On May 15, 2023, we held a program on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs case. Here's a link to view the online presentation:
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Register and Attend This On-Campus TLA Program on Nov. 15th — The Cutting Edge of Law, Biotech, and Life Sciences
Location: Room 745, Dowling Hall
Date: November 15, 2022
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
The biotech and life sciences industries are among fastest growing in Massachusetts and the United States and are ones in which Tufts Alumni have a particularly strong impact. As new technologies have permitted scientists to unlock genes and manipulate chemicals to develop life-changing and life-saving medicines, they have also raised challenging legal, economic, and ethical questions. Join the Tufts Lawyers Association for a stimulating discussion on the cutting edge of law, biotech, and life science featuring an illustrious panel of experts from various specialties in the field. Parking, food and drink will be provided.
Panelists for this event will include:
- Christopher Albert, E01, AG09, Principal, Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds, P.C.
- Sandra S. Congdon, E97, EG99, Associate General Counsel, Tufts University
- Andrew J. Merken, A87, Partner, Co-Chair Life Sciences and Co-Chair Securities, Burns & Levinson, LLP
- Parid Sava, E09, Director, Business Development at Sarepta Therapeutics
Moderated by: Christopher R. Vaccaro, A81, Partner, Dalton & Finegold, LLP
Sponsored by Tufts Lawyers Association (TLA) New England
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Lesson Learned from Law School
We appreciate your interest in our programming Lessons Learned from Law School: A Welcome to the Tufts Lawyers Association (TLA) Law Student Group Circuit. Whether you missed it or want to watch it again, I am happy to share with you the recording of the event.
Please be sure to join us at our upcoming event:
Law Day on the Hill - Balancing the Scales of Justice in Criminal Law
March 10, 6-7:30 PM ET (Zoom meeting)
The evening begins with initial introductions and a panel discussion focusing on current issues in criminal law and procedure. The panel features former federal and state prosecutors, a current MA Appeals Court judge and a law professor. The discussion will include panelists sharing their experiences and insights on policy and practical issues related to criminal law. The evening wraps up with plenty of time for Q&A and for all to speak in breakout rooms in more detail about their careers, law school, and other applicable topics.
Also, regardless if you are a student or an alumni, if you are interested in contacting the Tufts Pre-Law Advisor, her info is Dovie.King@tufts.edu
If you have any questions about Tufts Lawyers Association or want to get more involved please contact Steve Feldman, TLA President, at steven.feldman@mmlawus.com
Thank you and we hope to see you on March 10!
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
The Truth About Bankruptcy: Debunking Five Common Myths, by Ethan D. Ganc, Esq.
Myth # 1: A company that files for bankruptcy is going out of business.
The fact that a company has filed for
bankruptcy protection does not mean it is necessarily going out of business or
ceasing operations. In fact, companies that just need some breathing space but
have the prospect of rehabilitation can file for protection under Chapter 11,
which is a reorganization proceeding. In very broad terms, Chapter 11 enables
companies to continue their operations, address their outstanding debt, shed
burdensome leases and other contracts, and reemerge at the end of the
bankruptcy process. Alternatively, some companies use the Chapter 11 process to
sell their assets as a going concern, which enables the buyer to continue to
operate the same business under new ownership.
Myth # 2: The best way to deal with a
failed business is to file for Chapter 7.
In contrast to Chapter 11, Chapter 7 is a
liquidation proceeding where the company that files for bankruptcy protection
ceases operations. Chapter 7 may be an appropriate option for a business that
has significant assets available for liquidation; however, Chapter 7 is rarely
a good choice for a failed business that has few or no assets of value. Unlike
an individual, a business that files for Chapter 7 does not receive a discharge
(forgiveness) of its debts. More importantly, particularly for a closely held
business, filing for Chapter 7 may result in unwanted scrutiny by the
bankruptcy trustee (a third party appointed to marshal and liquidate assets) of
the business owners’ compensation and other financial transactions with the
company, which could result in an attempt by the trustee to recover payments
made by the company to the business owners prior to the bankruptcy filing.
Myth # 3: A business or individual must
be insolvent (i.e., its debts must exceed its liabilities) in order to be
eligible to file for bankruptcy.
There is no requirement in any section of the
Bankruptcy Code that a debtor (the company or individual that files for
bankruptcy) be insolvent. In fact, it is not infrequently the case that
debtors, both corporate and individual, have assets that exceed their liabilities.
Businesses may have assets that exceed liabilities but may still benefit from
filing for bankruptcy because it allows them to restructure certain debts and
shed burdensome lease obligations and other contracts while continuing to
operate as a going concern. As explained in the next section, because
individuals who file for bankruptcy can exempt certain property from the reach
of creditors, those individuals may have assets that exceed their liabilities
but still be able to discharge certain debts by means of a bankruptcy filing.
Myth # 4: An individual who files for
bankruptcy will lose all of his/her assets.
Both state and federal laws protect certain
assets from the reach of creditors. These assets are called exempt assets. A
few limited examples of exempt assets include federally qualified retirement
accounts like 401(k)s, most ordinary household goods and furniture, some amount
of equity in a home (this varies from state to state and under federal law),
and some amount of equity in a car (this also varies). Exemptions allow a
person to file for bankruptcy protection and still discharge his/her debts
while keeping the exempt property.
Myth # 5: Personal income taxes are
never dischargeable by an individual debtor in bankruptcy.
While personal income taxes of newer vintage
are not discharged (forgiven) in bankruptcy, some income taxes that are older
may be dischargeable. Generally speaking, if a specific tax return was last due
more than three years before the bankruptcy filing, the return was filed more
than two years before the filing, and there are no additional assessments
relating to that tax year that occurred less than 240 days before the filing,
the taxes for that year may be dischargeable.
If you have any questions about these or any other legal matters, please do not hesitate to contact TLA past-president, Ethan Ganc, Esq.
Ethan
Ganc maintains a practice in New York City, where he serves clients in the
areas of bankruptcy/creditors rights, business law, and commercial litigation,
among others. Ethan was president of the TLA from 2014 to 2018, vice president
from 2012 to 2014, and served on its board of directors from 2010 to 2017.
Thursday, January 6, 2022
TLA Opt-In 2022 Directory Is Updated!
TLA's Opt-In 2022 Directory now has 225 members! Up by 75 new members since last year!
This directory of Tufts Lawyers is a great opportunity for referrals and collaboration. We have a diverse group of TLA members from various practice areas and regions.
Visit the TLA Opt-In 2022 Directory and, if you are not on it, please feel free to join. Thanks to TLA Member, Dan Valentine for putting the directory together from the google form. Here is a sample from the start of the directory:
If you want to learn more about the TLA, please contact me.
Tom Dunn, A00, TLA President
Pierce Atwood LLP
rtdunn@PierceAtwood.com
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Lessons Learned from Law School: A Welcome to the Tufts Lawyers Association (TLA) Law Student Group (January 26, 2022 8-9PM ET)
Join us for an event that will feature a panel of Tufts alumni in the legal profession. Our panelists will explore their most interesting experiences, successes, mistakes, and lessons learned from their time in law school as part of a conversational and interactive platform.
This virtual event will be open to Tufts alumni in law school, current Tufts students, and any other alumni who wish to take part in a great chance to connect with current Tufts law students and other Tufts alumni!
The Law Student Group of the Tufts Lawyers Association is honored to welcome the following featured panelists:
· Newton Portorreal, A16, Judicial Law Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
· Graham Rogers, A10, Associate, Gunderson Dettmer
· Jiabin Zhang, A16, Associate, Fragomen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)