What’s New

In an effort to mitigate the significant harm to commerce caused by COVID-19, several organizations including the American Land Title Association (“ALTA”), the Mortgage Bankers Association (“MBA”), and the National Association of Realtors (“NAR”) are rallying around the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2020 (the “SECURE Notarization Act”) to…

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Before the spread of COVID-19 last week, the Massachusetts court system—which consists of the Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”), the Appeals Court, and the Trial Court (itself comprised of the Superior Court, District Court, Land Court, and Housing Court, among others)—was already stretched thin. For example, it is typical in many Superior Court civil sessions to…

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As sectors of the US economy effectively shut down one by one in response to COVID-19, a quick review of those sectors and essential functions that remain open for business may be the better approach to measure where things stand. In the world of real estate and mortgage financing, certain transactions may be able to…

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Last Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to address the anticipated economic impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak and to provide support to affected Americans. Although the bill may be subject to changes, it is expected that the Senate will pass the bill and it will be signed into…

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The spread of COVID-19 has triggered economic turmoil and unprecedented government intervention into private industry. Business owners, lenders, landlords, employers and their respective counter-parties are reviewing the key terms of innumerable business arrangements and relationships impacted by current events. One common contract term that ordinarily draws little attention and is often relegated to the miscellaneous…

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On March 15, 2020, stemming from concerns about COVID-19, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued an order prohibiting on-premises bar and restaurant operations. The order, effective Tuesday, March 17 through April 5, 2020 (unless otherwise extended) states, in part “Any restaurant, bar or establishment that offers food or drink shall not permit on-premises consumption of food…

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Congratulations to RIW Attorneys Adam Barnosky and Bethany A. Grazio on their elevation to Shareholders of the firm. Adam is the Co-Lead of the Hospitality & Retail Services Practice Group and a member of the Cannabis, Corporate & Business, and Commercial Real Estate Practice Groups. Bethany is a member of the firm’s Cannabis, Corporate & Business,…

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On February 5, 2020, the Massachusetts House approved a bill that would regulate host community agreements and related caps on payments from marijuana companies. If the bill is passed by the Senate and signed into law, it would grant the Cannabis Control Commission authority to review and regulate host community agreements as part of the…

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An article by RIW Attorney Adam Barnosky is featured in the New England Real Estate Journal. The article, “Adaptive reuse and the modernization of the New England shopping mall,” discusses how redevelopment and adaptive reuse are key to the successful transformation of defunct shopping malls into modern mixed-use destinations in the decade ahead. Read the…

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Congratulations to RIW Attorney Michael Rosen on being named a “2019 Lawyer of the Year” by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Michael will be honored at the Leaders in Law event. For regular updates, follow RIW on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

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