Estate Planning News

Ruling On Respondent's Motion To Dismiss

On July 15, 1975 the United File Room Clerks, Messengers, and Library Personnel of Foley, Hoag & Eliot (herein Petitioner) filed a petition for certification of representative pursuant to Massachusetts G.L. c.150A, §5 for a unit of file-room clerks, messengers, and library personnel employed by Foley, Hoag & Eliot (herein Respondent). Respondent filed a Motion To Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction on September 9, 1975. Subsequently, Petitioner and Respondent filed excellent memoranda concerning the question of the Labor Relations Commission's (herein Commission) jurisdiction in this matter.

On the basis of these memoranda and the affidavit of Laurance S. Fordham we accept for purposes of determining the jurisdictional issue Respondent's statements that it is a law firm which employs approximately one-hundred fifty (150) employees. Sixty (60) of Respondent's employees are attorneys and approximately eighty-five per cent (85%) of its business is providing Iegal services to employers who are subject to the National Labor Relations Act (hereinafter "NLRA" or "Federal Act"). Furthermore, ten to fifteen per cent of Respondent's legal services consists of labor relations advice to employers subject to the NLRA. Finally, we accept Petitioner's claim and we find that it is a labor organization within the meaning of G.L. c.150A, §2(5) . For the reasons set forth herein, we deny the Respondent's Motion To Dismiss and set the matter down for a hearing at 10 o'clock A.M. on February 5, 1976 for the purposes of determining the appropriateness of the unit sought in the petition.[

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	Did You Know?
	A "Family Limited Partnership" can be used to own and manage your property In a similar manner to a Trust, but allowing additional tax planning techniques to be employed. Family Limited Partnerships are typically used for those who have large estates and thus have a need for specialized estate planning in order to minimize federal and state estate/death/inheritance taxes as well as provide elements of asset protection.