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Business Litigation + Counseling

Overview

Businesses need counsel that understands their goals and operations as clearly as their legal challenges. MG+M provides start-to-finish business guidance and clear, practical counsel to help companies navigate disputes, manage risk, and seize opportunity. Whether advising on a developing issue or litigating a high stakes conflict, we work closely with clients to problem solve and ensure our strategies align with their vision for their business.

Our team is committed to truly understanding the unique needs of every business we serve. We listen first, assess each client’s specific challenges, and deliver tailored solutions that fit their goals. Clients benefit from the resources and capabilities of a large firm paired with the personalized attention and cost‑effectiveness they value. MG+M brings courtroom tested insight that helps companies of every size anticipate how operational decisions, governance structures, and deal terms withstand scrutiny. Drawing on resources from across our national firm, we leverage that perspective to help clients prevent disputes, strengthen compliance, and build durable business strategies. Our clients consider us a trusted business partner, and we are their first call for matters large and small, including day to day business counseling, sounding-board conversations, strategic decision-making, and early issue spotting.

MG+M attorneys advise companies across the full spectrum of sophisticated commercial conflicts while supporting clients throughout the business lifecycle, partnering with them to develop dispute resolution strategies aligned with long term objectives. We analyze every aspect of a dispute—including conducting and managing internal and government investigations—and provide practical, creative guidance to minimize risk in both litigation and transactional contexts, continually assessing the best path forward, including litigation when appropriate. Our counsel extends to day to day operational and strategic needs, including contract negotiation, compliance, data privacy, workforce matters, and strategic partnerships, as well as periods of transition such as leadership changes and succession planning. We help clients address internal concerns, respond to regulatory scrutiny, and protect and enforce intellectual property critical to business value. When matters proceed to trial, our seasoned, trial tested team is fully prepared to advocate effectively in complex, high stakes disputes.

MG+M counsels clients across a wide range of industries, and many of our attorneys bring additional, hands-on experience in sectors where regulatory complexity, operational pressures, and rapid change demand business minded guidance, including the cannabis industry and food, distribution, and manufacturing companies. Our work in these areas reflects not only legal proficiency but also a grounded understanding of daily operations. This perspective allows us to deliver tailored, commercially focused support that helps clients navigate risk, maintain compliance, and advance their strategic goals.

Working seamlessly with MG+M’s Transactional attorneys, we provide coordinated insight when matters intersect with corporate or deal‑driven issues. Our teams have successfully handled matters involving complex contracts, antitrust claims, M&A fallouts, shareholder disputes, securities actions, construction litigation, intellectual property issues, financial institution litigation, indemnity disputes, employment and non‑compete litigation and counseling, bankruptcy claims, real estate disputes, and environmental litigation.

By combining MG+M’s litigation and transactional capabilities with our advisory strength, we deliver holistic support that resolves immediate legal issues while advancing long‑term business success.

Areas of Focus

Experience

  • In the US Federal Court for the District of Connecticut, obtained dismissal of a class action lawsuit alleging violations of federal trademark laws and the consumer protection statutes of right different states on behalf of a national retail chain accused of selling gray market goods in the United States.

  • Won summary judgment for a 3,000-employee consulting firm in breach of contract action where the customer refused to comply with the terms of the parties’ contract. MG+M's client performed audit and consulting services for an international healthcare provider. The company turned to MG+M when its client refused to cooperate under the clear terms of their agreement.

  • Served as trial counsel for component of case concerning Clean Air Act claims involving over $500 million in potential damages. The claims involved Clean Air Act regulations concerning flaring devices and the Benzene Waste Operations NESHAPS (BWON). Howard also oversaw and coordinated discovery in the case which consisted of the review of over 30 million documents, the production of over 20 million pages of material, and the review and production of over 1.1 TB of technical data.

  • Obtained a verdict for one of the largest owners and managers of commercial real estate in the United States—with a portfolio over 100 million square feet and with a total capitalization of more than $31 billion—in a dispute with its partner over the development of a large, mixed-use project in Boston's Seaport District. The result allowed our client to gain control of the project. 

  • Successfully represented a 200+-employee real estate development, investment construction and management company in litigation involving its lenders who were attempting to seize control of projects in Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, Louisiana, and Texas.

  • Represented one of the nation's largest retail developers in negotiations with the City of Boston over the transfer of the lease for Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Successful resolution allowed our client to transfer the lease to a new developer.

  • Represented an international restaurant chain in connection with negotiations with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation concerning pylon sign usage on the Massachusetts Turnpike. MG+M worked with MassDOT and our client to resolve the dispute without resorting to litigation.

  • Won a plaintiff's verdict in a $30 million breach of contract arbitration for a global facilities management company.

  • Won a defense verdict (later affirmed on appeal) on behalf of an international pulp and paper company in a matter in which the plaintiff alleged that it had formed a contract with the defendant to buy railroad cars and later lost out on a large commission when the railroad cars were sold to another buyer.

  • Won a defense verdict following a week-long trial on an attorney’s lien claim for over $6 million in fees.

  • Obtained a multimillion-dollar recovery for a utility company in a suit to recover response costs from a chemical manufacturer that had caused significant environmental contamination at the sites of several former manufactured-gas plants owned by the utility.

  • Secured a favorable settlement for a regional public utility company in a $20 million arbitration dispute related to the construction of numerous solar fields.

  • Favorably settled a fraud and breach of contract action against a national university for failure to pay millions of dollars to its food service provider following a successful appeal to the Third Circuit.

  • Defended an international food service management company in numerous federal and state False Claims Act investigations.

  • Defended a major energy company in a Massachusetts False Claims Act investigation.

  • Defended a facilities management company through trial and appeal in a $2 million fraud and breach of contract case in which a former customer alleged that our client’s on-site manager improperly steered renovation business to a general contractor with which the manager had a financial interest.

  • Represented a resort/hotel/casino operator in a $100 million breach of contract and fraud dispute with its construction manager.

  • Represented a major energy company in a $250 million contract dispute with an ethanol manufacturer.

  • Represented a public utility company in a dispute with joint venture partners over the construction of a transmission line.

  • Defended a regional restaurant chain in federal criminal and civil investigations related to labor practices.

  • Advise a leading university in connection with a criminal grand jury subpoena.

  • Working with Dutch co-counsel, secured a €42,260,044 judgment against a global investment management firm in a case in the District Court of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties and fraud.

  • Advise a leading university on applicability of insurance coverage to government investigation.

  • Regularly advise commercial landlord regarding tenant issues, including improvements, vacating premises, lease abandonment, and failure to pay rent.

  • Advised a non-profit during an investigation by the Massachusetts Attorney General regarding corporate structure, use of over $10 million in charitable assets, and general governance.

  • Secured summary judgment in favor of a leading chemical company in a decade-long Illinois Trade Secrets Act case involving claims of tortious interference with contract and business relationships.

  • Obtained a TRO related to the UCC sale of New York real estate assets. 

  • Obtained a use variance for a developer before a local Zoning Board of Adjustment.

  • Represented a municipality in politically sensitive negotiations of public-private partnership to renovate prominent athletic facilities on municipal property. Successfully negotiated an agreement that was approved overwhelmingly by City Council and subsequently implemented resulting in a first-class facility.

  • Obtained specific performance on Court of Chancery for two clients to purchase homes based on an agreement of sale.

  • Defeated claims related to alleged breaches of a licensing agreement in a CCLD case.

  • Won summary judgment invalidating restrictive covenants that prevented property owner from making changes to property without approval of prior owner. 

  • Negotiated purchase of a start-up business by the founders to resolve pending litigation.

  • Established new law in the Delaware Court of Chancery related to the division of jointly held personal property.

  • Won defense verdict at trial on behalf of a university defending claims by a former student of disability and racial discrimination, as well as various contract-related claims.

  • Obtained multiple favorable settlements for hundreds of thousands of dollars arising out of allegedly fraudulent oil and gas investments.

  • Successfully advised and defended a university in various accreditation and licensing matters.