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Debra Mayfield, Esq., LLC
116 Clark Road
Brookline, MA 02445Phone: 617-879-0497
Facsimile: 617-275-0527
Author Archives: Debra Mayfield
The Corporate Transparency Act
Welcome to the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA” or “Act”) which is a federal law intended to combat tax fraud, money laundering, terrorism, corruption, etc. The key part of the Act is the requirement that most small and medium size businesses … Continue reading
MA Paid Family Medical Leave Law
What is the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave Law (“PFML”): In short, this new law will entitle many Massachusetts employees and independent contractors to: up to 20 weeks paid medical leave for their own health conditions up to 12 weeks … Continue reading
Posted in Employment
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Massachusetts Enacts New, Restrictive Non-Compete Law
After almost ten years of back-and-forth in the legislature, a new non-compete law (M.G.L. c. 149, §24L) will take effect in Massachusetts on October 1, 2018. Although the new law does not wholly do away with non-compete agreements, it does … Continue reading
Posted in Employment
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On-Line Arbitration Links Must Be Conspicuous – What Does That Mean?
A quick refresher about arbitration clauses: No person or entity can be compelled to arbitrate disputes (rather than go to court) unless they have specifically agreed to arbitration. Since notice is often equated with agreement, a key question is often … Continue reading
Posted in Contracts, Websites
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Massachusetts Law Regarding Unpaid Interns
As noted in a prior post, Massachusetts has one of the narrowest definitions of an “independent contractor” in the country. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Massachusetts is equally strict when it comes to whether interns must be … Continue reading
Posted in Employment
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Massachusetts Pay Equity Act
On August 1, 2016, Massachusetts enacted the Pay Equity Act (M.G.L. c. 149, §105A), which is intended to make it unlawful to pay men and women different amounts for “comparable work.” While one might have thought that the Massachusetts Equal … Continue reading
Posted in Employment
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Job Changes and Restrictive Covenants
A Company hires an employee and has a well-drafted, enforceable written agreement containing confidentiality provisions, non-solicitation clauses, and non-compete obligations (so-called “Restrictive Covenants”). The employee stays with the Company for years, receives various promotions and then decides to leave and … Continue reading
Posted in Employment
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Massachusetts Sick Time Law
The new Massachusetts sick time law goes into effect on July 1, 2015 and requires ALL employers of any size to provide up to 40 hours/year of sick time to ALL Massachusetts employees of any status. Fairly simple and straightforward. … Continue reading
Posted in Employment
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Failure to Follow Corporate Formalities Can Result in Personal Liability (we already knew that but it helps to be reminded)
Almost every businessperson understands that forming a corporation can shield you from individual liability. However, that shield can develop enormous holes if proper corporate formalities are not observed. Recently, in Massachusetts, the sole owner of a corporation was held personally … Continue reading
Posted in Contracts
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Copyright and Trademark Symbols As Marketing Tools
Business owners are often unaware that they have an effective tool for telling the world they own their trademarks and copyrights – simply use either the trademark symbol ™ or the copyright symbol ©. This blog won’t attempt to explain … Continue reading
Posted in Intellectual Property
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