News

The Passing of One of the Most Respected Trial Attorneys, Dick Renehan

Although saddened to hear of the passing of attorney Dick Renehan we are proud to have been professionally associated with him for over the past forty years. Dick was thought by many to be one of the top trial attorneys in Massachusetts.

Dick was a humble trial attorney who fostered the development of Governors Bill Weld, Mike Dukakis, and Deval Patrick over their legal careers.

Dick worked closely with many in the firm in numerous litigation efforts. He was also instrumental in the initiation of the firm back some 40 years ago. “There was nobody more respected than Dick Renehan as a trial lawyer who could “reduce law to its simplest forms and present it in that way in front of the jury “said Arthur Murphy. Arthur also said “many of us were fortunate to be a friend of Dick Renehan and used him as a mentor.”

Thank you Dick Renehan and condolences to his entire family, Mary, Joan, Anne and Mark

Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner Prevails in U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Attorney Felicia Vasudevan, a partner at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, received a favorable decision on behalf of her client, Marshfield Public Schools. The Plaintiff appealed the district court’s judgement that upheld a decision of the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals (“BSEA”). However, as the notice was filed more than 30 days after entry, the First Circuit ultimately dismissed the appeal for being untimely. The Plaintiff also appealed the district court’s order, denying her motion to vacate. Read More

Legal Updates

New Features of Public Participation at School Committee Meetings

Following our Alert from March 16, 2023, Civility is Dead – The Supreme Court Rules Municipal Control of Public Speak Limited to Reasonable Time/Place/Manner Restrictions, which discussed the holding to the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in Barron v. Kolenda and the Town of Southborough (SJC-13284), we promised to bring you more detailed guidance on developing a Public Speak policy for your public body or municipality. The Barron case involved a constitutional challenge to the Town of Southborough’s public comment policy, which attempted to impose a code of civility on members of the public who participated in public comment before public bodies. In Barron, the court interpreted the state constitution to mean that public bodies may request, but not require, that public commentators be respectful and courteous. Instead, a public body may set restrictions on reasonable time, place, and manner comments to ensure that the meeting retains an orderly and peaceable manner.

News

The Passing of One of the Most Respected Trial Attorneys, Dick Renehan

Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner Prevails in U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

New Features of Public Participation at School Committee Meetings

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