
Location: | Marlborough, Massachusetts |
Phone: | 508-480-8202 |
Fax: | 508-480-8204 |
Email: | [email protected] |
When I started to practice law 37 years ago, my father, also a lawyer, offered me some thoughtful and exceptionally valuable advice: listen carefully, do your homework, and above all, maintain a sense of humor – because you are going to need it.
I have to admit that Dad was right and his wise words have resonated with me during my entire practice. Listening attentively to my clients and meticulous preparation are indeed the hallmarks of success. And, finding a way to put clients at ease establishes approachability, confidence, and most importantly, trust.
Working closely with each client, I make sure that I identify the specific goals and strategies of any legal case or matter.
I am that lawyer who gets right on the phone with clients even on a Saturday because I understand that sometimes questions just can't wait for regular business hours. I am that lawyer who may be dressed casually around the office (suits are for the courtroom) but make no mistake, I am always a passionate advocate for my clients, no matter what I am wearing.
As founder and managing partner of the Katz Law Group, P.C., located in Marlborough, Massachusetts, my practice includes but is not limited to complex real estate litigation, employment disputes, premises liability defense, franchise, and business litigation matters. I am a cum laude with honors graduate of Brandeis University and I received my law degree from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts where I graduated cum laude and was a member of the New England School of Law Law Review.
On occasion, plaintiffs and defendants from the opposite side of cases have gone on to hire me when the matters have concluded. Some have said, “We need a guy like you.” Those words are reinforcement and reward to a lawyer like me.
Katz Law Group: Client Bill of Rights
I have heard from clients and prospective clients about the issues and problems they have had with other law firms.
In most cases, their problems are not with the quality of the service being delivered but with every other aspect of the lawyer-client relationship. Over and over again, the complaints range from a lack of communication or no communication to problems with billing.
The bottom line is that clients are saying in different ways that they are experiencing a lack of respect from their law firms. To that end, I have created our own client bill of rights as follows:
- Be Accessible and Responsive – Return phone calls, e-mails, and other forms of communication in a timely manner in order to meet client expectations. Quick, good, and useful is better than too late and perfect. By providing our clients with home and mobile telephone numbers for communication – day and night – access to my office or to me directly is never an issue.
- Be Courteous and Communicate – Treat the client the way that you would want to be treated. Understand the client's point of view and expectations. Strive to be concise and keep the client informed whenever necessary.
- We Take Responsibility for Our Actions – The buck stops here. I accept the responsibility of serving as outside legal counsel very seriously. It is my obligation, from the start to the finish of any case, to identify and correct problems swiftly. It is also my obligation to accept responsibility for my mistakes.
- Be Creative and Effective – I attempt to exceed the expectations of our clients in every case. To do this, I try to find new and innovative ways to accomplish client objectives in each and every case.
- Greater Value, Less Cost – By conservatively staffing projects, meeting deadlines in a timely manner and using the latest available technologies, I can keep costs down for our clients and maximize the value of their cases and;
- We Play as a Team – I believe that the involvement and opinion of every client is important and can facilitate a smoother legal process. By adding different perspectives in each case, I am generally able to reach more successful resolutions in a shorter time frame.
At the end of the day, our bill of rights is my firm's way to ensure that we respect each and every case and client every single day.
Areas of Practice
- 40% Business and Commercial Litigation
- 40% Small Business Contracts and Agreements
- 20% Employment Defense and Franchise/Contract Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts, 1983
- U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 1983
Education
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New England School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
- J.D. Cum Laude, 1982
- Law Review: New England Law Review, Book Review Editor, 1980 – 1982
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Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts
- A.B. Cum Laude 1979
- Honors: With Honors in American Studies
- Honors: Dean's List, 1977-1979
- Major: American Studies
- Minor: Art History
Published Works
- The Continuing Separation of Functions Problem Under Section 554(d) of the Administrative Procedure Act, New England Law Review-Symposium on Administrative Law, Volume 16, No.4, 1982
- The Mass Marketing of the JFK Assassination Brandeis University Press, 1979
Honors and Awards
- Outstanding Contributor MetroWest Animal Society, 2009
- Major Contributor to Bay Path Animal Society, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
- A+ Accredited Business Award, Better Business Bureau, January 2018
- Best Insurance Directory, Preferred Outside Counsel, 2016
- Avvo 10.0. Avvo Top Attorney "Client's Choice Award", 2014-2020
Past Employment Positions
- Seegel, Lipshutz & Wilchins, P.C., Of Counsel, 1999 – 2002
- Shane & Paolillo, P.C., Senior Member, 1991 – 1999
- Roberts, Newman, and Katz, P.A., Associate, 1983 – 1991
Pro Bono Activities
- Member of Bay Path Animal Society, 2005 – Present
- Member of MetroWest Animal Society, 2005 – Present
- Providing various pro bono legal services to many animal welfare societies in Metrowest and Worcester areas