Laredo & Smith Partners Named to 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America

Laredo & Smith’s partners Marc Laredo, Mark Smith, and Payal Salsburg are again selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

Marc Laredo is selected again this year 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.

Payal Salsburg is selected this year 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.

Mark Smith is selected again this year for his work in Criminal Defense: White Collar. He is also recognized for work in 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.

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 109,000 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.

Payal Salsburg Speaks At Boston University Law School Orientation

Payal Salsburg is a guest speaker at Boston University’s law school orientation in August 2023.  The program covers the importance of mental health, well being, and being centered through law school and the legal profession. Delivering her personal account to first year law students at BU, she will talk about taking care of personal mental health and wellbeing while attending law school and during their careers.

Payal Salsburg Is Featured Speaker at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Annual Dinner

Our Partner Payal Salsburg is a featured speaker at the upcoming Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers’   James A. Brink Annual Dinner. Payal will share personal reflections in recovering from depression and anxiety after taking time away from practicing law. Her inspirational story is aimed at helping anyone struggling from stigma and encouraging attorneys of color to embrace self-care.

A non-profit organization, LCL is the sole lawyer assistance program in Massachusetts exclusively dedicated to helping with the many personal and professional challenges of life in the legal profession. The 2023 dinner takes place at the Harvard Club of Boston on Thursday, September 21st from 6-9pm.

Please consider reaching out for more information, making a donation, or attending this wonderful event.

Darshana Indira Interviewed for BBA Spotlight Series

The Boston Bar Association interviews Darshana Indira as part of the spotlight series featuring emerging leaders in Boston’s legal industry. This fun Q&A covers Darshana’s advice for new lawyers, the highlights of her job, the challenges within the legal profession, and more!

Don’t miss this compelling read: BBA Spotlight Series: Get to Know Boston’s Emerging Leaders – Boston Bar Association

Jessica Conklin Publishes Boston Bar Journal Article on Practice Tips for Title IX

Jessica Conklin co-authored an article for the Boston Bar Journal entitled, “Practice Tips for Representing Students in Title IX Proceedings.”  Title IX is a federal statute prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual harassment and it applies to virtually every educational institution that receives federal financial assistance. This article covers the unique challenges of these proceedings as well as processes associated with starting proceedings and managing cases as well as hearings and appeals. Jessica has broad experience working with students and their families in connection with disciplinary proceedings and Title IX investigations.

Payal Salsburg Co-Authors Boston Bar Journal Article on Standards for Duty to Preserve

Payal Salsburg co-authored a recent Boston Bar Journal article entitled, “JFF Cecilia LLC v. Weiner Ventures LLC: Is There Finally Clarity on the Legal Standard for When the Duty to Preserve Evidence Begins and When Spoliation Sanctions May Be Imposed?” In this article, Payal and her co-author discuss the JFF Cecilia case and the resulting clarification for lawyers about a party’s duty to preserve relevant evidence early, even if there is just a possibility of a lawsuit.

Payal Salsburg Elected to Boston Bar Association’s Governing Council

Payal Salsburg is named to the Boston Bar Association’s 2023-2024 Governing Council. In this important role, Payal works to advance the BBA’s mission. She will be active in promoting the highest standards of excellence for the legal profession, facilitating access to justice, fostering a diverse and inclusive professional community and serving the community at large.

Payal’s service on the council continues her deep support of the BBA. Over the course of her career, she served the organization in roles on the Business and Commercial Litigation Section, the Women’s Leadership and Advancement Forum Advisory Committee, the BBA/BBF Joint Planning Committee and as a member of the Ethics Committee.

Darshana Indira Named to Lawyers of Color Annual Hot List

Darshana Indira is named to the annual Lawyers of Color (LoC) Hot List for 2023. This list recognizes junior- and mid-level attorneys working in law firms, companies, and government agencies across the U.S. who show promise in their careers and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession. All honorees are profiled in the LoC Hot List 2023 Issue.

Lawyers of Color is a 501(c)(3) devoted to promoting diversity in the legal profession and advancing democracy and equality in marginalized communities. The honorees are chosen through a two-pronged process. A LoC selection committee, composed of the editorial staff, fellows and advisers, spent months reviewing nominations and researching legal publications in order to identify promising candidates. They accepted nominations from mentors, peers, and colleagues. They also make editorial picks based on research of attorneys who had noteworthy accomplishments, giving special attention to candidates who were active in diversity pipeline initiatives.

Matt Kane Moderates Boston Bar Association’s Business Litigation Session Year in Review

Matt Kane  moderated a CLE program for the Boston Bar Association, “Business Litigation Session Year in Review,” in June 2023. This is the signature annual event of the BBA’s Business and Commercial Litigation Section, where Matt serves as a member of the section steering committee. In this educational and insightful program, Matt helped to guide judges from the Massachusetts Superior Court’s Business Litigation Session (“BLS”) through a lively discussion of important BLS decisions from the past year. The event was an invaluable opportunity for our business litigators to meet and familiarize themselves with the Commonwealth’s BLS judges, and to educate themselves about the current trends and significant legal devlopments at the BLS.

Payal Salsburg Quoted in Mass Lawyers Weekly article on Establishing Jurisdiction in Federal Court

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly turned to Payal Salsburg for comment in a recent article: “Jurisdictional Issue Jeopardized Eight-Figure Verdict” which was published in the June 8th edition of the paper. The article talks about a jurisdictional issue related to BRT Management LLC v. Malden Storage, LLC, et al. and Payal points out that “legal technicalities are super important.”  Read the full article: Jurisdictional issue jeopardizes eight-figure verdict.