Founded in 2009, this firm has gained the reputation for outstanding client satisfaction and zealous advocacy. Our clients have included a large range of individuals and companies. For the most part, once you become a client, you stay a client.
Goals
Our goal is not only to guide clients through myriads of legal issues, but to also be practical. We tailor our services to each client. There is no one size fits all approach to our practice.
Admissions
- All Massachusetts State & Federal Courts
- 1st Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States District Court – District of Massachusetts
- United States District Court – District of California
- Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys
- Hampshire County Bar Association
- Hamden County Bar Association
- Nolo.com – Verified
- Avvo.com – Clients Choice
Some of our work experience
- Business startups – worked with hundreds start up businesses, taking them from idea to reality. Businesses have ranged from website design companies, to restaurants, to record companies, to concert venues, to dispensaries.
- Criminal matters – this office handles criminal defense matters like OUI, theft, or destruction of property, along with University disciplinary actions, having represented and advised many students in their school’s disciplinary proceedings. Matters have ranged from riots to rape.
- Intellectual property enforcement – we have represented and advised hundreds of companies and people in their IP matters. Clients have ranged from stock photo companies, to musicians, even to pornography studios. Have dealt with close to 2,000 copyright matters.
- Litigated dozens federal lawsuits – this office has prepared and submitted hundreds of documents, pleadings, motions, etc., to the court. Most federal suits dealt with copyright infringement, but also litigated due process violations against UMASS and a racketeering case.
- Public art project – successfully represented artist of large-scale public art project against University of Ohio for breach of contract.
- Medical school funding – represented a shareholder of an international medical school in Belize for breach of contract against other shareholders.
- Bars and restaurants – represented several local bars and restaurants in matters involving liquor license violations.
- Condominium lawsuits – successfully represented and advised in several lawsuits regarding condominium associations.
- Local music festivals – represented and advised principals of music festivals.
- Musician representation –represented and advised several musicians in their legal with production and publishing companies. One musician has become an international celebrity and uses the contracts I negotiated.
- Legal clearance of rights for major book – revised a major text about bipolar disorder so that text would not infringe on privacy and other similar rights of his patients.
- Watkins v. Vantage Press – Represented multiple authors in case where book publisher dissolved business and breached contracts with many of its authors.
- Organ transplant clinic – advised and represented doctors and investors in their quest to establish a hair transplant clinic.
- Probate matters – represented numerous clients in matters involving probate court, matters included wills, trusts, divorce, and child custody.
Cannabis – Marijuana – Hemp
- NORML (National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws) legal committee member – because of this group, have had many opportunities to work on many marijuana related issues, along with daily communications and discussions about marijuana reform with the most influential players in the field.
- Commonwealth v. Overmyer – As amicus curiae in the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, successfully argued that the odor unburnt marijuana alone does not constitute probable cause to search a vehicle.
- Commonwealth v. Canning – As amicus curiae in the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, successfully argued that for purposes of obtaining a search warrant, police are required to ascertain that an individual suspected of cultivating marijuana does not have a lawful medical marijuana license and a “cultivation registration” that would authorize such activity, or must provide facts at least supporting an inference of the same.
- Downing v. DPH – Represented the plaintiff in his lawsuit against the Department of Health, arguing that until medical marijuana dispensaries open in Massachusetts, people such as the Plaintiff may distribute marijuana to unlimited qualified medical marijuana patients. This case received national attention and is still ongoing.
- Commonwealth v. DOE – In a district court case involving driving under the influence of marijuana, argued that standard field sobriety tests, as used by a majority of police officers, was designed solely to indicate alcohol intoxication, not marijuana intoxication. The standard field sobriety tests were the result of studies done by the Department of Transportation in the 70’s and 80’s, and were designed to indicate level of alcohol intoxication fairly accurately, not marijuana. This issue is still pending decision by an appellate Court.
- Commonwealth v. DOE – Successfully argued that once qualified medical marijuana patients present police required evidence of their status, police are not allowed to further investigate situation unless there is independent evidence of probable cause or reasonable of a crime or civil violation.
- Commonwealth v. DOE – In a district court case, successfully argued that hashish is covered under the medical marijuana law, because hashish is a derivative of marijuana, and the statute allows for derivatives of marijuana to be used.
- Forfeiture cases – represented clients in cases involving marijuana seizure by the government.
- Medical marijuana dispensaries – represented several applicants for medical marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts.
- Medical marijuana caregivers – advised dozens of caregivers as their duties and responsibilities under the law, and helped caregivers implement plan of action.
- Medical marijuana patients – advised dozens of medical marijuana patients as to their duties and responsibilities under the law, and helped patients implement plan of action.
- Medical marijuana criminal defense – In the beginning months of the medical marijuana law’s implementation, lots of medical marijuana patients were arrested for their lawful possession of medical marijuana. The law enforcement community had not caught up to the law. Accordingly, I represented and advised many clients in that position.
- Legislative drafting – helped the legislation that is now in the house and senate of the Massachusetts Legislature: “An Act to regulate and tax the cannabis industry”, HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3436.
- Bill Newman Show – a guest on local talk show several times regarding the topic of marijuana law. Also, recordings of my speeches have been played on the show.
- Extravaganja – honored speaker at UMASS’s Extravaganja for several years. One year, spoke alongside Dr. Lester Grinspoon, famed marijuana activist, Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and founding editor of The American Psychiatric Association Annual Review and the Harvard Mental Health Letter.