sheehan Phinney’s Management Committee oversees the administrative and business functions and strategic planning initiatives for the firm’s four regional offices and 60+ lawyers.
News
HR Takeaways from the Patriots Loss
Monday morning, Jan. 25, in New England after the Patriots loss in the AFC championship to Denver left many fans, in a word, deflated. With the words of coaching legend, …
NH Legal Perspective: Looking at Drainage and Run-Off: Where Does the Water Go?
YOU ARE THINKING about paving your driveway, adding a parking space, building a deck or patio, installing major landscaping, or building an addition to your home or business. Read the …
Health Law: One Year In: NH Healthcare Surrogacy Decision-Making Law
Adults have the right to make their own health care decisions, unless they are incapacitated. Until 2015, the only people who were able to make health care decisions for an …
Time Is Running out to Participate in a New Hampshire Tax Amnesty Program
CLIENT ALERT By Russell J. Stein New Hampshire taxpayers may have an opportunity to become current on their tax obligations, avoid penalties and pay 50% of outstanding interest on past-due …
Essential Documents for Retirement
This article was originally published in Business NH Magazine and can be found here. January 11. 2016 You are on the verge of retirement. Things to do, people to see, …
NH Legal Perspective: State’s DES Prepares Annual List of Impaired Waters
ON OCT. 14, 2015, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services issued a draft of its 2014 Surface Water Quality List, which sets forth the New Hampshire waterways that DES …
Regardless of What Your Client Says, As a Builder, You Are Ultimately Responsible for Code Compliance
CLIENT ALERT By John H. Perten In 2006, in Reddish v. Bowen, the MA appeals court affirmed a ruling that a home improvement contractor who installed an in-ground swimming pool …
NH Legal Perspective: Commercial Debtor-Tenants and Their Landlords
THE BANKRUPTCY code offers a commercial debtor many important tools to assist in its reorganization efforts. One such tool at the debtor’s disposal is the ability to either preserve, through …
Business Law & Business Litigation: New States Securities Law Overhauls Offering Practices in NH
On July 27, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan signed into law a comprehensive revision to New Hampshire’s securities laws, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2016. Read the full story …
When Your AdWords Keywords Land You in Court
Google’s AdWords and other programs can be a boon to small online retailers. For a modest fee, a company reserves a keyword on Google. Whenever that keyword or phrase appears …
Ballot Law Commission Throws Out Challenges to Trump’s Eligibility to Appear on GOP Primary Ballot
Bradford Cook featured in a WMUR article. CONCORD, N.H. —The state Ballot Law Commission on Tuesday quickly threw out a former New Hampshire Republican Party chairman’s challenge to Donald Trump’s eligibility …
NH Legal Perspective: Splitting Equity in Jointly Owned Property
IT’S A COMMON story. You were in love, but you weren’t married. You lived in a small rented apartment. One day, one of you said, “Hey, wouldn’t it make sense …
Alternative Dispute Resolution: Lessons from the Trenches: What Makes a Good Mediator
There are mediators who inspire confidence in us and our clients, and those who don’t. With the former, mediations that appear doomed can ultimately succeed. In those instances, one can …
Open Source Software: What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You
Open source (or so-called “free”) software has become a popular tool for software developers and technology companies that write software applications, because the source code is available at no charge …
NH Legal Perspective: Divorcing Fact from Fiction About Adultery in NH
The Ashley Madison security breach has led many to question whether they should allege adultery in their divorce. This article addresses some common questions concerning adultery and tries to debunk …
NH Legal Perspective: Employer’s Obligations Under Pregnancy/Maternity Laws
IN THE PAST year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“the EEOC”) issued an Enforcement Guidance about pregnancy discrimination and related issues, and this March, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a …
NH Legal Perspective: ADA – What’s Reasonable and to Whom?
THE AMERICANS with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requires an employer to make certain job accommodations for disabled employees. Because the definition of “disability” was expanded several years ago when the ADA …
Worker’s Compensation & Personal Injury: Beyond the Numbers: Controlling Workers Compensation Costs
When a business encounters a rise in workers compensation costs, the immediate response often focuses on loss control, reducing spending and overall insurance costs. However, given the continued annual rise …
NH Legal Perspective: Benefits of a Well-Designed System for Record Retention and Production
THE RIGHT TIME to get your recordkeeping house in order is well before a subpoena, a visit from a state or federal inspector, or a discovery request in litigation. If …
New Hampshire Legislature Passes, Governor Signs New Securities Law
CLIENT ALERT By Michael J. Drooff The New Hampshire legislature passed and Governor Hassan signed into law on July 27, 2015 a new Uniform Securities Act which comprehensively reforms New …
NH Legal Perspective: Helpful Tips for Compliance with OSHA Requirements
WITH THE MANY changes in the modern workplace there is one constant, employers must protect employees from or correct known workplace safety hazards. The law has changed over the years …
Federal Practice & Bankruptcy: Mediation Use Grows in Bankruptcy Cases
As an effective tool to combat the associated costs and delay in litigation, mediation has gained momentum and popularity as an efficient method to resolve disputes in state and federal …
NH Legal Perspective: Governor Hassan Signs Law Allowing Hospital Patients to Designate Aftercare Giver
MANY SENIORS rely exclusively on family, friends and community members to provide care once they are discharged from a hospital. According to a recent study published by AARP, family caregivers …
Dress Codes and Discrimination – Motive the Key in Abercrombie Supreme Court Case
On June 1, the U.S. Supreme Court in an 8-1 decision ruled that Abercrombie & Fitch could be liable for religious discrimination for refusing to hire a Muslim teenager because …
NH Legal Perspective: Social Media and the Employee – From Hiring to Departure
EMPLOYEES CONTINUALLY encounter new ways that social media impacts their workplaces. Social media touches on the entire lifecycle of employment as employers more frequently turn to social media to advertise …
Attorney General Issues Final Regulations under Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law
CLIENT ALERT By Mark J. Ventola and David L. Hansen On June 19, 2015, Attorney General Maura Healey issued the final regulations (the “Regulations”) further defining the provisions of the …
Sheehan Phinney Attorneys Win Significant Bankruptcy Case
(June 19, 2015, Boston, MA) – Sheehan Phinney attorneys Charles M. Waters and Christopher M. Candon won a significant dismissal of claims asserted by a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee alleged …
What is a Farm? Zoning Laws Need Updating
A Henniker Christmas tree farmer has lost before the state Supreme Court in a case that could spell the end for some struggling New Hampshire farms. Citizens who don’t want …
Seven Deadly Sins for Design Pros
Here are some of the most important issues commonly encountered by design professionals in basic owner-design professional agreements: Read the full story here. …
NH Legal Perspectives: There’s More to Horse Ownership Than Checking Its Teeth
MANY CHILDREN view a pony as the ultimate holiday gift. They close their eyes and blow out birthday candles with the hopes that when their eyes open, they will see …
CEO on the Go: David McGrath
As the newly appointed leader of one of NH’s largest law firms, clients and employees alike look to David McGrath for help. When McGrath needs to resolve his own issues, …
Attorney General Issues Final Regulations Under Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law
CLIENT ALERT By: Mark Ventola and David Hansen On June 19, 2015, Attorney General Maura Healey issued the final regulations (the “Regulations”) further defining the provisions of the new Massachusetts …
NH Legal Perspectives: When Does the Work Day End? It Depends
WHEN IT COMES to wages, employees and employers are often at odds. Employees generally want to be compensated for all the time they are required to be at work. Employers, …
Real Property Law: Environmental Risks in Real Estate Transactions
At every step along the way and for every party involved, contamination and even potential contamination can pose significant and expensive risks Environmental contamination can pose multi-faceted risk to those …
NH Legal Perspective: Key Consideration to Using Staffing Companies to Find Temp Workers
EMPLOYERS TURN to staffing companies to locate temporary workers with increasing frequency. Staffing companies generate savings for their employer/clients by locating temporary workers to fill employers’ needs. There are, however, …
IRS Amnesty Program Available to Minimize Significant Taxes and Penalties from the Misclassification of Workers as Independent Contractors
CLIENT ALERT By Russell J. Stein Classifying a worker as an employee or an independent contractor is one of the first questions a company faces when establishing, retaining or increasing …
Marijuana Legalization Clashes with Drug Testing in the Workplace
James Reidy featured in The Guardian article. At a Society for Human Resource Management conference in Washington DC last month, a session on drug testing in the workplace was so heavily attended …
NH Legal Perspective: Planning to Sell Your Most Prized Possession
A MAJORITY of the businesses in New Hampshire are closely held, meaning these businesses are each owned by one or a few owners, sometimes by a family. Read the full …
Land Use Regulation, Codes and Business Planning
Assume for a moment that your highly successful business needs to expand. Whether looking for land on which to build, expanding up or out from your existing space, or renovating …
Employee Verification Roulette, By the Rules
In recent months, immigration has reemerged as a hotly-contested political issue. Although the ultimate resolution is difficult to predict, the potential for millions of undocumented immigrants to obtain deferred action …
NH Legal Perspective: Guide to Bankruptcy Preference Payments and Creditor’s Defenses
MOST BUSINESSES will, at one time or another, open the mail to find a demand letter or worse, a lawsuit, demanding that the business return money to a bankruptcy estate …
Sheehan Phinney Named 2015 “Best of Business”
(March 16, 2015, Manchester, NH) – The law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green PA was selected as a winner in New Hampshire Business Review’s 2015 BOB Awards, which honor …
The Newest Arrow in the Health Care Collection Quiver?: New Hampshire Legislature Introduces Bill to Allow Special Conservatorships for Medicaid
Over the past several years, New Hampshire health care facilities have lobbied the New Hampshire Legislature to pass measures to help solve the chronic problem of patients or residents who …
Ventola Prevails in Independent Medical Examination Case
(March 23, 2015, Boston, MA) – Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green shareholder Mark J. Ventola prevailed before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in favor of the firm’s client, Examworks. The SJC weighed in on the state’s personal injury protection statute, addressing, independent medical examinations (IMEs) required of parties injured in auto accidents.
SJC Ruling on PIP Statute Provides Needed Clarity
This article originally appeared in the March 19, 2015 issue of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. To see the online version of the article, click here. *** The Supreme Judicial Court has …
Sheehan Phinney Attorneys Prevail in Adverse Possession Case
(March 9, 2015, Manchester, NH) – Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA attorneys Michael C. Harvell and Megan C. Carrier recently prevailed in a ‘prescriptive easement’ case, before both the New Hampshire Superior Court and the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
NH Legal Perspective: What You Need to Know About Easements and Servitudes
WITH THE BUSTLE of the holidays behind us, we can now all turn our attention to our next big projects. What will you do in 2015? Maybe this is the …
Family Enterprises: How to Build Growth, Family Control and Family Harmony
Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA shareholder Janet B. Fierman was a contributor in the book Family Enterprises: How to Build Growth, Family Control and Family Harmony. Her chapter focuses …
NH Legal Perspectives: Things Businesses Need to Know About the Consumer Protection Act
THE CONSUMER Protection Act is one of the most frequently litigated statutes in New Hampshire’s state and federal courts. Yet it remains one of the more unpredictable, and frequently changing …
DES Weighs Changes to Contaminated Site Rules
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Service regulations governing the investigation, long-term cleanup and management of contaminated sites were set to expire on Feb. 1. And while the existing rules remain …
Dividends: It’s the Least Tax-Efficient Way to Withdraw Money from a Corporation
THE LIMITIED liability company and S corporation are generally regarded as the entities of choice for closely-held businesses, in large part because the owners can access company cash tax-efficiently. However, …
Winter Weather and New Hampshire Wage Laws
There is an expression that if you don’t like New England weather, just wait a minute – it will change. We have all experienced the challenges of getting to or …
Sheehan Phinney Assists in Sale of NetProspex
(January 14, 2015, Boston, MA) – Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green PA successfully represented its client, NetProspex Inc., in its sale to Dun & Bradstreet. The $125 million cash transaction closed on January 5, 2014. The Sheehan Phinney attorneys assisting in the transaction were Alexander H. Pyle, Colleen Lyons, Michael J. Drooff, Peter T. Beach and Russell J. Stein
NH Legal Perspective: 2014 Top Ten List of Wage and Hour Violations
THE STAKES for noncompliance under state and federal wage and hour laws are higher than ever before. In FY 2014, inspectors from the NH Department of Labor conducted 566 workplace …
Prior Use: Viable Defense to Alleged Patient Infringement
YOU STARTED your company 10 years ago, and are now enjoying the profits. Out of the blue, you receive a cease and desist letter claiming infringement of a patent filed …
Benefit Corporations: Coming Soon to New Hampshire
Beginning Jan. 1, New Hampshire will join over two dozen other states in permitting business and professional corporations to be formed as “benefit corporations” – a hybrid form of corporate …
Massachusetts’ Mandatory Sick Time Law
CLIENT ALERT By Karen A. Whitley and Mark J. Ventola On January 7, 2015, outgoing Governor Patrick signed into law “An Act relative to parental leave” (“Parental Leave law”), which …
NH Legal Perspective: Some Basic Patent Tips for Start-Ups
If you’re involved in a technology-based start-up, chances are you have a lot on your mind. Research and development, raising capital, managing cash flow and marketing are just a few …
Licensing to Begin of New Hampshire Med Techs
In the fall of 2011 the news broke that David Kwiatkowski, a traveling medical technician, had infected more than 30 Exeter Hospital patients with Hepatitis C, using covert drug-diversion tactics …