In 2013, the city of Boston
proved that we are resilient, strong, and unflinchingly loyal to our local
sports teams. I don’t know if this type
of loyalty is unique to Boston, but I see it on display every time I speak with
our clients, business partners, attorneys, and staff. I know first-hand that
everyone at Prince Lobel works hard every day to build trust and create long-lasting
partnerships; and that this trust is the bedrock of our business. We understand
that you have many choices when it comes to legal services, so we wanted to
share with you some of the reasons that we are proud to continue serving our
clients, and why, we hope, our clients are proud to continue doing business
with Prince Lobel.
Community
Outreach and Diversity
Last year, the firm renewed its commitment to
diversity through its outreach to the community, its hiring practices, and its
selection of business partners. Due to the tireless efforts of firm partner and
co-founder Walter B. Prince, Prince Lobel has deepened its connection to Boston
Public Schools and offered more opportunities for year-round paid student
internships; we have partnered with the Greater New England Minority Supplier
Development Council to identify women and minority-owned businesses with which
we can build business relationships; and we have furthered our commitment to a
diverse workplace. When it comes to
discussing diversity, however, Walter Prince has an interesting perspective,
which he and his daughter wrote about in a recent edition of the Boston Business Journal. I urge you to
read it by clicking the link at the bottom of this message.
In recognition of our efforts, I am pleased
to report that the firm recently received a Boston
Business Journal “Leader in Diversity” award in the area of Corporate
Social Responsibility. We are particularly proud of this award, as we work hard
– individually and collectively – to be good corporate citizens, and to give
voice to those in our community that need an advocate.
Back in April, when so many lives were shattered in the blink of an eye,
we knew we wanted to help those who suddenly found themselves as the victims of
a horrific act. That’s when we met Mery Daniel. Mery lost a leg in the Marathon
bombing, but not her strength, her sense of humor, or her desire to get back to
a normal life for herself and her daughter. Lawyers firmwide worked with Mery
on everything from advice regarding receiving and protecting her money from the
OneFund and its tax implications, steering her through the web of social
service agencies, and working with the city to help her find accessible
housing. Kristin Knuuttila, a firm partner who worked closely with Mery, spoke
for many of us about their collaboration, referring to the work she did for
Mery as “the reason she got into law in the first place.”
Finally, this year also marked the launch of
“Outside the Box,” a first-of-its-kind, nine-day free music and arts festival
held in Boston. Prince Lobel, a longtime supporter of the arts, was proud to sponsor
the event, which helped unite neighborhoods, residents, visitors, and artistic
communities across the city. For more information about the programs and events
the firm supports, please click here to visit our
community pages.
Firm
Growth
As part of the firm’s strategic plan, we are
pleased to report that we have strengthened our formidable litigation practice
group with a couple of key partner hires. In June, we welcomed Daniel P. Tighe, a highly regarded litigator
with more than 20 years of trial experience in state and federal courts. And in
July, we welcomed John K. Markey, a well-known and
well-respected litigator who brought his skills and experience to Prince Lobel
after 30 years at one of the largest law firms in Boston. We also welcomed new
associates to various practice groups, promoted former law clerks, and offered
first jobs to some recent law school graduates.
And as part of our ability to identify trends
and accommodate the changing marketplace, we have refined and revamped a few of
our practice groups to better focus on
the growing needs of our clients. While we have been doing the work all along,
we wanted to clarify our capabilities in areas such as:
- Art and
Museum Law - Data
Privacy and Security - Social
Media - Start-ups
and Emerging Businesses - Trademark,
Copyright, and Intellectual Property Law
Recognitions
and Awards
Prince Lobel attorneys continue to receive
peer and industry recognitions for their contributions to the law and their
skills and expertise in their respective practice areas:
- Walter
Prince received a Distinguished Alumnus Award from University of Massachusetts
Boston - Senator
Elizabeth Warren named Walter Prince to an advisory committee on Massachusetts
Judicial Nominations - Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly recognized Patricia
M. Annino as one of the “Top Women of Law” - 21 firm
attorneys were named “Massachusetts Super Lawyers” and “Rising Stars” - Eight
partners were recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” - Several
of the firm’s practice groups were recognized in U.S. News and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms Survey - Employment
law senior associate Joseph L. Edwards, Jr. was named Acting Chief Diversity
and Civil Rights officer for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation - Media
law partner Jeffrey J. Pyle was appointed to a three-year term on the Council
of the Boston Bar Association
Firm
Successes
Whether in a courtroom or a conference room, Prince
Lobel attorneys continue to demonstrate both their legal expertise and their
knowledge of our client’s businesses. In the last six weeks of 2013, we
achieved a string of positive results on behalf of firm clients, including
several in the final weeks of the year:
- Our media lawyers
had a significant win on a First Amendment issue on behalf of the Commonwealth’s
largest public transit authority, in United States District Court, fending off
a preliminary injunction that would have required the transit authority to post
advertising that it found offensive to members of a religious minority group. - Representing a
large real estate developer, our construction and real estate lawyers settled a
$13 million claim in mediation for $250,000. - The employment law
group had a significant victory for a large pharmaceutical company, obtaining a
preliminary injunction to enforce a non-competition agreement that, if
violated, threatened inevitable disclosure of its marketing plans for a new
drug. - Our
employment group also prevailed in a race discrimination claim against our
client, a major public transportation company. Firm attorneys presented a
compelling argument that the employee was terminated due to poor performance
and safety concerns, not because of his race. - A partner in our health care practice served
as special local counsel to a national healthcare company in a multistate
transaction that included the acquisition of long-term care hospitals and
skilled nursing facilities in Massachusetts. - On behalf of a large telecommunications
carrier, we prevailed at trial in Massachusetts Superior Court, obtaining a
$1.43 million judgment on a counterclaim against a telecommunications reseller. - Our litigation team obtained an arbitration
award against a nationally known rock band, allowing the band’s
recently-terminated drummer to receive his share of the band’s advance
royalties for its final album under the terms of its recording contract with
Atlantic Records. - The
firm’s corporate attorneys represented a multinational media organization
in the acquisition and disposition of United States subsidiaries, and an
international technology company as it expanded its operations into South
America, the Middle East, and Russia.
Social
Media
We recognized early on that if we wanted to
connect online with clients, contacts, and business partners, then we needed to
use social media. So we decided to jump in with both feet and joined (and
sponsored) the Boston Business Journal’s
“Social Madness” competition.
Competing in a bracket format, we went
head-to-head with a wide range of similarly-sized businesses in the Boston area
to see who could generate the most engagement on social media. Although we did
not win the competition, we did make it to the finals, and along the way we
learned how to connect with clients, prospective clients, and others with
shared interests, on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter.
Attorneys firmwide have also recognized the
power and immediacy of social media, and are contributing regularly to the firm’s blog. There, they provide insight into
recent changes to the law, discuss new legislation, and explain and analyze
recent court decisions. We invite you to connect with us using the social media
buttons at the bottom of this message.
And on the heels of our success with “Social
Madness,” media law partner Robert A. Bertsche was a frequent speaker on the
subject of social media and the law, sharing the legal implications any
business should consider when developing a social media marketing campaign.
Firm
Events
If you haven’t attended an event at our
office, we invite you to attend one in 2014. We regularly host seminars,
workshops, industry meetings, and networking events.
This year, as part of our effort to support start-ups
and emerging businesses, we hosted a reception for nearly 150 MassChallenge
semi-finalists, offering them the chance to network and learn about the
opportunities and challenges that they will likely encounter in the future.
We hosted our annual VIP reception for Ford
Hall Forum’s First Amendment Award, which this year went to former Congressman
Barney Frank; we hosted various meetings and a holiday event for the Greater
New England Minority Supplier Development Council; a networking reception for
Boston College Law School’s black alumni; a financial and estate planning
program for young professionals; and a book reading and signing with
Northeastern professor Dan Kennedy, author of “The Wired City.”
Click here to see what you may have missed, and
watch your email for invitations to future firm events and programs.
Reflecting
on Today – Anticipating Tomorrow
At Prince Lobel, we’re not good at standing
still and waiting for the future. The future is now and we are filled with
excitement and anticipation for 2014, prepared to work side-by-side with you to
help you meet your challenges and grow your business.