Rollo Baker

I was happy to talk with Bloomberg Law about the recent MA hashtag #wiretap decision. You can read the article here (note the paywall):

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Mark your calendars! 🗓️ My Constangy colleague, Alexandra (Sasha) Thaler, is leading a webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 4 on workplace investigations with the Boston Bar Association. This program will discuss everything from interviewing witnesses to handling confidentiality and attorney-client privilege. Whether you're new to internal investigations or just want to sharpen your skills—you won't want to miss this! Register at the link below. #workplaceinvestigations #webinar

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I really enjoyed developing this piece for the Philadelphia Business Journal on AI Best Practices. AI is not Y2K. It’s transformative like electricity. Every company must assess how it’s operations can be improved by AI, how they can drive more revenue with AI, and how they can mitigate the risks with using AI.

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Two large regional Northeast U.S. law firms each said that they are hiring 10 lawyers from Boston-based rival Burns & Levinson, which said it was winding down following a series of departures earlier this year. McCarter & English, LLP said it has hired seven Burns & Levinson partners whose practices span trusts and estates work, real estate and business litigation. Nine professional staffers are also making the move to the Newark-founded firm. Ten other intellectual property and real estate lawyers are joining Barclay Damon LLP, a 300-lawyer firm with offices in New York, Boston, Toronto and Washington, D.C., firm chair John Langan told Reuters. Burns & Levinson struggled following a string of departures earlier this year, including a 25-lawyer group that left to open a Boston office for Blank Rome and a 17-lawyer group that joined ArentFox Schiff. Other Burns & Levinson lawyers joined Locke Lord, Polsinelli, Rubin and Rudman, and Verrill. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gXn_WUXx #legal #legalindustry

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The practice of "sales chasing" or "welcome stranger", by a tax assessor, is limited in reported court decisions to occurrences in municipalities that do not conduct regular reassessment programs. In our inaugural NY Law Journal column, my law partner, Kevin M. Clyne, CRE Commercial Property Tax Attorney - Advisor and I contend that the practice can occur as often, if not more frequently, but is more difficult to spot, in reassessment jurisdictions - and we look at the proper method of proving your case. https://lnkd.in/gmCAWTrk

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Importance of Proper Beneficiary Designations In today’s episode, you’ll hear about: • IFT, TOD, POD • Naming Contingent Beneficiaries • Update as Circumstances Change Listen now, here: https://lnkd.in/erSNp7NU

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Return to Sender: Massachusetts gets “no fault” engagement ring decision to go with no fault divorce. My article in Mass Lawyers Weekly discusses the SJC’s decision to simplify engagement ring disputes by eliminating fault. I hope you will find the article of interest. https://lnkd.in/ee4Z3qGr #divorce #nofaultdivorce #engagementringdecision #masslawyersweekly

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Meet Lawrence Sarowitz, partner of Mintzer Sarowitz Zeris & Willis PLLC Mr. Sarowitz is admitted to practice in the state courts of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Mr. Sarowitz joined the firm as a name partner in 1990. Read more about Mr. Sarowitz in his attorney profile https://lnkd.in/ekneNAWn #legal #law #lawfirm #lawfirmlife #DefenseCounsel #MintzerSarowitz #MSZW #MSZWcares

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Meet Lawrence Sarowitz, partner of Mintzer Sarowitz Zeris & Willis PLLC Mr. Sarowitz is admitted to practice in the state courts of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Mr. Sarowitz joined the firm as a name partner in 1990. Read more about Mr. Sarowitz in his attorney profile https://lnkd.in/ekneNAWn #legal #law #lawfirm #lawfirmlife #DefenseCounsel #MintzerSarowitz #MSZW #MSZWcares

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MDL CaseWatch, where relevant orders and court rulings are posted daily! Follow MDL's, Complex Litigation and State Court Consolidations. Case focused media and white papers are also published. Create your own sub-briefcase under "MyMDL" to track and get weekly updates on torts you are following or where you have cases filed!

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After the new AMLAW 200 rankings were announced a month or so ago we now get the hotly-anticipated VAULT100 rankings, which are if anything even more relevant. These are the firms that associates in their peer / competitor firms rate as the best 100 law firms in the country, based on research, gut feelings, gossip, feedback etc. Do you agree with these rankings? Should money talk (as it's clearly a significant contributor at the top)?

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Cooley LLP lawyers Michael Egan and Liza Cotter will explore the intersection of data privacy, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence in a session at the ACC NYC’s 2024 General Counsel Toolkit on June 6. View more details at the link below.

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When Overreach Meets Accountability: 🗽SEC's Dealer Rule Vacated on the Day Gensler Announces Resignation🫡 🔄In a poetic twist of fate, Gary Gensler's SEC tenure ends as the courts deliver a decisive critique of his regulatory overreach. On November 21, 2024, Judge Reed O'Connor of the Northern District of Texas vacated the SEC's controversial Dealer Rule, a decision that reverberates across crypto and financial industries. On the same day, Gensler announced he would step down as SEC Chair effective January 2025. 🛡The Dealer Rule: A Step Too Far The SEC’s Dealer Rule attempted to redefine “dealer” under the Exchange Act, targeting digital asset markets and traders who provided liquidity. The rule’s broad language threatened to sweep DeFi participants—those using liquidity pools, decentralized exchanges, and smart contracts—into the same category as traditional market dealers. But Judge O'Connor’s ruling was a stark rebuke. The Court noted: 🧐The rule erased a century-old distinction between “traders” and “dealers,” violating the Exchange Act’s intent. The SEC overstepped its statutory authority, with Judge O’Connor emphasizing, “The Rule as it currently stands de facto removes the distinction between ‘trader’ and ‘dealer’ as they have commonly been defined for nearly 100 years.” The Impact on DeFi and Innovation DeFi protocols operate without traditional intermediaries, enabling peer-to-peer liquidity through open-source software and smart contracts. The SEC’s attempt to regulate such automated systems as “dealers” was seen as a direct assault on innovation. 😴A Reflection on Gensler’s Leadership Gary Gensler’s tenure at the SEC has been marked by aggressive enforcement, particularly targeting crypto markets. While his policies aimed to increase investor protections, many argue they stifled innovation and lacked clarity. 🫥👮The SEC’s repeated losses in courts—Ripple, Grayscale, and now the Dealer Rule—underscore the growing judicial pushback against regulatory overreach. Gensler’s resignation opens the door for a leadership shift, with potential candidates like Dan Gallagher and Paul Atkins signaling a more industry-friendly regulatory approach. 🧭What’s Next? This ruling is not just a legal victory; it’s a pivotal moment for how regulation adapts to innovation. With Gensler’s departure, the SEC faces a choice: continue on a path of contentious enforcement or work towards a balanced framework that supports both investor protections and technological growth. 🤞🗿For the blockchain industry, this is a reminder that vigilance and advocacy are essential. The Court’s decision reinforces the importance of adhering to legislative intent, especially as regulators grapple with the challenges of emerging technologies. 📢As one of the plaintiffs stated: "This is just the first domino. Innovation must prevail over overreach." #CryptoRegulation #DeFi #SEC #GaryGensler #Blockchain #Innovation

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Cahill partner Joel Kurtzberg and associates Jason Rozbruch and Chana Tauber discuss the Second Department’s recent decision in Tsamasiros v. Jones, which continued the trend of New York courts borrowing from defamation case law to determine what constitutes a matter of “public interest” that triggers the protections of the state’s anti-SLAPP statute. Read more in our latest alert memo: https://bit.ly/4gzVYco

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🚨 NJ Appellate Division Decision – Jurisdictional Law on Sex Abuse Litigation 🚨 On February 28, 2024, the NJ Appellate Division decided E.T., A.M., A.R., and others v. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, reversing the lower court's decision that New Jersey courts have specific personal jurisdiction over the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) in a case involving allegations of sexual abuse by a counselor within The Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County. This pivotal decision highlights the complexities of jurisdictional law, particularly in cases involving national organizations with local affiliates.   In this case, the plaintiffs alleged they were sexually abused by Arthur Freudenberg, a part-time counselor for the Hudson County BGC, between approximately 1978 and 1982. They sought compensatory and punitive damages from the local entity and the national organization, BGCA. However, jurisdictional discovery showed that BGCA, based in Georgia, did not have direct control over the local club's hiring, training, or supervision practices, including those of Freudenberg. The Appellate Division found that BGCA's connection to New Jersey, through affiliation and brand used by the Hudson County BGC, did not constitute purposeful availment of New Jersey jurisdiction concerning the allegations.   This decision significantly marks the limits of specific personal jurisdiction and underscores the need for clarity in the operational relationships between national organizations and their local affiliates.   Read the Full Decision Here: https://lnkd.in/ePagx6NE   Stay informed with regular legal updates from our team of former prosecutors at the Bianchi Law Group. Follow us for insightful commentary and legal analysis on criminal defense, domestic violence, and municipal court cases.   Need legal assistance or looking to refer a case? Don't hesitate to call us 24/7 at (862) 315-7929. #FormerProsecutors #CriminalDefense #DomesticViolence #DWI #DUI #NJ No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of #NewJersey   🛡️ TEAM OF FORMER PROSECUTORS 🛡️ Robert (Bob) Bianchi, Esq. David Bruno, Esq. Danielle Esposito, Esq. Christopher A. Eaton, Esq. Paul A. Di Lella, Esq. Tricia Howarth Margolis Esq. Christina Hall, Esq. Maura Lynch Robert Esnes Alessandro Amato

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Please check out the excellent article by Amanda O'Brien in today's Legal Intelligencer where I discussed with her Partner compensation at Philadelphia area law firms. As always, please feel free to reach out at any time if you are a partner at a firm in the Philadelphia area and would like to confidentially discuss compensation, or hear about the lateral recruitment market.

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