Personal Injury

Whether a complex medical malpractice claim or a straight forward automobile collision, we have a reputation for securing favorable outcomes for our clients.  Thomas Lesser is one of only four attorneys designated as a Super Lawyer in the field of plaintiff personal injury in the four Western Massachusetts counties, Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Berkshire.  We handle all types of personal injury, including:

• Wrongful death
• Automobile collisions
• Medical malpractice
• Product liability
• Sexual harassment and assault
• Nursing home litigation
• FELA (railroad worker) claims
• Premises liability / slip & fall
• Assault and battery
• Defamation
• Intentional infliction of emotional distress
• Municipal liability for torts

Employment and Labor

Representing primarily employees, but on occasion employers, we have a keen understanding of the importance of handling employment disputes with detail and care. From wage and hour claims to employment discrimination, our intention is to secure the best possible outcomes for our clients. Our employment practices include:

• Employment discrimination
• Wage & hour violations (unpaid wages, overtime, withholdings, benefits, misclassification as an independent contractor)
• Equal Pay Act violations
• Retaliation
• Harassment
• Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Representation at MCAD and EEOC mediations
• Workers’ Compensation
• Severance negotiations
• Wrongful termination
• Whistleblower claims
• Railroad worker claims
• Federal Employee Liability Act (FELA) claims
• Labor disputes

Civil Rights

We have a long history of representing individuals who have suffered constitutional deprivations. William Newman has served as the Director of the Western Regional Law Office of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts since 1987, and Thomas Lesser is one of three Massachusetts lawyers who belong to the First Amendment Lawyers Association.

• Police misconduct
• First Amendment
• Adult entertainment law
• Public accommodations
• Other constitutional deprivations

Municipal Law

We represent individuals and entities before municipal boards and commissions on special permits, variances, and other related matters. We represent both individuals and entities seeking permits, but also have a long history of representing community groups in opposition to the grant of such petitions.

Business Litigation and Consumer Protection

• Disputes between businesses
• Breach of contract
• G.L. ch. 93A (consumer protection and unfair trade practices)

Housing

We represent landlords and tenants in disputes involving residential and commercial tenancies, ranging from lease disputes to housing discrimination allegations.

Estates

We handle a variety of issues relating to estates, from representing estates in the filing of probate and court papers, to representing individuals in disputes relating to estates, including negotiating the terms of estate documents and litigating disputes that cannot be resolved through negotiations.