The Massachusetts Bar Association's Consumer Advocacy Task Force
held its Third Annual Consumer Advocacy Symposium and Pinnacle
Awards on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the MBA in Boston. Panelists from the
Attorney General's Office, consumer organizations, private business
and the dispute resolution field discussed "the future of mandatory
arbitration," the theme for this year's event.
The panelists for the program were Max Weinstein, chief of the
Consumer Protection Division in the Office of Massachusetts
Attorney General Maura Healey; Ira Rheingold, executive director of
the National Association of Consumer Advocates; Daniel Moriarty,
vice president and counsel for Kindred Healthcare; and Brian R.
Jerome, founder and CEO of Massachusetts Dispute Resolution
Services and chair of the MBA's DR Section.
Each of the panelists offered his perspective on the topic of
mandatory arbitration. Nursing home disputes, the future of
pre-suit arbitration agreements, and the current state of
Massachusetts law were some of the topics covered during the
hour-and-a-half long discussion. The panelists also answered
questions from moderators Christine Lee and Andrew Rainer, who are
both members of the MBA's Consumer Advocacy Task Force, before
taking questions from the audience.
At the conclusion of the panel discussion, MBA Consumer Advocacy
Task Force members Jaimeson E. Porter and Jessica Kelly presented
the 2016 MBA Pinnacle Awards to Anton's Cleaners and Polkadog
Bakery. Each company was recognized for demonstrating "the highest
commitment to their customers by taking affirmative steps to
improve the consumer experience in Massachusetts."
MBA Treasurer Christopher A. Kenney, who chairs the MBA's
Consumer Advocacy Task Force, said: "Anton's Cleaners has generated
a loyal following through its customer-focused savings programs and
services, including home delivery and free storage, while following
environmentally responsible business practices and demonstrating a
strong commitment to the community. Polkadog Bakery has made a name
for itself as a leader in pet nutrition by educating consumers and
offering high quality products with locally sourced ingredients -
all of which furthers its mission to support economic and social
development in the Boston area. The Massachusetts Bar Association
is proud to recognize both companies for their shared commitment to
providing exceptional value to their customers in
Massachusetts."
Special thanks to the members of the MBA's Consumer Advocacy
Task Force for presenting this event:
- Christopher A. Kenney (Chair), Kenney & Sams PC
- Nadine Cohen, Greater Boston Legal Services
- Thomas Delmar, Keches Law Group PC
- Jessica G. Kelly, Sherin and Lodgen LLP
- Sakib A. Khan, Kenney & Sams PC
- Christine Lee, Gesmer & Updegrove LLP
- Adam C. Ponte, Fletcher Tilton PC
- Jaimeson E. Porter, Kenney & Sams PC
- Andrew Rainer, Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten, LLP
The task force would also like to thank the MBA's Complex
Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution sections for
co-sponsoring the event.