On January 17, Samuel B. “Sandy” Moskowitz, Davis Malm shareholder and chair of the Equal Justice Coalition, served as the master of ceremonies at the Equal Justice Coalition’s Beacon of Justice Award reception. Awards were presented to four legislators who were selected for their outstanding support of state funding for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation. The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation makes grants to organizations that provide civil legal services to low-income residents.

The honorees were House Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset), Senate President Pro Tempore Stanley Rosenberg (D-Amherst), Rep. Ruth B. Balser (D-Newton), and Sen. Brian Joyce (D-Milton).

Davis Malm, led by attorney Gary M. Feldman, achieved a significant victory for its client, Lawrence Trainor, in Lawrence Trainor v. HEI Hospitality, LLC. On October 31, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a 38-page decision in this unlawful retaliation case, substantially affirming the judgment entered by the district court after an eight-day trial. The court stated in its decision, “This case was tried cleverly, by skilled counsel on both sides…The briefs on appeal are stellar.” Davis Malm successfully tried this retaliation case in federal court in Boston and an eight member jury awarded Mr. Trainor $2.25 million after unanimously finding that HEI Hospitality had retaliated against him when he asserted his legally protected right to resist age discrimination. Thereafter, the court ruled on all post-trial motions and entered a judgment in excess of $4 million, including attorney’s fees, plus pre-judgment interest, which the defendant appealed.