We recently highlighted two Boston-based COVID-19 tuition refund class action suits, against Brandeis University and Boston College, and the impact of a provision in the Commonwealth’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget that grants...more
In Part 2 of our series on our Massachusetts and Boston-based COVID-19 tuition refund class action suits, we reviewed the legal backdrop of this wave of class action litigation and explored some common pitfalls in...more
Part 2: The Legal Backdrop -
In Part 1 of this series, we provided a brief overview and introduction of the Boston-based COVID-19 tuition refund class action cases, noting generally that most similar suits haven’t made it...more
Part 1: Introduction and Overview -
Earlier this month, Boston University prevailed in one of the few surviving Boston-based COVID-19 tuition refund class action suits. The U.S. District Court in Boston granted BU’s...more
In response to declining COVID-19 transmission rates and the continuing vaccine rollout, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that, beginning March 1, the Commonwealth will begin advancing into the second step of...more
Effective Monday, October 5, Massachusetts begins Step 2 of Phase 3 of reopening via Order 51 in lower-risk communities, defined as cities and towns that have not been a “red” community in any of the last three weekly...more
Currently, one of the most prominent areas for class action litigation related to the COVID-19 pandemic is disputes about whether commercial insurance policies cover business interruption losses. Hundreds of businesses have...more
In four separate decisions issued on August 5, 2020, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation declined to consolidate for pretrial purposes dozens of actions against national banks arising from their roles as...more
8/11/2020
/ Banks ,
Borrowers ,
Case Consolidation ,
Class Action ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Financial Institutions ,
Judicial Panels ,
Lenders ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Small Business ,
Small Business Loans
In response to the statewide increase in COVID-19 transmission, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that he would be pausing some reopening measures and reimposing some restrictions. He issued Order 46,...more
As more class actions are filed every day related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of plaintiffs are asserting claims against banks that acted as participating lenders in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The...more
8/7/2020
/ Agents ,
Borrowers ,
Breach of Duty ,
CARES Act ,
Class Action ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Lenders ,
Loan Applications ,
Multidistrict Litigation ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SBA ,
Small Business Loans
Effective August 1, 2020 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Order 45 requires all out of state (and international) travelers entering Massachusetts, specifically including students and returning residents, to quarantine...more
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker recently issued Order 43, moving Massachusetts into Phase 3 of the Commonwealth's four-phased Reopening Plan. Phase 3, like prior phases, has two steps, with Step 1 of Phase 3 taking...more
Earlier this month, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued Order 37 initiating Phase 2 of the Commonwealth's four-phased Reopening Plan. The order builds on Order 35, which provided the initial framework for Phase 2. ...more
Last Updated July 1, 2020
With this unprecedented school year winding down across the Commonwealth, there has been uncertainty about organized, out-of-the-home activities for children this summer and how to ensure that kids...more
On June 1, 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued COVID-19 Order No. 35, providing new guidance on Phase 2 of the Reopening Advisory Board’s Reopening Massachusetts Plan. ...more
In just two months, more than 110 class action lawsuits have been filed against colleges and universities. These complaints arise out of the COVID-19 pandemic that forced higher education institutions to close their campuses...more
5/31/2020
/ Breach of Contract ,
Class Action ,
Colleges ,
Conversion ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Refunds ,
School Closures ,
Tuition ,
Universities ,
Unjust Enrichment
On May 18, 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker released the Reopening Advisory Board’s Reopening Massachusetts Plan, effectuated by Order 33, commencing Phase One of the Commonwealth’s four-phase approach to reopening...more
On May 11, 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a four-phase approach to reopening the Massachusetts economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and published Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards that will apply...more
April was a cruel month for higher education. After most colleges and universities closed their campuses in mid-March to protect students, faculty, and staff from the coronavirus, some students began requesting partial...more
Last updated November 9, 2020
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding, class actions related to the coronavirus have already arrived and are on the rise. Despite unprecedented court closures and changing procedural...more
5/6/2020
/ Airlines ,
Breach of Contract ,
CARES Act ,
Class Action ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Debt Relief ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Event Cancellation ,
Executive Orders ,
Health Care Providers ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Prisoners ,
School Closures ,
Ticket Pricing ,
WARN Act
On April 28, 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced the second extension of Massachusetts’ non-essential business closure order, now in effect until May 18, 2020. ...more
Last updated December 23, 2020
These restrictions are changing rapidly – please check back regularly for updates, or refer to state websites
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its threat to public health from...more
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker today announced several key updates to his March 23, 2020 executive order, which had directed the closure of physical workplaces and facilities for non-essential businesses from noon on...more
In response to widespread disruptions and difficulties caused by the recent COVID-19 outbreak and the significant impact on financial markets, federal regulatory authorities (including the Securities and Exchange Commission...more
On Monday morning, March 23, Governor Baker issued an executive order, COVID-19 Order No. 13, which expanded on previous executive orders already in place throughout the Commonwealth. ...more