Protecting Your Business in 2024: How to Start the Year off Right
2024-03-21 07:30 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | McLane Middleton’s Woburn Office, 300 TradeCenter, Suite 7600, Woburn, MA, 01801
In this engaging two-hour session, our litigation attorneys will discuss risk management for businesses, provide an understanding of the litigation process, and review best practices for litigation management. Topics include:

Best Practices for Implementing Litigation Holds and Managing Electronic Communications During Disputes
Regulating Speech in the Workplace And Handling Employee Conflict During a Controversial Primary and General Election
2023 Top Court Decisions Affecting Your Business
To Arbitrate or Not to Arbitrate: Considerations in Contracts

How ESOPs Can Benefit Owners and Employees
2024-04-23 16:30 - 19:00
Whether you are planning for the future or looking to create ownership for your employees, or somewhere in between, you should be looking into an ESOP. An ESOP is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan that enables employees to own part or all of the company they work for, while providing liquidity for the business owner. Our expert panel will provide a broad overview of ESOPs, discussing topics such as: how transactions are structured and financed, how to best use ESOPs as a succession tool, how ESOPs generally operate, and their significant tax advantages.

What's Her Story featuring Abby Chin
2024-09-12 17:00 - 19:00
This networking series features successful women sharing their stories with other business owners and executives.
Our guest speaker, Abby Chin, longtime courtside reporter for the 18-time NBA Champion Boston Celtics’ on NBC Sports Boston will sit down with McLane Middleton attorney Jennifer Parent to discuss her passion for sports broadcasting and will share how she worked her way up through the ranks to get where she is today.

2024 Economic Outlook
2024-09-19 07:30 - 09:00
Will there be continued economic growth for 2024? How will interest rates continue trending over 2024/2025? These questions and many others are being asked more frequently in an ever changing economy. Join McLane Middleton attorney John Colucci along with Terry Sylvester Charron, Senior Director, Investment Strategist with BNY Wealth and Brien Moriarty, Senior Vice President with BNY Wealth as they navigate a discussion on the economic outlook for this year and into 2025, the investment market, as well as other topics that are impacted by the current economic climate.

Post-Mortem Planning: ﻿Strategic Estate Planning Does Not End at Death
2024-09-24 07:30 - 09:00
While many popular estate planning strategies are created and implemented during a client’s lifetime, other strategies and opportunities are available after the client’s death. Some strategies can be used to fix a “broken” estate plan or address changed circumstances, while others are implemented post-mortem to achieve goals contemplated during the client’s life. During this presentation, McLane Middleton attorneys Ryan Swartz and Katie Hislop will discuss various post-mortem planning strategies to help reduce estate, income and GST tax and accomplish other estate planning objectives. The presenters will discuss such issues as Disclaimers, QTIP Elections, Portability, Alternate Valuation, Deferral of Estate Tax, and 65-Day Elections, and how they can be used to minimize tax and achieve estate planning goals.

Future Headwinds? Estate Planning and the 2024 Election
2024-10-15 12:00 - 13:30
Please join McLane Middleton attorneys Bradford N. Vezina and Philip L. Tizzano as they explore and analyze how the upcoming presidential election and proposed tax reforms (income, gift, and estate) could dramatically alter and curtail some of the most widely used planning tools and strategies currently available to estate planners and wealth advisors. The presenters will also examine planning opportunities for clients to take advantage of now in anticipation of these possible tax changes.
Topics include the following:

Sunset of high exemption amounts under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)
Proposed progressive estate tax rates
Possible changes to income tax basis step-up at death rules and grantor trust planning
Proposed GRAT reform
Possible adjustments to the gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax
Valuation discounting

Please join us for a discussion of some essential planning opportunities available under current law—opportunities that may be diminished, curtailed, or unavailable following the election.

The Massachusetts Employers' 2025 To-Do List
2025-01-08 12:00 - 13:30
The start of a new year is a great time to review and update employment practices. Join members of McLane Middleton’s Employment Law Practice Group for a discussion of what employers can expect from the new administration and some key items that Massachusetts employers should consider putting on their “To-Do” list in 2025, including wage and hour best practices, the Massachusetts Pay Transparency Act requirements, and updates to employee handbooks.

Commercial Leasing 101
2025-02-12 12:00 - 13:30
Join us for a discussion of the fundamentals of commercial leases, focusing on the essential components and considerations for tenants, landlords, and real estate professionals. Members of the McLane Middleton Real Estate Practice Group will explain the responsibilities and rights of both landlords and tenants, including property maintenance, insurance, and potential lease clauses governing rent escalation, renewal options, and fit-up. Negotiating a commercial lease requires understanding these terms and more to create mutually beneficial agreements that align with the business needs of all parties (including lenders). This session provides a foundational overview.

Handling the Purchase or Sale of a Business
2025-03-12 12:00 - 13:30
Buying or selling a business is a complex process that requires careful planning, negotiation, and execution. This seminar will guide business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs through the critical steps involved in a successful transaction. Topics include due diligence, legal considerations, the business transaction lifecycle from the buyer’s and seller’s perspectives, and strategies for a smooth transition. Whether you are looking to acquire a business or prepare yours for sale, this seminar will provide valuable insights and practical advice.

What's Her Story with Carolyn Jones
2025-04-29 17:00 - 19:00
This networking series features successful women sharing their stories with other business owners and executives. Carolyn Jones, Market President and Publisher of the Boston Business Journal (BBJ), will join McLane Middleton attorney Kim Kramer for an in-depth conversation about her deep passion for the publishing industry and the dynamic changes it has undergone. Carolyn will reflect on her journey and the invaluable experiences that have shaped her career as she ascended from her humble beginnings at a small publication to become the BBJ’s publisher.

House v. NCAA - Potential Future of Name, Image and Likeness
2025-05-08 17:30 - 19:30
On September 5, 2024, Judge Claudia Wilken declined to grant preliminary approval of the House v. NCAA settlement. Fast forward to April 7, 2025, Judge Wilken recently held a hearing on the proposed final House settlement. During the hearing, Judge Wilken challenged the settlement in certain aspects and challenged the attorneys to prove the settlement is sufficiently fair, reasonable and adequate in order for her to grant final approval. Will the plaintiffs and the NCAA revise their settlement agreement after Judge Wilken’s recent comments from the April 7th hearing? Will they wait for Judge Wilken to rule on the current version of the proposed settlement? When will Judge Wilken rule on such settlement? These are the questions everyone is looking for answers to.
Please join us for a panel discussion on the status of House v. NCAA settlement, Judge Wilken’s recent comments from the April 7th hearing, and what the future of NIL will look like in 2025 and beyond. Panelists include:

John DeWispelaere – Corporate attorney and Vice Chair of McLane Middleton’s Sports Law Practice Group
Michael McCann – Founding Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law
Scott Mutryn – Founding member of Friends of the Heights, the Boston College NIL collective
Frances Reimers – Founder and CEO of Firestarter, an athlete brand and NIL consultancy

The Importance of a Board of Directors
2025-05-21 12:00 - 13:30
A company’s board of directors plays a critical role in its governance, strategy, and overall success. Join us for an informative seminar to discuss the important role a board of directors plays within a company. Whether you’re a founder, executive, board member, investor, or advisor, this session will provide a clear understanding of how a board of directors can be a powerful asset for any organization and how to ensure it’s legally sound and strategically aligned.
Topics include:

Legal roles and responsibilities of board members.
Structuring an effective board: bylaws, liability, and compliance.
Re-imagining the composition of your board of directors and identifying and recruiting new board members.
Challenges in board governance and how to address them.

Our expert panel will discuss effective strategies for board redesign, board member recruitment, and on-boarding that align with the current and future needs and strategies of your organization.

Why DEI Still Matters - A Conversation with Pratt Wiley
2025-06-17 16:30 - 18:30
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility efforts have been the subject of major interest, concern and debate in our nation. Recent executive orders have attempted to reshape discrimination laws and eliminate practices that the current administration deems unlawful discrimination. Businesses and nonprofit organizations committed to increasing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility may be thinking about how the changing political landscape and public perception hinders or motivates these efforts.
Join us on June 17, 2025 for a networking reception and conversation on the current state of DEI in a shifting social and political climate with business executive Pratt Norton Wiley, President and CEO of The Partnership, Inc.
The Partnership, Inc. is a Boston-based organization that for nearly 30 years has partnered with successful enterprises to make them more competitive in a global economy by helping them attract, develop, and retain talented multicultural professionals at all levels of leadership and assist in creating a corporate climate that encourages diversity and helps multicultural professionals thrive.
This event, hosted by McLane Middleton’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, will feature a Q&A discussion led by Attorney Christina Krakoff, of counsel and Chair of the firm’s DEI Committee.

Avoiding the Hidden Traps in Wage and Hour Compliance
2026-01-29 12:00 - 13:30
Wage and hour compliance is one of the most active areas of employment litigation, and even well-intentioned employers can find themselves unwittingly exposed to significant risk.
Join McLane Middleton attorneys Adam Hamel and Sean LaPorta as they highlight some of the often overlooked ways organizations can become entangled in wage and hour problems. Topics will include the often-tricky timing of paychecks, proper calculation of overtime rates, and common pitfalls related to meal breaks, travel time, and deductions.
The program will also address withholding and wage garnishment obligations, deductions from exempt employees’ pay, and final paycheck requirements. Attendees will leave with a checklist of issues they can review within their own organizations to help identify and reduce potential wage and hour exposure.

Beyond Succession: Strategic Planning for Multi Generational Business Continuity
2026-02-26 12:30 - 13:30
Ensuring the long-term success of a family business requires more than preparing the next generation to lead. It demands a thoughtful, coordinated approach to succession, trust and estate planning, and corporate structuring. This panel discussion will explore how families can effectively align these key planning areas to preserve their business, protect their wealth, and support a smooth transition of leadership and ownership.
Our session will cover critical topics including managerial and succession planning, corporate and family governance best practices, trust structures, estate planning strategies, wealth integration and preservation, and corporate considerations that support continuity and reduce risk. Attendees will gain practical guidance and actionable insights to help navigate the complex personal, financial, and corporate dynamics inherent in family enterprise planning.
Whether you are a business owner, next generation successor, or advisor to family owned companies, this seminar will provide valuable tools to support a stable and sustainable future for your family business.
Panel members include:

John Colucci, Managing Director of McLane Middleton (moderator)
Kimberly Kramer, Director and Vice Chair of McLane Middleton’s Corporate Department
Ryan Swartz, Director and Chair of McLane Middleton’s Trust & Estates Department
Doug Baumoel, Founder of Continuity Family Business Consulting

Planning and Managing Divorce
2026-03-19 12:00 - 13:30
Divorce is not just an emotional transition it’s a major financial and legal turning point. This informative seminar is designed to help individuals or advisors help their clients plan proactively, protect their assets, and make informed decisions for themselves and their families.
McLane Middleton attorneys Dave Tencza and Phil Tizzano will focus on what to expect, what decisions matter most, and how planning ahead can help protect what you’ve worked hard to build. Topics include:

The financial impact of divorce
Common client blind spots and planning gaps
Property settlement considerations
How divorce affects wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, and fiduciary appointments
Estate and financial planning considerations when minor children are involved and addressing blended family and step-family challenges
The use of planning documents to preserve client assets and the risks of outdated documents and unintended asset distribution
Proactive planning strategies to protect assets and reduce conflict
