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The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently issued a useful reminder that aggressive discovery positions risk negative consequences far beyond facing motions to compel. In Old Ironsides Energy LLC v. Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC[1], the court affirmed summary judgment against a plaintiff seeking approximately $20 million in damages after concluding that the plaintiff lacked admissible expert testimony necessary to prove its claimed damages. The $20 million kicker? Expert testimony would have been admissible
Richard Jones will participate in a panel discussion titled "Noteworthy Developments in State and Local Taxation" on October 16, 2026, at the National Association of State Bar Tax Sections' (NASBTS) 47th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rich will be joined on the panel by Richard D. Pomp, Alva P. Loiselle Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and James G. Busby, Jr., of The Cavanagh Law Firm
From October 5-9, the American Bar Association will host its 2026 Fall Tax Meeting. On October 9th, Richard Jones will participate in a panel program titled “Come As You Are: Residency Audits, Wealth Taxes, and State Revenue Strategies.” The special State and Local Tax sessions will be held at Perkins Coie LLP in Seattle, Washington, with a virtual attendance option also available. As taxpayers become increasingly mobile and states face mounting revenue
Geoffrey Wynne will join a panel discussion: “Trade Finance: Lessons from First Brands and Other Situations” at the ELFA Annual Conference 2026 on October 13 in London. The panel will examine how investors can learn from recent high-profile situations and adapt their credit analysis to address emerging risks in trade finance. Topics will include the essential role of trade finance and its separate institutional frameworks, cohabitation on issuer balance sheets, structural
On Friday, September 18, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the “SJC”) affirmed the dismissal of the Town of Marshfield’s challenge to the MBTA Communities Act (the “Act” or “Section 3A”).[1] The decision confirms that covered municipalities must adopt and maintain zoning that permits multifamily housing as of right in at least one district. It also rejects Marshfield’s four principal theories for avoiding that obligation, which are explored in more
Sullivan & Worcester (Sullivan) has welcomed Veronika Koroleva as counsel in its market-leading Trade & Export Finance practice in London. Joining from Hill Dickinson, where she was Head of Trade Finance, Veronika brings extensive experience in trade and commodity finance, including structured trade, receivables and supply chain finance. Veronika’s arrival builds on the expansion of the practice following the additions of Robert Parson and Matthew Cox as partners in 2025 and
Geoffrey Wynne was quoted in the article "When the Price Is High and There’s Limited Supply," published in Financial World [sub. req'd], the monthly digital magazine of Walbrook Institute London, in October 2026. The article discusses growing concerns over access to critical raw materials and other essential goods, and how those concerns are reshaping global supply chains. It also explores how trade finance can be used to support supply chain resilience and help
On September 16, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued two proposals that, if adopted, would represent significant changes to the federal proxy rules for U.S. public companies. The first proposal would eliminate Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act). Rule 14a-8 currently requires companies to include qualifying shareholder proposals in their proxy materials and has been part of the federal proxy rules for more than
On September 29, 2026, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) Division of Investment Management (the “Staff”) issued a no-action letter to the Mutual Fund Directors Forum stating that it would not recommend enforcement action under Rules 14a-3(a), 14a-4(d)(2), 14a-4(d)(3), 14a-4(f), 14a-6(o), 14a-10, and 14a-12(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), if an investment company registered under the Investment Company
The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently issued a useful reminder that aggressive discovery positions risk negative consequences far beyond facing motions to compel. In Old Ironsides Energy LLC v. Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC[1], the court affirmed summary judgment against a plaintiff seeking approximately $20 million in damages after concluding that the plaintiff lacked admissible expert testimony necessary to prove its claimed damages. The $20 million kicker? Expert testimony would have been admissible
Richard Jones will participate in a panel discussion titled "Noteworthy Developments in State and Local Taxation" on October 16, 2026, at the National Association of State Bar Tax Sections' (NASBTS) 47th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rich will be joined on the panel by Richard D. Pomp, Alva P. Loiselle Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and James G. Busby, Jr., of The Cavanagh Law Firm
From October 5-9, the American Bar Association will host its 2026 Fall Tax Meeting. On October 9th, Richard Jones will participate in a panel program titled “Come As You Are: Residency Audits, Wealth Taxes, and State Revenue Strategies.” The special State and Local Tax sessions will be held at Perkins Coie LLP in Seattle, Washington, with a virtual attendance option also available. As taxpayers become increasingly mobile and states face mounting revenue
Geoffrey Wynne will join a panel discussion: “Trade Finance: Lessons from First Brands and Other Situations” at the ELFA Annual Conference 2026 on October 13 in London. The panel will examine how investors can learn from recent high-profile situations and adapt their credit analysis to address emerging risks in trade finance. Topics will include the essential role of trade finance and its separate institutional frameworks, cohabitation on issuer balance sheets, structural
On Friday, September 18, 2026, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the “SJC”) affirmed the dismissal of the Town of Marshfield’s challenge to the MBTA Communities Act (the “Act” or “Section 3A”).[1] The decision confirms that covered municipalities must adopt and maintain zoning that permits multifamily housing as of right in at least one district. It also rejects Marshfield’s four principal theories for avoiding that obligation, which are explored in more
