News
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner Presents Annual Labor Law Update
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner, Michael Maccaro, presented the Annual Labor Law Update for the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) earlier this month. The MMA made a last minute decision to cancel their annual conference, which takes place every January, due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the state. However, they were able to quickly coordinate with speakers to conduct their presentations virtually. Mr. Maccaro’s presentation provided an overview of selected case law developments, including decisions from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Massachusetts Superior Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, he discussed the current Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) statistics and the impact from COVID-19, as well as selected decisions from the MCAD. Lastly, Mr. Maccaro gave an overview of recent and pending legislation, such as the Emergency COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave, Juneteenth, MA Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML), the Massachusetts Police Reform and OSHA.
Michael Maccaro’s practice is focused on the areas of labor and employment in the public and private sector, litigation, and employee benefits. Prior to joining Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, Mr. Maccaro served as Associate General Counsel for a large public sector labor union. He has litigated numerous matters, negotiated hundreds of contracts and has argued before various state courts, appellate courts, and administrative agencies throughout New England. Mr. Maccaro has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Massachusetts School of Law where he has taught legal writing and appellate advocacy. He is the 2019 recipient of the Cushing-Gavin Award for excellence in providing management labor relations legal counsel. Attorney Maccaro is also involved with training new lawyers on arbitration best practices. He graduated from Bates College in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Chemistry and received his Juris Doctor in 2004 from Northeastern University School of Law.
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Receives Favorable Decision for Town of Dracut
On April 11, 2023, MHTL Attorneys Peter Mello and Madison Harris-Parks represented the Town of Dracut, and successfully obtained a preliminary injunction order requiring, among other things, that the Defendant homeowners cease renting out their pool to the public. The case, Town of Dracut by and Through Its Building Inspector vs. Nason, Gilbert et al., was initiated by the Town after the Defendants failed to comply with the Town’s associated underlying zoning enforcement order. The Town requested the injunction Read More
EXTENSION OF MUNICIPAL RELIEF MEASURES - INCLUDING OPEN MEETING LAW REMOTE OPTION - SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
The option for public bodies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to hold public meetings remotely or in a hybrid fashion, which came into play at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been extended by the General Court for another two years, until March 31, 2025. The Governor signed the legislation, which will be codified at Chapter 2 of the Acts of 2023, on March 29, 2023. Because of the inclusion of an emergency preamble, the law goes into effect immediately.

Braintree, MA
50 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 410,
Braintree, MA 02184
Boston, MA
75-101 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110
Tel: (617) 479-5000
Tel: (888) 841-4850
Fax: (617) 479-6469
Quincy, MA
Crown Colony Plaza
300 Crown Colony Drive, Suite 410
P.O. Box 9126
Quincy, MA 02169-9126