areas of practice

The team at ZLG represents both plaintiffs and defendants. Our clients are executives, owners, entrepreneurs, employees and investors as well as a wide range of family-owned and public companies, private equity and venture capital firms, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and professional associations. 

Our team has significant experience advocating for clients in the context of business disputes including the following:

• Breach of contract or fiduciary duty

• Business torts

• Civil claims for theft of proprietary information

• Unfair and deceptive business practices

• Non-competition agreements

• Corporate freeze-outs

• Shareholder disputes

• Qui tam actions brought under the False Claims Acts.

We bring both significant experience in the court room and a keen sense of the law in this area to bear as we assist our clients in achieving the best possible business and personal outcomes available to them.

Representing Individuals

The team of lawyers at ZLG approach our representation of employees mindful of the legal landscape, the important rights at issue and the practical realities faced by individuals in the workplace or in the course of their training. Our work may involve positioning a client to stay out of harm’s way; counseling them as they navigate challenges in the workplace; negotiating a favorable resolution of their disputes; representing them in internal or agency investigations; or litigating tenaciously to vindicate their rights.

In determining the right course, we will not shy away from a challenge, but we also understand that sometimes the most rewarding results are quiet and never announced: they exist in our clients’ ability to resolve a problem, stay in a position, receive the promotion sought or move on without rancor.

ZLG attorneys work in all sectors of the economy representing executives and workers; professionals and police; academics and entrepreneurs. We have achieved landmark results for clients in public employment, academic medicine and private business. And we bring this wealth of experience and results to our handling of matters involving:

• State and federal anti-discrimination laws, including claims of race, ethnic, religious and national origin discrimination; age and disability discrimination, gender or sexual orientation discrimination; sexual harassment; pregnancy and caregiver discrimination; as well as retaliation

• State and federal medical leave laws

• State and federal wage and hour laws

• Whistleblower protections under state and federal law, including the Massachusetts healthcare whistleblower law as well as other statutes protecting whistleblowers in the context of financial fraud, money-laundering and the anti-retaliation provisions of other state and federal laws

• State and federal False Claims Act (Qui Tam) actions

• Medical peer review proceedings and proceedings before the Board of Registration in Medicine as well as other administrative bodies

• Scientific misconduct hearings

• Employment, severance and non-competition agreements.

No matter what the claims, the team at ZLG strives to give voice to our clients’ concerns in a way that is powerful and effective.

Representing Employers

Our work representing individuals also makes us the right attorneys to counsel corporate clients as they navigate employment situations or build human resources functions at a start-up.  Our clients are small businesses, national and international companies, non-profits and private equity firms. 

With a deep appreciation of the way disputes can devolve and distract from an employer’s work, we advise corporate clients looking to manage workplace expectations, to navigate the labyrinth of workplace laws and regulations, and to minimize risks by developing and enforcing sound policies. We counsel clients with respect to the hiring process, lay-offs, reorganizations, WARN Act issues, and the formulation of sound workplace policies. We also thoughtfully conduct internal investigations and provide a staunch defense of our clients’ positions in the context of agency and legal proceedings.

The attorneys at ZLG take care to learn about our clients, assess the situation and tailor the solution, attentive to business realities and legal obligations.  In each circumstance, our knowledge and experience – as attorneys who also represent individuals but also deeply appreciate corporate realities – broaden our perspective and deepen our understanding of the challenges faced and the solutions that are possible.

As a team, ZLG lawyers have significant experience litigating in state and federal courts, handling criminal cases, especially involving financial crime such as fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, bribery, insurance fraud, insider trading and securities fraud. We handle parallel and other civil proceedings by government agencies in a variety of matters. ZLG lawyers also represent clients in cases involving other types of personal misconduct and civil rights.

In addition, we advise clients who seek assessment of a wide range of employment, organizational policies, potential liabilities, and other issues in their internal investigations.

We also handle regulatory investigations and administrative proceedings, including actions by the:

• U.S. Department of Justice

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Debarment

• U.S. Department of Labor  

• Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office

• Massachusetts Boards of Registration, including Medicine and others.

We assist not only the targets of investigations, but witnesses as well, taking a personalized approach to each situation.

ZLG recognizes the emotional and financial toll that criminal charges or regulatory filings can impose on our clients. That’s why our attorneys offer steadfast support and clear guidance every step of the way, avoiding filings where possible and defending our clients where necessary, in each case, working to obtain outstanding results.