Reviews

Margolis& Bloom far exceeded my expectations and probably saved me from a heart attack. My uncle and aunt both with dementia had to leave their apartment and go into a nursing home. Since I had never been a power of attorney, I was at a loss as to what to do. Another aunt recommended that I meet with Harry Margolis based on the excellent work Margolis & Bloom had done for her. Harry was very understanding of our situation and recommended what I should do. I met with Julie Dyer who was terrific in helping with the MassHealth application and process. Rebecca Benson was so direct when the nursing home wanted to evict my uncle and aunt because they had not heard from MassHealth. She was so knowledgeable and professional and kept my aunt and uncle in the nursing home. Jeff Bloom knew who to contact and what needed to be done to qualify for MassHealth. I highly recommend Margolis & Bloom.

Harry and his associates give generously of their time and talent to their colleagues in Massachusetts and beyond. I find their online Elder Law Answers bulletin, arriving regularly in my mailbox, to be full of helpful alerts and useful articles with access to their extensive archives. All this at no cost but as a service to the profession. The clients I've referred to the firm have had excellent representation. And these folks, for all their knowledge and experience, are down to earth, friendly and very approachable. (This is NOT a paid endorsement; they don't know that I'm submitting it.)

David Burgess was an absolute pleasure to work with. He advised me through the process of mediation for divorce in which a child was involved. This was a highly stressful time for me, and David had a calm confidence that was just what I needed. He did not ratchet up the situation as I have a sense some other lawyers do. He made sure we addressed everything we needed to at each meeting, and his billing was always very fair. When we had our court date, I had the curious feeling that I was being walked down the aisle in reverse by someone I felt very safe with. I was proud to be represented by him.

David defended me against a non-compete claim in which the plaintiffs tried to claim that my accumulated industry expertise, as well as material that can be learned from any undergraduate Computer Science curriculum, were protected trade secrets. I worked closely with David to rebut these claims; I was impressed with David's ability to assimilate complex technical information I provided, and use it to formulate legal arguments that demolished the plaintiff's claims. In my position as an out of work geek who was being sued, I was also very happy with David's cost-effective and collaborative work; this helped me exit the process with my wallet and my confidence in good order.

Divorce isn’t easy. It’s emotional, it’s draining and it’s complicated. We have one daughter that was pretty much stuck in the middle of all of this along with a pretty complicated financial situation due in part to the fact that I am a large shareholder in a small privately held family business. What we had hoped would be a fairly reasonable and amicable arrangement, turned into three years of an heartache and trauma. But, what was key through all of this was David. David allowed me to go on with my day to day life and not get bogged down but the inner details of the divorce. If a meeting needed to happen, I didn’t need to worry if my lawyer was prepared. David had it all together, so frankly, I didn’t have to. He was the level headed one. If I had an emotional breakdown, which happened, he helped me work through it. David also understood the workings of a small closely held business. That helped a ton. He got it. He got the fact that if you drain the business of cash there will be no money to go around. David and I ran a three year marathon together, and I appreciate all that he did.

David was an ideal advocate. He kept us abreast on issues of law and process and was always available to us when we had more questions or concerns. Not everyone understands the law, or even the basics of a trial. David was patient and clear in explaining to us what would happen and when. He thoughtfully explained legal terminology to be sure we understood what was being said during the trial, and outlined the likely outcomes of decisions we had to make as we reviewed the options he presented to us. He was incisive in his analysis of how opposing counsel would argue and how the court would likely react. Our case was complicated. Two non-profits were at war over an eviction notice from a public building. The eviction notice was legally served but morally repugnant. We knew the court would have to uphold the eviction, but we wanted to be sure the judge would be aware of the shenanigans and deceit that led to it. Our goal (based on David's sound advice) was to buy time and win enough public support to pressure a reversal of the eviction. David applied the law elegantly to our argument. His quiet, skillful examination of the landlord on the stand exposed the outright lies and manipulations he had used in prior negotiations to nullify our contract. Near the end of the trial, the judge read an excoriation of the landlord’s behavior into the record. The arbitrary and draconian increase in rent we had been forced to pay was adjusted back to a fair market rate. The money we had held in escrow pending the trial was returned to us. The eviction stood but was delayed long enough for us to hold public hearings, which resulted in our small children's group having the option of staying in our space or finding a new home. David championed our cause with personal grace, quiet passion and an expert understanding of the law. His strategy worked and everything he predicted would happen, happened. David was always dignified and professional in court. He never raised his voice. His courtesy and gracious demeanor made opposing counsel's grandiose orations seem comical. Every day of that trial I left the courtroom grateful that it was David Burgess who was representing me. I was unequivocally confident that David was working in my interest and would obtain the best possible outcome for my non-profit. The only surprises were the ones that come from the opposing party's unfathomable refusal to talk, negotiate or mediate. David quickly grasped the realities we were facing. We were going to end up in a trial. He sympathized with our righteous indignation and let us rant for as long as we needed. Then he brought us back to earth and worked with us to design an effective legal strategy. David prevailed in every way we hoped he would. It probably surprised David during one point in the trial, when I became so agitated over what opposing counsel was saying that I actually pulled on David's coattail to get his attention. My impulsive interruption was rude and inappropriate, but David responded with kindness and aplomb. While never overly aggressive, David was always firm and assertive in court. He never dropped his professional demeanor, was always soft-spoken and courteous. He was like a stealth bomber - nobody saw him coming but by the time he was finished opposing arguments were decimated. David is dignified, respectful, courteous and effective in the courtroom. I have already been back to David a few times for legal advice over small personal issues and have recommended David several times since our trial and will continue to do so whenever someone I know needs legal advice.