Matt Kane Quoted in a recent Legal Management Article on Partner Transition Planning

Managing Partner, Matt Kane, was quoted in a recent article, “Critical Moves to Make When a Partner Leaves” published by the ALA’s magazine, Legal Management.

The article examines the challenges law firms face when partners depart. Matt discussed the firm’s experience managing the departure of the former Managing Partner Marc Laredo, who announced in mid-2024 he would run for mayor of Newton, Massachusetts, and leave in January 2026. Kane emphasized the importance of client communication: “It’s been a lot of communicating with clients and getting everyone prepared for the transition. He’s got a number of clients who are small businesses [and] just have periodic and sporadic needs; we made a concerted effort to reach out to them. We’ve had dozens of handoff meetings.”

Kane also talked about the benefits of preparing for this kind of departure with “a long runway” referring to updating website domains, logos, signage, letterhead, and LinkedIn profiles. He also discussed the firm’s partnership agreement: “From time to time, as equity partners have come and gone, there have been discussions, revisions and tweaks. When the partnership changes, we take an opportunity to go through the agreement and make sure everyone’s comfortable and talk about anything that might need to change.”

Brendan Cox Quoted in Article Published in the Concord Bridge

Brendan Cox was quoted in the recent article published in the Concord Bridge, “Free Speech, or Viable Threat.” The article examines a legal case in Concord involving an individual who was arrested for allegedly violating a harassment prevention order by placing “scarecrow” displays targeting the School’s Superintendent.

Cox, an experienced criminal defense lawyer, discusses two points regarding the case. First, that prosecutors must prove this individual physically placed the signs. He noted, “Fingerprints are not infallible,” suggesting this evidence alone may not be sufficient for conviction. Second, he also argued that the alleged targeted individual’s status as a public official “should factor into the analysis” because it changes “the degree of privacy the person is entitled to and the degree of public discourse that they can expect to be subjected to.”

Five Laredo, Smith & Kane Attorneys Recognized by Boston Magazine as 2025 “Top Lawyers”

Smith & Kane LLP announces that five of its attorneys were selected by Boston Magazine for inclusion on the 2025 Top Lawyers list. The exclusive list honors the best attorneys in the region, from corporate to family law.

The five Laredo, Smith & Kane attorneys named to the list include:

Boston Magazine’s annual Top Lawyers list is compiled through peer nominations. Attorneys are invited to nominate up to three of their peers in a select number of law specialties. Top vote-getters in each specialty are reviewed by an advisory board of select lawyers, chosen for their credentials and the high number of votes they received.

About Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Smith & Kane LLP has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, and employment law.

Laredo, Smith & Kane’s William G. Cosmas, Jr. Elected Chairperson of the City of Beverly Zoning Board of Appeals

Laredo, Smith & Kane announces that Partner William G. Cosmas, Jr. has been elected Chairperson of the City of Beverly Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) by fellow board members. The ZBA is an advisory and regulatory committee of the City. In this role, Cosmas will hear and decide individual cases brought by persons seeking land use relief. Since April 2025, Cosmas has been serving as Interim Chairperson and will now serve as Chairperson until January 31, 2028.

“Will’s leadership on the ZBA demonstrates his deep commitment to serving the community,” said Matthew A. Kane, Managing Partner at Laredo, Smith & Kane. “His thoughtful and fair approach to complex zoning issues will benefit the residents and businesses of Beverly.”

Cosmas litigates complex business disputes across many industries including finance, banking, technology, and life sciences, among others. His experience spans business litigation and arbitration, both domestic and international; government investigations and white-collar criminal defense; and real estate matters. He also serves as local counsel for out-of-state law firms seeking assistance in Massachusetts state or federal courts.

Representing sophisticated corporate and individual clients in complex state, federal and arbitral proceedings, Cosmas resolves matters involving allegations of breach of contract, fraud, negligence, chapter 93A violations, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, misappropriation of trade secrets, and other commercial claims. His real estate work involves representing corporations, individuals, and conservation entities in a variety of matters before the Land Court, Superior Court, and municipal boards, including boundary disputes, adverse possession, easements, trespass, zoning, and other issues.

Cosmas’ advocacy extends to pro bono matters and community service. In 2014, he represented a successful petitioner for clemency from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, obtaining one of the first pardons in Massachusetts since 2002. He also volunteers his time advising Voices of Concern North Beverly, a Massachusetts community group, to ensure that a corporation effectively remediates a decades-old toxic waste spill.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Laredo, Smith & Kane Adds Melissa King as New Litigation Associate

Laredo, Smith & Kane announces the addition of Melissa King as an associate in the firm’s Business Litigation practice. King will support clients across all aspects of litigation including legal research, due diligence, discovery, case strategy, and trial preparation.

King is a business litigator representing small and mid-sized businesses in complex civil matters. With a thoughtful, analytical approach to resolving disputes, she draws upon her advanced research, writing, and problem-solving skills to dig into legal issues with clarity and precision. King is known for clear communication, even in high-stakes situations, that helps clients feel at ease in difficult scenarios.

Before joining the firm, King was a litigation associate with a regional law firm. Her experience also includes two clerkships, working with Justice Kathryn Hand at the Massachusetts Appeals Court and at the Connecticut Superior Court. These experiences provide a strong foundation for King’s work in both trials and appellate advocacy.

“I’m thrilled that Melissa has joined us,” said Matthew A. Kane, Managing Partner at Laredo, Smith & Kane. “Her clerkship and litigation experience are an instant value-add for our clients – exactly what we look for as we continue to grow the firm.”

King received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Connecticut School of Law and received her B.A. with distinction from Juniata College.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Seven Laredo, Smith & Kane Attorneys Recognized in the 2025 Edition of Massachusetts Super Lawyers

Smith & Kane LLP announces that seven of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2025 edition of Massachusetts Super Lawyers, with six included on the Super Lawyers list and one on the Rising Stars list. With these rankings, nearly all of the attorneys at the firm were recognized on the 2025 list.

The Laredo, Smith & Kane attorneys on the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list and their corresponding category/practice area are:

Senior counsel Darshana Indira was recognized as a Massachusetts Rising Star in Employment & Labor.

In addition, Laredo, Smith & Kane is one of only a few Boston law firms of similar size to have three partners – Kane, Laredo, and Salsburg – named to the Super Lawyers Top 100 list. Salsburg was also included on the Top 50 Women list, recognizing Massachusetts’ top 50 women attorneys.

Super Lawyers is a research-driven, peer-influenced rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The mission of Super Lawyers is to bring visibility to those attorneys who exhibit excellence in practice.

About Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Smith & Kane LLP has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Tenant’s Termination Rights Upheld Despite Lender Consent Clause

In a decision clarifying the relationship between lease provisions and lender consent clauses, the Massachusetts Appeals Court recently upheld a trial court’s order in favor of the tenant, allowing the tenant to terminate a long-term lease and service agreement without first obtaining the mortgage lender’s written approval.

Hasseltine House, LLC (the landlord) leased a Newton residential facility to Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Inc. (the tenant) under a sixteen-year lease and a companion service agreement. The agreements between the landlord and the tenant provided “special termination rights,” permitting the tenant to end the tenancy if five of the facility’s fourteen residents gave notice of intent to vacate. Weeks later, the landlord, tenant, and Brookline Bank executed a Subordination, Non-Disturbance, and Attornment Agreement (SNDA) in connection with the landlord’s $2.6 million mortgage. The SNDA subordinated the lease to the bank’s mortgage and prohibited termination without the bank’s prior written consent, though such consent could not be unreasonably withheld.

Between May and August 2017, five residents gave notice to leave to the tenant. After notifying the landlord, the tenant formally invoked its termination rights in January 2018. The landlord sued, alleging that termination without Brookline Bank’s consent breached both the lease and service agreement and violated the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

After motion practice, the trial judge entered judgment in the tenant’s favor. The Appeals Court agreed, holding that the SNDA did not override or limit the tenant’s termination rights clearly established in the lease and service agreement between the landlord and the tenant. The court reasoned that those agreements, executed together, defined the essential terms of the tenancy – including the special termination clause – and that the later SNDA could not “render illusory” the rights the tenant had already secured with the landlord.

The court emphasized that all three documents must be read together to discern the parties’ intent. Because the SNDA expressly preserved the tenant’s rights under the lease, the absence of written lender consent did not amount to a contractual breach between landlord and tenant – even if it might have violated obligations owed to the bank.

The landlord also claimed the tenant failed to “promptly” report residents’ notices to vacate, as required under the service agreement, and acted in bad faith by waiting until enough notices accumulated to justify termination. But the court found no evidence that the landlord suffered harm from any delay or that earlier notice would have changed the outcome. Exercising an expressly negotiated right, the court concluded, cannot constitute bad faith.

This case reinforces that:

  • Contract integration matters – when multiple agreements form a single transaction, courts interpret them together to preserve the original bargain.
  • Lender consent clauses in SNDAs do not automatically supersede negotiated lease rights unless the parties clearly intend that result.

By upholding the tenant’s right to terminate, the Appeals Court underscored the importance of clear contractual language, especially when sophisticated parties structure multi-agreement real estate transactions.

Fall 2025 Newsletter

Laredo, Smith & Kane’s Payal Salsburg Inducted into Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Top Women of Law: Circle of Excellence

Laredo, Smith & Kane announces that Partner Payal Salsburg will be inducted into the 2025 Top Women of Law: Circle of Excellence by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Salsburg, a 2020 Top Women of Law honoree, is one of only five attorneys named to this year’s Circle of Excellence, which recognizes past awardees whose continuing achievements merit additional tribute. The annual Top Women of Law celebrates the achievements of exceptional women lawyers who are pioneers, educators, trailblazers, and role models. Salsburg and fellow honorees will be recognized at the awards ceremony on November 18 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. The full list of honorees can be found here.

Salsburg is a member of the firm’s management team. As a business and litigation attorney, she focuses her practice in the areas of business litigation, corporate advice and counsel, and white-collar criminal defense. She represents corporations, small businesses, and individuals in contract and business disputes, False Claims Act matters, State Ethics Commission inquiries, and government and internal investigations. Salsburg also advises closely held businesses on corporate and employment matters. Prior to joining Laredo, Smith & Kane, Salsburg was a litigator at a large international law firm, in its Florida and Boston offices. She is a sought-after speaker on many topics, including commercial litigation, ethics, and lawyer well-being. Salsburg is recognized for her deep commitment to volunteerism in the community. Her pro bono experience includes several successful CORI-sealing petitions, petitions for asylum, an appeal from an inmate on Florida’s death row, litigation, and appeal to assist a not-for-profit foundation, and invoking Hague Convention protection to return a child wrongfully removed to the United States by a parent. She was also a bar advocate for criminal matters at the Boston Municipal Court.

Founded in 1972, the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly newspaper reports decisions issued by all the state and federal courts in Massachusetts, as well as changes to court rules, verdict and settlement reports, bar-discipline notices, and all other news vital to attorneys in the commonwealth.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Laredo, Smith & Kane’s Darshana Indira Appointed Vice Chair of the MBA’s 2025 Business Law Section Council

Smith & Kane LLP announces that Senior Counsel Darshana Indira has been appointed Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s (MBA) Business Law Section Council. In this role, Indira and fellow council members will plan educational seminars, practice forums, legislation and committee activities in a variety of areas, such as high technology, small business, bankruptcy, banking and commercial law, to help improve the practice of in-house counsel and outside business counsel. Her term begins September 1.

Indira is an active MBA member and leader. Over the years, she has shown a strong commitment to the MBA and the legal profession as a member of the Business Litigation Council and the Nominating Committee.

As an accomplished employment and business lawyer, Indira advises company owners, organizational leaders, and C-suite executives across a broad spectrum of employment and commercial litigation matters. With a deep understanding of various industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotech, healthcare, and retail, her expertise spans both transactional and litigation work. Indira provides strategic counsel to businesses on the complexities of employer-employee relationships. She assists management and senior executives in navigating executive compensation, employment agreements, non-compete clauses, and severance negotiations.

In addition to her employment law expertise, Indira is a trusted advisor in business law. She works with startups and emerging companies in Massachusetts and other states, helping them form their entities, draft foundational documents, and establish employment agreements. As these businesses grow, she remains a key legal resource, assisting with any potential litigation or disputes they may face. Indira was named a 2025 Excellence in the Law: Up & Coming Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

About Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Smith & Kane LLP has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.

Six Laredo, Smith & Kane Attorneys Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® 2026

Laredo, Smith & Kane announces that six of its attorneys were selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 edition. Published by Woodward/White, Inc., Best Lawyers is considered by many to be the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession.

The six Laredo, Smith & Kane attorneys listed in Best Lawyers are:

  • Marc C. Laredo: Commercial Litigation; Employment Law, Management
  • Mark D. Smith: Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense, White-Collar
  • Matthew A. Kane: Litigation, Labor & Employment
  • Payal Salsburg: Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense, White-Collar
  • Darshana Indira: Employment Law, Management; Litigation, Labor & Employment
  • William G. Cosmas, Jr.: Commercial Litigation

Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America is based on an extensive peer-review process designed to capture the aggregate opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical and legal practice area. Best Lawyers has been published since 1983 and highlights the top 5% of practicing attorneys in each practice area. Its 2026 selections will be featured in the 32nd edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

About Laredo, Smith & Kane, LLP

For nearly 30 years, Laredo, Smith & Kane has helped clients grow their businesses and resolve legal matters–offering clients big-firm expertise with the client-centered strategy that only a small firm can provide.  The firm’s attorneys successfully combine a strategic approach to running a business with thoughtful, thorough, and protective legal representation. The firm represents clients in matters related to business law and litigation, white collar criminal defense, government investigations, employment law, and school disciplinary and Title IX matters.