RECENT CASES

	RECENT CASES November 2011: Inga Bernstein and Emma Quinn-Judge won a $1.1 million jury verdict in an employment retaliation case after a three week trial in Suffolk Superior Court. An article about this victory appeared in Massachusetts Lawyers’ Weekly, Jan. 9, 2012. August 2011: Elizabeth Lunt and Ruth O’Meara Costello won a motion for a new trial for a client charged with indecent assault and battery. In January 2011, Norman Zalkind and Emma Quinn-Judge secured a sentence of probation for a client who pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and eight counts of visa fraud. In November 2010, Norman Zalkind and Emma Quinn-Judge persuaded a federal judge to sentence their client to 60 months, although the Guidelines Range in the case was 210 to 260 months and the prosecutor was taking the position that 84 to 96 months was a reasonable sentence. In June 2010, Norman Zalkind and Rachel Stroup won an acquittal on charges of first degree murder, armed assault with intent to murder, and possession of a firearm after a three week trial in Middlesex Superior Court. In June 2010, Norman Zalkind and Rachel Stroup secured the return to their client of almost all of the $69,000 seized from him at the airport by United States Customs and Border Control. In July 2010, Norman Zalkind and Monica Shah, after one appearance in a drug distribution and school zone case in Brighton District Court, persuaded the prosecutor to reduce the charges to simple possession, with a continuance without a finding. In March 2009, Elizabeth Lunt persuaded a federal judge to sentence her client to probation in a drug trafficking case in which the prosecution requested a guideline sentence of 46 months. Just before trial, in October 2008, Inga Bernstein and Rachel Stroup settled a disability/failure to accommodate case. Although the terms of the settlement are confidential, both ZRLD counsel and the client were quite pleased with the result. Will Van Lonkhuyzen recently won a six-figure arbitration award for a physician retaliated against by her employer after bringing an MCAD complaint. Inga Bernstein and Rachel Stroup recently prevailed in a Boston Police Department appointing authority hearing, in which the department sought to discipline a police officer. The officer was cleared of all charges. In 2007, Will Van Lonkhuyzen won a motion to suppress all evidence seized in a cocaine trafficking case in the Superior Court, which resulted in the dismissal of all charges against the client. In December 2007, Inga Bernstein also won a motion to suppress evidence in a drug cases that resulted in the dismissal of all charges against her client. In April 2006, Norman Zalkind and William Van Lonkhuyzen settled a construction accident case for $8 million after the jury was selected but before the opening statements. In February 2006, Norman Zalkind and Elizabeth Lunt won an acquittal on federal racketeering murder charges. A year earlier, they had succeeded in persuading the Justice Department not to seek the death penalty in this case. In 2005, Norman Zalkind and David Duncan won a judgement of aquittal for the CEO of a large corporation in a federal tax fraud case. We recently prevailed in a non-dischargeability trial in United States Bankruptcy Court, protecting a client's Superior Court judgment from being discharged in bankruptcy. In October 2005, Inga Bernstein won a $2.2 million verdict in federal court in a discrimination and retaliation case on behalf of a former female police officer who sued her union. This was among the top jury verdicts of the year in Massachusetts. In 2005, Ms. Bernstein won preliminary recognition that a long term disability policy that limits benefits for persons with mental disabilities might violate the American's with Disabilities Act. This cutting edge litigation is proceeding through the federal courts.

November 2011: Inga Bernstein and Emma Quinn-Judge won a $1.1 million jury verdict in an employment retaliation case after a three week trial in Suffolk Superior Court. An article about this victory appeared in Massachusetts Lawyers’ Weekly, Jan. 9, 2012.

August 2011: Elizabeth Lunt and Ruth O’Meara Costello won a motion for a new trial for a client charged with indecent assault and battery.

In January 2011, Norman Zalkind and Emma Quinn-Judge secured a sentence of probation for a client who pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and eight counts of visa fraud.

In November 2010, Norman Zalkind and Emma Quinn-Judge persuaded a federal judge to sentence their client to 60 months, although the Guidelines Range in the case was 210 to 260 months and the prosecutor was taking the position that 84 to 96 months was a reasonable sentence.

In June 2010, Norman Zalkind and Rachel Stroup won an acquittal on charges of first degree murder, armed assault with intent to murder, and possession of a firearm after a three week trial in Middlesex Superior Court.

In June 2010, Norman Zalkind and Rachel Stroup secured the return to their client of almost all of the $69,000 seized from him at the airport by United States Customs and Border Control.

In July 2010, Norman Zalkind and Monica Shah, after one appearance in a drug distribution and school zone case in Brighton District Court, persuaded the prosecutor to reduce the charges to simple possession, with a continuance without a finding.

In March 2009, Elizabeth Lunt persuaded a federal judge to sentence her client to probation in a drug trafficking case in which the prosecution requested a guideline sentence of 46 months.

Just before trial, in October 2008, Inga Bernstein and Rachel Stroup settled a disability/failure to accommodate case. Although the terms of the settlement are confidential, both ZRLD counsel and the client were quite pleased with the result.

Will Van Lonkhuyzen recently won a six-figure arbitration award for a physician retaliated against by her employer after bringing an MCAD complaint.

Inga Bernstein and Rachel Stroup recently prevailed in a Boston Police Department appointing authority hearing, in which the department sought to discipline a police officer. The officer was cleared of all charges.

In 2007, Will Van Lonkhuyzen won a motion to suppress all evidence seized in a cocaine trafficking case in the Superior Court, which resulted in the dismissal of all charges against the client.

In December 2007, Inga Bernstein also won a motion to suppress evidence in a drug cases that resulted in the dismissal of all charges against her client.

In April 2006, Norman Zalkind and William Van Lonkhuyzen settled a construction accident case for $8 million after the jury was selected but before the opening statements.

In February 2006, Norman Zalkind and Elizabeth Lunt won an acquittal on federal racketeering murder charges. A year earlier, they had succeeded in persuading the Justice Department not to seek the death penalty in this case.

In 2005, Norman Zalkind and David Duncan won a judgement of aquittal for the CEO of a large corporation in a federal tax fraud case.

We recently prevailed in a non-dischargeability trial in United States Bankruptcy Court, protecting a client's Superior Court judgment from being discharged in bankruptcy.

In October 2005, Inga Bernstein won a $2.2 million verdict in federal court in a discrimination and retaliation case on behalf of a former female police officer who sued her union. This was among the top jury verdicts of the year in Massachusetts.

In 2005, Ms. Bernstein won preliminary recognition that a long term disability policy that limits benefits for persons with mental disabilities might violate the American's with Disabilities Act. This cutting edge litigation is proceeding through the federal courts.