Jeffrey P. Hart

A certifiably green practice…Tarlow Breed Hart & Rodgers P.C. graduates from Sustainable Business Leader Program.

May 6, 2010 // by admin

BOSTON, MASS.

In the spring of 2009, Boston-based Tarlow Breed Hart & Rodgers, P.C. (TBHR) voluntarily joined the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and Mass Department of Environmental (DEP)’s Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP). After one year of employing greener practices at their 101 Huntington Avenue-based practice, the firm has been officially certified as a Sustainable Business Leader.

The program that helped TBHR earn its accreditation was developed as a result of SBLP’s comprehensive audit, which focused on six key areas: waste reduction, water and energy conservation, transportation solutions and pollution prevention. The firm created a “Green Team” of attorneys and staff to develop achievable changes to challenge all personnel to take a moment to think before they consume.

“Lawyers not only have a tendency to use too many words, but also to use too many pieces of paper, printing and reviewing multiple drafts of legal documents even for just minor changes, just to be safe,”,” said Michael Radin, a TBHR member and participant on the Green Team. “Our entire staff, particularly the members of our Green Team, are to be commended for embracing the changes we incorporated to reduce our carbon footprint and achieve our objective of becoming a Sustainable Business Leader.”

TBHR received its official certification in a ceremony on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s offices at Boston City Hall. James Hunt, the Boston Chief of Environmental and Energy Services, presented the official certification of ‘Sustainable Business Leader’ to the graduating companies, which in addition to TBHR included:

Beacon Hill Athletic Club
City Feed and Supply
Economy Hardware
Fornax Bakery
Howard/Stein – Hudson Associates, Inc
New Boston Fund
State Room

“What’s been an enlightening part about this process is the need to educate others on the lots of little things we can do that collectively have a huge impact,” said Jennifer Civitella Hilario, an associate and member of the firm’s Green Team. “Thanks to SBLP and our Green Team, we’re a greener company and have a group in place actively looking for ways to improve the efficiency of our energy use.”

The SBLP was formed in 2008 via collaboration between the DEP and the BRA. SLBP has worked with more than 60 businesses to become sustainable leaders in the community. Each business completes SBLP’s rigorous assessment and receives personalized technical assistance over a six-month period before becoming eligible for the Sustainable Business Leader status.

For more information on the SBLP, visit http://www.sustainablebusinessleader.org.

About Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C.:

Formed in 1991, Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C. is committed to providing high quality, comprehensive legal services to its clients. With a breadth and depth of experience and perspective usually found only at larger law firms, Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers. P.C. offers sophisticated legal counsel to entrepreneurs, businesses, individuals, families, and institutions.

Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers’ areas of expertise include corporate law and business transactions, litigation and dispute resolution, estate planning, taxation, real estate, municipal law, and hospitality law.

The offices of Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C. are located at 101 Huntington Avenue, Prudential Center, in Boston, MA 02199. For additional information, please call 1-617-218-2000, e-mail info@tbhr-law.com, or visit www.tbhr-law.com.

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Can you say something nice about an ex…Does recommending former employees for social media and job sites open the door to possible litigation?

April 5, 2010 // by admin

BOSTON, MASS.

It’s a natural occurrence in today’s economy. Companies downsize and employees are let go. As a parting gesture, the supervisor or manager offers to write a recommendation on LinkedIn, Monster or another social media site. While this may seem harmless, does it make the company vulnerable to a possible wrongful termination suit? Or perhaps another kind of lawsuit (e.g. age, gender, reverse discrimination).

It’s quite possible.

“When companies downsize, it’s natural to want to help former employees out to find a new position,” said Kerry Ryan, a member at Boston-based Tarlow Breed Hart & Rodgers, P.C. “What happens in many situations is the former employee’s job search goes on for a while and they start to wonder why they were let go and so-and-so was not. Having a glowing recommendation from their supervisor only feeds the fire that they were wrongly terminated and that’s where lawsuits arise.”

So what should a company do?

“There are some basic steps that can help protect a company,” says Ryan. “You need to balance the desire to help out a former employee with the realities of potential litigation.”

For starters, companies could:

Require any online recommendations to be reviewed and signed off on by a point person (e.g. director of human resources, company executive). All requests by telephone for a recommendation should be referred to the same point person.
Adopt a company-wide policy barring employees from giving written recommendations for either current or former employees on a non-company Web site. This will give the supervisor a legitimate reason to tell the departing employee that the supervisor can’t give the requested recommendation. The policy may help the supervisor out of a difficult situation.
Provide additional career counseling and other outplacement services in lieu of online recommendations.
A supervisor could call other people in the industry suggesting that they interview the departing employee. These introductions may be more valuable than a written reference on a networking site.

“It used to be ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’. When it comes to recommending one of your former employees on LinkedIn or other social media sites, saying something nice could open the door to litigation,” said Ryan.

About Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C.:

Formed in 1991, Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C. is committed to providing high quality, comprehensive legal services to its clients. Featuring a breadth and depth of experience and perspective usually found only at larger law firms, Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers. P.C. offers sophisticated legal counsel to entrepreneurs, businesses, individuals, families, and institutions.

The offices of Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C. are located at 101 Huntington Avenue, Prudential Center, in Boston, MA 02199. For additional information, or to arrange for a consultation, please call 1-617-218-2000, e-mail info@tbhr-law.com, or visit www.tbhr-law.com.

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“Selling Your Business – A Legal Perspective” Seminars on October 27th and November 10th

October 20, 2009 // by admin

Rodman & Rodman, P.C., Certified Public Accountants and Business Strategists will offer a “Selling Your Business – A Legal Perspective” seminar on Tuesday, October 27^th from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at their Newton office and on Tuesday, November 10^th from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at their Braintree office. These seminars are FREE, but registration is required. Both seminars are co-sponsored by PR Works.

Jeffrey P. Hart, Founding Member of the Boston law firm Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers will lead the seminar. Hart will be discussing the legal processes of selling a business, covering all of the major steps with insight and advice.

Topics which will be discussed include:

· Use of Outside Consultants

· Valuation

· Nondisclosure Agreement

· Structure

· Letter of Intent

· Due Diligence

· Asset Purchase Agreement

Hart concentrates his practice in the areas of taxation, business law and estate planning. Earlier in his career, Jeff practiced as a Certified Public Accountant in the tax division of an international accounting firm where he gained expertise addressing the business and tax issues facing closely held businesses and high net worth individuals.

Light refreshments will be served.

To register, contact Jen or Ann at (617) 965-5959 or by email at jen@rodmancpa.com

Rodman & Rodman, P.C.

Founded in 1961, Rodman & Rodman, P.C. provides accounting, tax and business services to small and medium-sized companies throughout New England. With a focus on strategic planning, Rodman & Rodman goes beyond traditional accounting services and takes a proactive approach when serving clients to increase, preserve and sustain clients’ financial net worth.

From business valuations, taxation, audits, fraud detection and prevention services and succession planning to a variety of accounting IT services including software selection, implementation and training, the team at Rodman & Rodman serves as comprehensive advisors to clients. For individual clients, the company offers personal advisory services such as planning for real estate transactions, obtaining financing, estate planning and retirement planning as well as planning for college education. Rodman & Rodman Certified Public Accountants are located at 3 Newton Executive Park in Newton and 25 Braintree Hill Office Park in Braintree, Mass. For more information, visit their website at www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

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Rodman & Rodman CPA to Hold “Selling Your Business – A Legal Perspective” Seminars