In The News

February 2008	In a Superior Court check fraud case, Steve Reilly and Amber Villa obtain summary judgment dismissing all claims against Sally & Fitch LLP's client, a large national bank.

January 2008	Jonathan Fitch and John Miller obtain jury verdict awarding our client substantial damages in a legal malpractice case.

January 2008	Peter Ball chairs a Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education program entitled, "What Every In-House Counsel Should Know About Criminal Law."

January 2008	Kurt Kusiak appears as a panelist at the Annual Business Litigation Conference sponsored by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.

January 2008	Jennifer Greaney and John Miller elected partners of Sally & Fitch LLP.

December 2007	Andrea Peraner-Sweet obtains a lack of probable cause finding from the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination when it found that our client had not engaged in discriminatory conduct in a place of public accommodation.

December 2007	Jennifer Greaney obtains dismissal of a complaint brought by an abutter who attempted to stop a construction project at our client's home. The Court found that the abutter lacked standing to challenge the Nantucket Historic District Commission's approval of the project.

November 2007	Nine lawyers of Sally & Fitch LLP, including all of the firm's partners, are named "Massachusetts Super Lawyers" in Boston Magazine - a recognition limited to 5% of the lawyers in the Commonwealth.

June 2007	Sally & Fitch LLP was identified as a "Hidden Gem" in a survey of 427 corporate counsel at 3 types of companies: Fortune 1000 organizations, large privately held companies and major financial services firms. Read about the survey.

May 2007	Andrea Peraner-Sweet and Francis J. Sally prevail at the Supreme Judicial Court when the Court affirmed summary judgment that had been granted in favor of our client, an electric utility, and ruled that the utility did not owe a duty of care to the Plaintiff as it could not reasonably be anticipated that an intoxicated driver would veer off the roadway and strike the utility's pole.

May 2007	Barbara Drury, Jennifer Greaney, Alex Klibaner, Elizabeth Koenig and Amber Villa recognized as "Rising Stars" placing them among the top 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40 in the "Massachusetts Super Lawyers" poll appearing in Boston Magazine.

May 2007	Kurt Kusiak testified before the Joint Revenue Committee of the Massachusetts House and Senate on a bill which would allow cities and towns to exempt senior citizens on limited, fixed incomes from Proposition 2 1/2 overrides.

May 2007	Alex Klibaner and Robert Mendillo won a jury trial for our client, whose insurance had been insufficient to cover a large loss sustained when his commercial building was destroyed by fire. The jury returned a verdict against our client's insurance broker for negligence and negligent misrepresentation.

April 2007	Representing clients who were defrauded in the purchase of a home, Jonathan Fitch and John Miller obtained a jury verdict on multiple counts. The jury found the lawyer who represented our client in the purchase of the home liable for legal malpractice and that the lawyer and the law firm representing the seller had committed fraud. The judge later entered a finding that both the real estate broker and the seller's lawyers had also violated the Consumer Protection Act, Mass. Gen. Laws Chapter 93A. Our clients were awarded double damages and their attorneys fees.

April 2007	Jonathan Fitch won a trial in the Land Court for the owner of valuable undeveloped land near the Dionis Beach on Nantucket. Over the objection of a neighbor, the Court found that the Nantucket Zoning Board of Appeal did not err in finding the premises entitled to grand-fathered status and therefore suitable for the construction of a single family home.

March 2007	Alex Klibaner moderated a program at the Boston Bar Association entitled Taking Advantage of Pre-Litigation Opportunities: Drafting and Responding to Demand Letters.

January 2007	Kurt Kusiak to appear as a panelist at the annual Business Litigation Conference of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education in Boston.

December 2006	Jonathan Fitch and Elizabeth Koenig won summary judgment in the Land Court for Nantucket in a case in which the firm’s client had been denied a building permit on the basis of erroneous interpretations of the local zoning by-law and applicable state statute. The Court agreed that by virtue of the derelict fee statute, the client owned to the midline of the abutting private way and that a water well located under the private way satisfied the building permit requirement of demonstrating an availability of water on the property. The Court ordered that a building permit be issued to the firm’s client.

December 2006	Peter Ball to appear as a panelist at the annual Deposition Practice Conference of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education in Boston.

December 2006	The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has appointed our partner, James B. Re, to be a Member of the Court's Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct. Mr. Re commences membership on the Advisory Committee as he concludes his four-year term as a Member (Vice Chair in his final year) of the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers of the Supreme Judicial Court from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2006. The Board of Bar Overseers is a 12-member board appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court to review allegations of misconduct lodged against lawyers.

November 2006	Stephen Reilly's comments on the efforts of banks to combat check fraud appear in the Boston Business Journal.

November 2006	Nine lawyers of Sally & Fitch LLP, including all of the firm's partners, named "Massachusetts Super Lawyers," by a poll appearing in Boston Magazine. The annual award recognizes the top 5% of the lawyers in Massachusetts.

November 2006	Peter Ball appointed to Criminal Law Curriculum Advisory Committee of Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education.

October 2006	Jonathan Fitch and John Miller win a trial in the Land Court for Nantucket awarding the firm's client specific performance of an agreement for the purchase and sale of an historic residence. The Court found that the Seller had not used "reasonable efforts" to remove a federal tax lien and ordered the property conveyed to our client free from the lien.

October 2006	In a divorce trial involving the interpretation and enforceability of an ante-nuptial agreement, where substantial assets were at stake, Jonathan Fitch obtains a highly favorable judgment for the firm's client.

September 2006	Alex Klibaner is appointed to the Steering Committee of the Labor & Employment Section of the Boston Bar Association. Concerned with all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, the Labor and Employment Law Section organizes educational programs, hosts socializing events, and publishes a newsletter for practitioners in the field.

September 2006	Jonathan W. Fitch and Jennifer E. Greaney win appeal, and defeat an attempt for a rehearing, successfully defending judgment entered after trial, in a case involving complex issues concerning estoppel by deed, equitable estoppel, a distinction between warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds, and adverse possession. Conte v. Marine Lumber Co., Inc., 66 Mass. App. Ct. 505 (2006), Rev. Denied, 447 Mass. 1109 (Sept. 11, 2006).

May 2006	Sally & Fitch LLP opens new offices at One Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

May 2006	Jennifer Greaney and Alex Klibaner selected as 2006 “Rising Stars” placing them among the top 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40, in the “Super Lawyers” poll appearing in the May 2006 issue of Boston Magazine.

February 2006	William A. McCormack, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and professor of trial practice at Boston College Law School, joins Sally & Fitch LLP as counsel.

January 2006	On January 1, 2006, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court appointed our partner, James B. Re, to be Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers of the Supreme Judicial Court. The Board of Bar Overseers is a 12-member board appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court to review allegations of misconduct lodged against lawyers. The Court first appointed Jim to the Board in December 2002 to serve a four-year term, commencing January 1, 2003.

January 2006	Kurt Kusiak is a faculty panelist for the MCLE's annual Business Litigation program.

December 2005	Peter Ball is an MCLE faculty panelist on a program regarding the taking of depositions.

November 2005	Eight lawyers of Sally & Fitch LLP, including all of the firms partners, named "Massachusetts Super Lawyers" in Boston magazine, an honor awarded to the top 5% of the lawyers in Massachusetts.

June 2005	In an important probate law case, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld as constitutional an 1876 statute that governs the interpretation of certain trusts and wills. Peter Ball and Alex Klibaner served as lead counsel for the Trustees and led the defense of the statute against constitutional attack. Although the statute in question, M.G.L. c. 210, Section 8 (1876), has spawned considerable litigation, never before has the statute’s constitutionality been definitively ruled upon by the Massachusetts courts. Peter Ball and Alex Klibaner See Watson et ano., Trustees v. Baker, No. SJC-09347 (June 20, 2005).

May 2005	Associates Heather Baer, Jennifer E. Greaney, and Alexander Klibaner cited as “Rising Stars,” placing them among the top 2.5% of lawyers under the age of 40, in the “Super Lawyers” poll appearing in the May 2005 issue of Boston Magazine.

May 2005	Jonathan W. Fitch and John Miller obtain dismissal of a contract action brought by a former fiduciary against our clients.

April 2005	Andrea Peraner-Sweet obtains dismissal of a breach of warranty claim made against Boston Edison on the grounds that the provision of electricity is not a product.

January 2005	James B. Re teaches in the Harvard Law School Winter Trial Advocacy Workshop as he has for many years.

January 2005	Kurt S. Kusiak is an MCLE faculty panelist for the Annual Business Litigation program.

November 2004	Kevin R. Connelly, Jonathan W. Fitch, Kurt S. Kusiak, Andrea-Peraner-Sweet, James B. Re, and Stephen C. Reilly recognized as “Super Lawyers” in a poll appearing in the November 2004 issue of Boston Magazine.

October 2004	20^th Anniversary of the founding of Sally & Fitch LLP.

October 2004	Stephen C. Reilly is an MCLE faculty panelist for the Annual Massachusetts Discovery Practice program.

August 2004	Jonathan W. Fitch wins trial for defendant in case involving claim to title of valuable undeveloped property on Nantucket.

August 2004	Jonathan W. Fitch, representing a large corporate employer, obtains a preliminary injunction enforcing a non-compete and confidentiality agreement against a former executive of a company recently acquired by the client.

June 2004	Jonathan W. Fitch obtains summary judgment in a complex matter establishing client’s right to develop valuable land on Nantucket.

February 2004	First Circuit Court of Appeals affirms summary judgment obtained by Jonathan W. Fitch for employer and rejects employee’s claims for wrongful termination based on sex, national origin and disability discrimination.

October 2003	Stephen C. Reilly is an MCLE faculty panelist for the Annual Massachusetts Discovery Practice program.

June 2003	Francis J. Sally elected to term as President of the Boston Inn of Court.

June 2003	Supreme Court of the United States capped our successful representation of a doctor accused of negligence in a wrongful death case by letting stand the decision in our client’s favor by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Jim Re led the Sally & Fitch LLP team that presented the case in briefs and oral argument to the Court of Appeals, and in a lengthy brief to the Supreme Court.

March 2003	Kevin R. Connelly, (while at prior firm), co-chairs the MCLE 2003 MCLE Child Support and Alimony Seminar.

January 2003	James B. Re appointed to four year term as Member of the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.

	Sally & Fitch LLP: a "Hidden Gem"

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