Cite this page 43 MLW 773 | masslawyersweekly.com December 29 , 2014 | Lawyers Weekly | 5

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

TOPPING THE CHARTS: Lawyers Weekly’s most-read stories Gone … but not forgotten 1) “Tables are turned for foreclosure law firm” : The spectacular failing of Woburn-based Connolly, Geaney, Ablitt & Willard sees the foreclosure firm’s building foreclosed on. Employ - The bar bids farewell to a ees at the law firm walk out in early July after being in - number of Massachusetts formed that they will not be paid. The resulting saga lawyers who passed away in yields one of masslawyersweekly.com’s most-viewed 2014. Among them: stories ever. Sidney Aylaian , 91, Watertown 2) “Aaron Hernandez: legal fallout from Ortiz and John T. Cinella Jr. , Killam & DICOLA Wallace murder indictments” : In the lead up to the Cinella, Melrose former Patriot’s murder trial (slated for Alanna G. Cline , Brighton next month), Bristol County prosecutors secure first- degree murder indictments against Hernandez associ - Woburn’s Ablitt building Edmund P. Daley , 64, Moquin ates Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace. & Daley, Joan B. DiCola , 58, Pastor Law 3) “Judge marks up Aaron Hernandez’s suit for trial” : Alexander Bradley files a civil Office, Boston suit in Florida against Hernandez, claiming the former tight end shot him in the face at a Tam - JoAnn Donovan , Committee pa, Florida, strip club. for Public Counsel Services, DOYLE Boston 4) “Lawsuit accuses Uber of fleecing Logan travelers” : Robert J. Doyle , 72, Kehoe, Users of the popular ride-share app Uber file suit in the Doyle, Playter & Novick, Boston Superior Court’s Business Litigation Session alleging that they were charged an $8.75 “Logan Massport Sur - Judge John E. Fenton Jr. , 83, charge & Toll” on trips to the airport, even though no Land Court, Suffolk University such fee exists. Law School dean S. David Goldberg , 79, FENTON 5) “Michael Fee leaves Ropes & Gray for Latham & AP PHOTO Goldberg, Eskenas, Schlossberg Watkins” : After 25 years at Ropes, former prosecutor Uber’s smartphone app & Kaplan, Brockton Fee, whose clients include Aaron Hernandez, switches law firms. Jeremiah Francis Healy III , 66, author, professor, New England 6) “Jury returns $563K libel verdict against Boston Herald” : A Suffolk Superior Court jury Law Boston finds the Herald committed actual malice in a story that falsely reported a woman had engaged Stephen G. Howard , Nutter, in sexual acts with a Bridgewater inmate during a 2009 visit. McClellen & Fish, Boston 7) “Lawyer gets slapped with $90K verdict in fee case” : A Middlesex Superior Court jury de - Robert R. Kimball , 69, Fletcher GOLDBERG cides a fee charged by Cambridge attorney Paul A. Gargano was excessive. Judge Paul D. Wil - Tilton, Worcester son triples the award after determining that Gargano violated Chapter 93A. Joel A. Kozol , 83, Friedman & Atherton, Boston 8) “Chris Bulger speaks out” : The Probation Department’s former le - Justice Neil L. Lynch , 84, gal counsel breaks his silence and accepts an invitation to discuss the Supreme Judicial Court high-profile case targeting his one-time colleagues, granting Lawyers Weekly an exclusive sit-down while the trial plays out in federal court. Gael Mahony , 88, Holland & Knight, Boston HEALY 9) “Judge threatens to find lawyer in contempt for not talking set - Leo S. McNamara , 67, Boston tlement” : A federal judge threatens Boston lawyer Leonard H. Kesten Richard P. Melick , 87, Melick & with jail time for not pursuing settlement talks in a case, but the Porter, Boston Boston lawyer says he was merely following his client’s wishes for a jury trial. Stephen J. Murphy Jr. , 83, CHRISTOPHER BULGER Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office 10) “After ‘personal’ online attack, lawyer hits back” : When Boston attorney Richard A. Goren is unable to get a website to take down a vicious review of him, he tries another tactic: Robert T. Orner , 83, GTE, copyrighting the material and then suing for infringement. Cambridge HOWARD Robert H. Quinn , 85, Boston John D. Schatz , 69, Burlington Andre A. Sansoucy , 57, Melick An extreme makeover & Porter, Boston Christopher R. Sullivan , 57, for some law firms Scituate LYNCH Law firm mergers and acquisitions contin - Also in December, Portland-based Verrill Judge Michael F. Sullivan , 69, ued at a near-record pace in 2014, according Dana , which has an office in Boston, an - District Court to Altman Weil, with Massachusetts playing a nounced it would become ’s largest William P. Sweeney II , 69, major role in the wheelings and dealings. law firm after joining with the 21-lawyer Baker, Braverman & Barbadoro, The state’s biggest deals were reserved for practice of Connecticut-based Levett Rock - Quincy the final quarter of the year and highlighted wood . Richard Burr Tweedy Jr. , 62, by -based Morgan, Lewis & Earlier this quarter, Boston-based Hinckley, 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Bockius ’ November announcement that it Allen & Snyder acquired the Providence Appeals SANSOUCY had acquired 750 lawyers, legal professionals four-lawyer IP/business litigation boutique of William H. “Bill” Vincent , and other staff from Bingham McCutchen , Scott & Bush . And earlier in the year, Provi - Corish & Vincent, Somerville including 140 lawyers from Bingham’s Boston dence-based Partridge, Snow & Hahn headquarters. The combined firm has almost opened a Boston office with nine lawyers Judge Joseph R. Welch , 79, 2,000 lawyers in 28 offices worldwide. from Boston firm Craig & Macauley , which District Court And, just this month, Boston’s Edwards, closed May 1. Ronald A. Wysocki , 79, Wildman, Palmer and Dallas-based Locke In a less orderly closure, Woburn-based Peabody Lord approved a merger creating Locke, Lord, foreclosure law firm Connolly, Geaney, Judge Joseph M. Walker III , Edwards , a firm of about 1,000 lawyers in 23 Ablitt & Willard shut its doors in July amid 63, Superior Court SWEENEY offices worldwide. The combined firm will financial turmoil still being sorted out in have gross revenues of about $675 million. bankruptcy.