Altman Riley Esher represents individuals, fiduciaries, and business entities in all types of legal disputes. These include Business, Bankruptcy, and Employment litigation, as well as Civil Rights and Criminal Defense. Altman Riley Esher also represents clients in other significant litigation matters, including wrongful death cases. In 2006, Altman Riley Esher won a landmark wrongful death case that Altman had been battling for his clients through the appellate and trial courts for over 10 years. When the jury awarded a 15 million dollar verdict, a 33 million dollar judgment after interest was added, it was the third largest verdict in Massachusetts in 2006, and one of the top 100 verdicts in United States.
Business Litigation
Our business litigation team, led by Michael Altman, handles all types of commercial disputes in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies. Among these are disputes concerning contracts, leases, real estate, partnership agreements and covenants not to compete. We’ve been involved in RICO, whistleblower, and defamation cases, and cases giving rise to unfair and deceptive trade practices under M.G.L. c. 93A.
During Altman’s career he has represented large companies, such as West Lynn Creamery and Ritz Camera, and myriad small businesses including physicians, law firms, convenience stores, manufacturers, liquor stores, nightclub owners, franchises, real estate ventures, and financial advisers. Small business disputes often arise in context of family relationships, and as such the owners face complicated economic as well as emotional issues. We have successfully represented both minority and majority owners in disputes leading to freeze-outs and battles over distributions, compensation, and terminations.
Employment Litigation
The firm represents both employers and employees in employment disputes. Our experience on both sides of employment issues gives us an advantage over practitioners who limit their representation to one side or the other. Our clients include national and regional companies, as well as individuals, in matters involving sexual harassment, age, gender, disability, and race discrimination. We handle academic disputes on behalf of faculty against institutions, including wrongful termination, tenure, and non-renewal of contracts, and have been involved in cases against major universities in Massachusetts, including Harvard, M.I.T., Wellesley, Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College, Colby College, and Tufts University.
Civil Rights
Our firm handles all types of civil rights cases, including violations of equal protection, infringement of privacy and other fundamental rights, police misconduct, suppression of speech, and the right of association. Massachusetts’ residents are fortunate to have strong civil rights protections under our state constitution and laws, protections that are often stronger than those that federal law affords. Our attorneys have successfully prosecuted civil rights cases in state and federal courts and administrative agencies, often on a pro bono basis.
Altman is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, whose primary mission is to defend the constitution.
Bankruptcy Litigation
Our firm handles bankruptcy litigation by combining Riley and Esher’s experience as bankruptcy lawyers with the expertise of the litigation group. These disputes involve causes of action arising under both state law and the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and include adversary proceedings in both business and consumer bankruptcy cases.
Criminal Defense
Altman has worked as a defense attorney in private practice, an Assistant Attorney General, a public defender, and a prosecutor in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. He has taught criminal law at Arizona State University, Suffolk University, and the University of Southampton in England. Notable in a long list of high profile cases is the “Sanctuary” case, an eight-month criminal trial involving an alleged criminal conspiracy by nuns, priests, and ministers to smuggle Central Americans into the United States.
The firm handles all types of criminal defense cases, including white collar crime and sexual misconduct cases.