Laredo, Smith & Kane Elevates Two Attorneys

Laredo, Smith & Kane announces the elevation of Brendan S. Cox to Partner and Darshana Indira to Senior Counsel, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

“Congratulations to Brendan and Darshana,” said Matthew A. Kane, Managing Partner, Laredo, Smith & Kane. “Brendan is an exceptional litigator and criminal defense attorney, and Darshana is a talented employment and business lawyer. These well-deserved elevations reflect their hard work, dedication, and the trust they’ve earned from both clients and colleagues. We look forward to celebrating their continued achievements in the new roles.”

Cox is an experienced litigator and criminal defense attorney. A versatile advocate, he counsels businesses and individuals to build strong cases that provide maximum protection and minimize serious risks. He has extensive experience managing trial court matters for complex civil and criminal cases, as well as advising companies of all sizes on business litigation matters. Cox’s criminal defense experience includes litigating all aspects of the criminal process, from probable cause hearings and arraignments through complex evidentiary motions and trial. He represents clients on a wide range of matters, including minor misdemeanors through serious, life-changing felonies. In addition to managing a full caseload of trial court matters, Cox also serves as a business advisor to companies on a range of matters such as employment agreements, business law, contracts, and intellectual property concerns.

As an accomplished employment and business lawyer, Indira advises company owners, organizational leaders, and C-suite executives across a broad spectrum of employment and commercial litigation matters. With a deep understanding of various industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotech, healthcare, and retail, her expertise spans both transactional and litigation work. In her employment practice, Indira provides strategic counsel to businesses on the complexities of employer-employee relationships. She assists management and senior executives in navigating executive compensation, employment agreements, non-compete clauses, and severance negotiations.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Darshana Indira Featured in DEI Spotlight

The Massachusetts Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee highlights diverse attorneys within the legal community to recognize achievements and contributions. In honor of Diwali, a Hindu festival and national holiday across India, the DEIC proudly highlighted our very own, Darshana Indira!

To Infinity and Beyond: When a Business Contract is Incomplete

Parties who decide to do business with each other must be very careful to ensure that the agreement between them contains all the important terms, especially the duration of the contract over which the parties expect to be in business with each other. A recent case from the Massachusetts Appeals Court confirms that in situations where a contract does not have an express duration term, the parties’ intent and circumstances dictate the reasonable duration of the contract, and one party cannot terminate the contract at-will.

Fall 2024 Newsletter

Matt Kane Featured in BBA’s “Meet the New Managing Partner” Spotlight Series

The Boston Bar Association caught up with Matt Kane to talk about his new role as incoming Managing Partner at Laredo, Smith & Kane.  They talked about his new role, advice to new lawyers in Boston and more.

BBA’s Meet the New Managing Partner – Laredo, Smith, & Kane’s Matt Kane – Boston Bar Association

“Mayoral Bid Triggers Transition in Boston Firm’s Leadership,” by Mass Lawyers Weekly

Laredo, Smith & Kane was featured in a recent Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly article entitled, “Mayoral Bid Triggers Transition in Boston Firm’s Leadership.”  As Marc Laredo pursues a mayoral run in Newton, partners Matt Kane and Payal Salsburg step into leadership positions at the thriving law firm. Matt Kane will serve as the firm’s new Managing Partner beginning in January 2025.

Read the entire article to learn more about the firm’s well-thought out succession plan.

 

 

Laredo, Smith & Kane Attorneys Contribute to MCLE Book, Massachusetts Evidence: A Courtroom Reference

Laredo, Smith & Kane attorneys Matthew A. Kane and Payal Salsburg contributed as authors to the recently published Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) book, Massachusetts Evidence: A Courtroom Reference. The book was designed to be a comprehensive guide covering the admissibility of evidence for lawyers at every stage of their careers.

Chapter 9, Documentary Evidence, written by Kane and Salsburg, addresses issues that relate to the introduction of documentary evidence, including:

  • Authentication
  • The best evidence rule
  • Introducing documents into evidence
  • The hearsay rule as applied to various types of documentary evidence

Kane is a current member of the firm’s management team, and the incoming managing partner effective Jan. 1, 2025.  As a business litigation attorney, he focuses on business and commercial law. Representing banks, financial institutions, businesses, and individuals, Kane is a key member of the firm’s business litigation practice. He is known for his extensive experience in consumer finance, employment, construction, real estate, and general litigation. He is also particularly skilled in appellate advocacy, having successfully argued before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

As a business and litigation attorney and member of Laredo, Smith & Kane’s management team, Salsburg focuses her practice in the areas of business litigation, corporate advice and counsel, and white-collar criminal defense. She represents corporations, small businesses, and individuals in contract and business disputes, False Claims Act matters, State Ethics Commission inquiries, and government and internal investigations. Salsburg also advises closely held businesses on corporate and employment matters.

MCLE is a non-profit corporation that aims to raise the caliber of lawyers’ professional and ethical service to their clients and communities by providing comprehensive and practical continuing legal education of the highest quality to the broadest possible audience.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Payal Salsburg Quoted in article: “Netflix’s ‘Varsity Blues’ Setback Puts Media On Watch”

Laredo, Smith & Kane partner, Payal Salsburg was quoted in a recent article covered by Law360. Payal discussed cases involving fair reporting privilege that were often determined at the summary judgment stage. She noted that there was no requirement that a documentary report both sides of an issue. But she did say the information Wilson provided to Netflix “can be used to show that Netflix had prior warning that maybe there wasn’t truth to this, and they proceeded anyway.” Regardless of how the Wilson suit plays out, Salsburg predicted more litigation if the hugely popular docudrama genre continues to blur or cross the line between fact and fiction.”People are really engrossed by docudramas and documentaries because of that dramatic tension. There is a fascination with dramatizing events,” Salsburg said. “I think these kinds of cases are going to come up a lot.”

We invited you to read the entire article using a Law360 subscription.

Laredo, Smith & Kane’s Matthew Kane Named to BBA’s Business and Commercial Litigation Section Steering Committee

Boston law firm Laredo & Smith & Kane announces that Partner Matthew A. Kane has been reappointed to the Boston Bar Association’s (BBA) Business and Commercial Litigation Section Steering Committee for 2024-25. His one-year term began Sept. 1.

The BBA’s Business and Commercial Litigation Section brings practitioners together for dialogue and education around the wide range of issues in complex commercial and business disputes. The Section also hosts the popular BLS Year in Review, where members have the opportunity to meet the judges and familiarize themselves with the substance of significant recent cases.

Kane is a current member of the firm’s management team, and the incoming managing partner effective Jan. 1, 2025.  As a business litigation attorney, he focuses on business and commercial law. Representing banks, financial institutions, businesses, and individuals, Kane is a key member of the firm’s business litigation practice. He is known for his extensive experience in consumer finance, employment, construction, real estate, and general litigation. He is also particularly skilled in appellate advocacy, having successfully argued before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court. His experience resolving banking and financial services litigation includes handling complex cases involving mortgage and title disputes, commercial workouts and collections, civil check fraud, and fair debt collection issues. Regularly appearing at all levels of state and federal courts across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, his firsthand advocacy experience couples with his strong appellate experience and strategic approach, making him a trusted advisor in the legal community.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Laredo, Smith & Kane’s Payal Salsburg Serves on the BBA Council for Second Consecutive Year

Boston law firm Laredo, Smith & Kane announces that Partner Payal Salsburg was appointed to serve a second year of her first term on the council as a member of the Boston Bar Association (BBA) Council. Salsburg began her three-year term in September 2023.

The BBA Council serves as the board of directors of the BBA. Council members advance the association’s mission to promote the highest standards of excellence for the legal profession, facilitate access to justice, foster a diverse and inclusive professional community, and serve the community at large.

As a business and litigation attorney and member of Laredo, Smith & Kane’s management team, Salsburg focuses her practice in the areas of business litigation, corporate advice and counsel, and white-collar criminal defense. She represents corporations, small businesses, and individuals in contract and business disputes, False Claims Act matters, State Ethics Commission inquiries, and government and internal investigations. Salsburg also advises closely held businesses on corporate and employment matters. Prior to joining Laredo & Smith, Salsburg was a litigator at a large international law firm, in its Florida and Boston offices. She is a sought-after speaker on many topics, including ethics, inclusivity and lawyer well-being. Salsburg is recognized for her deep commitment to volunteerism in the community. Her pro bono experience includes several successful CORI-sealing petitions, petitions for asylum, an appeal from an inmate on Florida’s death row, litigation, and appeal to assist a not-for-profit foundation, and invoking Hague Convention protection to return a child wrongfully removed to the United States by a parent. She was also a bar advocate for criminal matters at the Boston Municipal Court (Central).

An active member of the BBA, Salsburg has also served in a number of leadership positions, including as the former co-chair of the Business and Commercial Litigation Section, a former member of the Ethics Committee. She is a current member of the Women’s Leadership and Advancement Forum Advisory Committee and BBA/BBF Joint Planning Committee.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Darshana Indira Quoted in Mass Lawyers Weekly Article Covering SJC Ruling

Darshana Indira was quoted in a recent Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly article entitled, “Bar Sees Balance in SJC’s Ruling in 7-Eleven Case” where she commented on how the case compares the franchisor-franchisee relationship to that of an employer-employee one.

An employment lawyer, Darshana told Mass Lawyers weekly:  “Boston employment and business lawyer Darshana Indira said she had been surprised to learn that the Patel case was heading back to the SJC, calling it a “stretch” on the facts of the case to construe the franchisor-franchisee relationship as an employer-employee relationship. Other models live more clearly in the “gray area.” Every time the SJC speaks on an issue like this, the court helpfully resolves lingering ambiguity around the independent contractor statute, she added. “It definitely informs our decisions on how we draft contracts, how we are going to treat employees, [and] how we treat our consultants,” Indira said.