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SHOULD CLIENTS KNOW IF THEIR ATTORNEY USES AI? CONFIDENTIALITY AND INFORMED CONSENT CONSIDERATIONS
Once safely confined to the realm of science fiction, AI is now an undeniable reality. AI driven tools are rapidly evolving and becoming indispensable across industries, including the legal field. Attorneys now have access to AI-powered research assistants, contract review software, and even tools that help predict case outcomes. While these...
DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE “AI” POLICY
Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is now a very real part of our business ecosystem, and will play an increasing role in many companies’ continued growth. Leveraging a business's data assets and the skills of its workforce, there are numerous ways that AI can help generate efficiency and innovation to bolster a company’s leadership position....
TO COMPETE OR NOT TO COMPETE
Scrutiny of new and existing noncompetition and nonsolicitation provisions affecting employees and independent contractors has magnified since February 26, 2025. That Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a directive to form a Task Force to examine “deceptive, unfair and anticompetitive” practices, specifically calling out...
BUSINESSES VS. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: AN UPDATE ON THE ONGOING LEGAL BATTLE OVER THE CTA
The fight over the Corporate Transparency Act drags on as the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network further postpones reporting requirements. PLDO Attorney Javellys Polanco provides the latest update for businesses below: The Corporate Transparency Act, 31 U.S.C. § 5336, (the “CTA”) and its accompanying Reporting Rule, 31 C.F.R. § 1010.380, was...
WHY BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING SHOULD BE A PRIORITY IN 2025
Succession planning is a vital yet often neglected component of a comprehensive business strategy. Whether it is a start-up or a ten-year-old business, developing a succession plan is a critical step in ensuring the continuity and long-term stability of any business. As we step into a new year, now is an opportune time for business owners to...
CYBERSECURITY IN 2025 – A SHIFTING LANDSCAPE
The biggest cybersecurity risk that businesses faced years ago was losing access to their data due to a ransomware attack where a hacker would lock up a company’s files and only release them back if a ransom was paid. Wisely, many businesses responded to these threats by creating redundancies in their systems that were frequently backed up so...
REAL ESTATE TITLE DISPUTES: THE PROCESS OF RECORDING “LIS PENDENS” IN RHODE ISLAND AND MASSACHUSETTS
If you or your business ends up in a dispute over real estate, it is likely that you will encounter a lis pendens. Lis pendens is Latin for “suit pending,” and it means just that, it is a statutorily governed legal tool that is often used to give notice on a property’s title that a lawsuit relating to that property is pending. A notice of lis...
HIGH STAKES: DRAFTING AND INTERPRETING PAYMENT REJECTIONS UNDER MASSACHUSETTS’ PROMPT PAY ACT
Under the Massachusetts Prompt Pay Act, which governs construction contracts, unless an owner meets the Act's "time and substance" requirements for rejecting a payment application from a contractor (ditto for subcontractors' applications to contractors), that application will be deemed approved. Recently, the Supreme Judicial Court invited input...
RHODE ISLAND SUPREME COURT RULES THAT A PROPERTY’S FORECLOSURE WAS VALID DESPITE PLAINTIFF’S CLAIMS THAT MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS WERE “AMBIGUOUS”
BackgroundA recent case arose out of foreclosure proceedings that were instituted by Wells Fargo Bank (“Wells Fargo” or “defendant”) with respect to property located at 18 High Street in Bristol, Rhode Island. The property’s owner (“plaintiff”) secured the mortgage by executing a $636,000 promissory note on March 1, 2007. Several years later, on...
FDA CONSIDERS RESCHEDULING MARIJUANA: A MILESTONE IN DRUG POLICY REFORM
The landscape of drug policy in the United States is poised for a significant shift as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) undertakes a reassessment of marijuana’s drug scheduling classification. The FDA is conducting a comprehensive review of marijuana’s current classification based on its potential medical benefits. Marijuana is currently...
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