Laredo, Smith & Kane’s Darshana Indira Joins Boston Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section

Laredo, Smith & Kane announces that Senior Associate Darshana Indira has joined the Boston Bar Association’s (BBA) Labor and Employment Law Section.

Practitioners join the Labor & Employment Law Section to share and expand their expertise in labor and employment, labor-management relations, and employment discrimination. The Section also focuses on practices and procedures before state and federal agencies regarding labor in all cases arising from an employer-employee relationship.

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. 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.

In addition to her employment law expertise, Indira is a trusted advisor in business law. She works with startups and emerging companies in Massachusetts and other states, helping them form their entities, draft foundational documents, and establish employment agreements. As these businesses grow, she remains a key legal resource, assisting with any potential litigation or disputes they may face.

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.

Seven Laredo, Smith & Kane Attorneys Recognized in the 2024 Edition of Massachusetts Super Lawyers

Laredo, Smith & Kane announces that seven of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2024 edition of Massachusetts Super Lawyers , with five included on the Super Lawyers list and two on the Rising Stars list.

The Laredo, Smith & Kane attorneys on the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list and their corresponding category/practice area are:

In addition, Super Lawyers named Kane, Laredo, and Salsburg to the Top 100 list, recognizing the top 100 attorneys in Massachusetts. Further, Salsburg was included on the Top 50 women list, recognizing Massachusetts’s top 50 women attorneys.

The Laredo, Kane & Smith attorneys on the Massachusetts Rising Starts list and their corresponding category/practice area are:

Super Lawyers is a research-driven, peer-influenced rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The mission of Super Lawyers is to bring visibility to those attorneys who exhibit excellence in practice.

 

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.

Six Laredo, Smith & Kane Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025

Boston law firm Laredo, Smith & Kane announces that six of its attorneys were selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 edition. Published by Woodward/White, Inc. since 1982, Best Lawyers is considered by many to be the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession.

The six Laredo, Smith & Kane attorneys listed in Best Lawyers are:

●      Marc C. Laredo: Commercial Litigation; Employment Law, Management

●      Mark D. Smith: Closely Held Companies and Family; Business Law; Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense, White-CollarLared

●      Matthew A. Kane: Litigation, Labor & Employment

●      Payal Salsburg: Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense, White-Collar

●      William G. Cosmas, Jr.: Commercial Litigation

●      Jessica L. Conklin: Criminal Defense, White-Collar

Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America is based on an extensive peer-review process designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical and legal practice area. Best Lawyers highlights the top 5% of practicing attorneys in each practice area. Its 2025 selections are featured in the 31st edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

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.

Navigating Joint Employer Liability in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently affirmed that a management company providing comprehensive services to a car dealership qualifies as a “joint employer,” subject to potential liability for Wage Act violations. This ruling in Tran v. Jennings Road Management Corp., et al. sets a significant precedent for how joint employer status is determined under Massachusetts law.

Summer 2024 Newsletter

Laredo, Smith & Kane Attorneys Selected for Inclusion in 2025 Best Lawyers

Laredo, Smith & Kane attorneys Marc Laredo, Mark Smith, Matthew Kane, Payal Salsburg, William Cosmas and Jessica Conklin are all selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

Marc Laredo is selected for his work in both Commercial Litigation and Employment Law/Management. Marc represents clients in disputes among owners of closely held businesses and a wide array of other business litigation matters including commercial contract cases, business torts, employment and non-competition litigation, government investigations and construction cases. Additionally, Marc serves as counsel to closely held businesses, advising them on issues such as the initial formation and maintenance of the business entity, contract and employment matters, crisis situations and exit strategies.

Mark Smith is selected for his work in Criminal Defense/White-Collar, Commercial Litigation, Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law. Mark is retained by businesses and individuals during all stages of criminal and other government enforcement actions. National law firms also choose Mark to handle a wide range of Massachusetts-specific litigation and regulation matters as outside counsel on behalf of their clients.

Matthew Kane is selected for his work in Litigation/Labor & Employment. Matt represents banks and other financial institutions, businesses and individuals in an array of business law matters and disputes concerning consumer finance, employment, construction, real estate and general litigation as part of the firm’s business litigation practice.

Payal Salsburg is selected for her work in Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White Collar. She 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 connection with an array of matters including contract and business disputes, False Claims Act litigation, and government and internal investigations.

William Cosmas is selected for his work in Commercial Litigation. He handles complex business disputes across many industries including finance, banking, technology, and life sciences, among others. His experience spans business litigation and arbitration, both domestic and international; government investigations and white-collar criminal defense; and real estate matters.

Jessica Conklin is selected for her work in Criminal Defense/White-Collar. She counsels clients on a variety of matters ranging from healthcare compliance and audits to government investigations. She also represents students and their families who attending secondary schools, colleges and universities in connection with disciplinary proceedings and title IX investigations.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Over 110,000 industry leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world), and they received millions of evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. Lawyers are not allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

Laredo & Smith Named to 2024 Edition of Best Law Firms

Laredo & Smith is pleased to be named to the 2024 edition of “Best Law Firms” in the following categories:

  • National Tier 3 firm for Commercial Litigation
  • Metropolitan Tier 1 firm in Boston for Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Commercial Litigation, and Criminal Defense-White Collar.
  • Metropolitan Tier 2 firm in Boston for Employment Law-Management

Laredo & Smith is proud to be highly ranked in this year’s publication. Firms included in the “Best Law Firms” rankings are recognized for professional excellence and have impressive ratings from clients and peers. The Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.

 

Laredo & Smith Attorneys Named to 2023 Super Lawyers List

Laredo & Smith is pleased to announce that many of the firm’s attorneys are named to Super Lawyers for 2023, including:

  • Marc Laredo is recognized in the areas of Business Litigation and Closely Held Businesses
  • Mark Smith is recognized for White Collar Crime
  • Matt Kane is recognized for Business Litigation, Banking, and Appellate
  • Payal Salsburg is recognized for Business Litigation and White Collar Crime
  • William Cosmas is recognized for Business Litigation and General Litigation
  • Jessica Conklin is recognized as a Rising Star in White Collar Crime, Schools & Education, and Business Litigation
  • Darshana Indira is recognized as a Rising Star in Employment & Labor

Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country.

Darshana Indira Speaks at Annual Employment Law Conference

Darshana Indira spoke on the Employment Law Update panel for The Massachusetts Bar Association’s 44th Annual Labor & Employment Spring Conference at Suffolk University. The event welcomed judges and accomplished attorneys who provide significant thought leadership in the areas of labor and employment law.

Laredo & Smith Named to 2023 Edition of Best Law Firms

Laredo & Smith, LLP is pleased to be named a Metropolitan Tier 1 firm in Boston for Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense/White Collar. The firm is also listed as a Metropolitan Tier 2 firm in Boston for Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law as well as Employment Law/Management.

For this year’s rankings, Best Lawyers analyzed almost 124,000 client responses, 12.2 million evaluations of more than 115,000 lawyers from more than 22,000 firms and conducted hundreds of interviews with law firm leaders. This process resulted in 2,071 firms earning a national recognition, and 15,825 firms earning a metropolitan recognition. Of those, only 571 firms earned a national Tier 1 recognition.

The 2023 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” recognizes the most elite firms across the nation, identified for their professional excellence with consistently positive feedback from clients and peers. To become eligible for a “Best Law Firms” ranking, at least one lawyer at the firm must be recognized in the latest edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, an exclusive award presented to only the top 5% of lawyers in the United States.