Practice:

• Business Litigation

Bar Admissions:

California
Massachusetts
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First and Ninth Circuits
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and Southern District of California

Experience:

Mr. Martin is a partner at Burns & Levinson and currently serves as General Counsel. Prior to joining Burns & Levinson in 1991, he was a partner with the San Diego firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps. Mr. Martin was an assistant U.S. attorney in Massachusetts from 1983 to 1987. His litigation expertise focuses upon business disputes, including partnership and shareholder disputes, minority shareholder rights, employee termination claims and litigation involving financial institutions. He also represents clients in NASD and NYSE securities arbitrations involving broker/customer disputes.

Mr. Martin has tried cases in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and California. He represents clients in federal and state courts and has handled numerous arbitrations and mediations for clients. Mr. Martin is an approved neutral arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. and the American Arbitration Association. He also serves as a mediator for commercial and private disputes.

Significant Cases

• Argued and won motion to dismiss class action lawsuit against mortgage lender accused of mailing written offers of credit in violation of Fair Credit Reporting Act. Dixon v. Shamrock Financial Corp., C.A. No. 06-11828-RGS (D.Mass. 2007), aff’d, 522 F.3d 76 (1st Cir. 2008).

• Successfully argued appeal of trial judgment in favor of finance lessee after finance lessor committed fraud in failing to comply with lease payment terms. Eureka Broadband Corp. v. Wentworth Leasing Corp., 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2572 (D.Mass.), aff’d, 400 F.3d 62 (1st Cir. 2005).

• Obtained summary judgment and won appeal of decision dismissing suit against insurance agent sued for negligently failing to procure $1 million life insurance policy. Opara v. Mass. Mutual Life Ins. Co., 441 Mass. 539 (2004).

• Obtained NYSE arbitration award in excess of $2 million in favor of ex-employee who sought unpaid commissions and other damages after being terminated by broker dealer.

Memberships:

• Boston Bar Association

Additional Information:

• While at Boston College Law School, Mr. Martin was a member of the Boston College Law Review.

Education:

• J.D., magna cum laude, Boston College Law School, 1980
• B.A., Colgate University, 1976

Awards:

• Mr. Martin was selected for inclusion in Massachusetts Super Lawyers ® (2004). Super Lawyers and Rising Stars employ an annual jurisdictional selection process. Only five percent of lawyers in the state were selected to the Super Lawyers list and 2.5 percent to the Rising Stars list. The listing appears annually in the November issue of Boston magazine and in New England Super Lawyers.

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