Day: August 21, 2018

SPRINGFIELD — Nancy Creed, president of the Springfield Regional Chamber, and John Regan, executive vice president for Government Affairs for Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), were part of a team, including the state’s other major business groups, that worked for months to negotiate a legislative compromise on minimum wage, sales tax, and paid family and medical leave to avoid the ballot box on these three issues.

On Tuesday, Oct. 2, at a luncheon event from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, Creed and Regan will discuss how the comprehensive legislative compromise on paid family and medical leave, sales tax, and minimum wage (the ‘grand bargain’) came to be and the impact it will have on the business community. The program will offer insight into the process and what it could mean for future hot-button issues. Creed and Regan had two of just seven seats at the table, and Creed was the single voice representing the Western Mass. business community.

The Springfield Regional Chamber program is presented in partnership with 1Berkshire, AIM, and the Greater Easthampton and Greater Northampton chambers of commerce, and sponsored by Sullivan, Hayes & Quinn.

Reservations for the program are $30 for members of the Springfield Regional Chamber, the Greater Easthampton and Greater Northampton chambers of commerce, and 1Berkshire, and $40 for general admission, and may be made online at www.springfieldregionalchamberchamber.com.

CHICOPEE — Elms College ranks in the top 30% of colleges in Money magazine’s list of Best Colleges for Your Money 2018.

“We are very pleased to be recognized as a Best College by Money magazine,” said Walter Breau, vice president of Academic Affairs at Elms College. “It’s gratifying to receive recognition from Money magazine for the work of faculty and staff to provide high-quality academic programs and personalized student support at a reasonable cost.”

To determine this year’s value rankings, Money reviewed each institution’s graduation rates, tuition charges, family borrowing, and alumni earnings, in addition to 22 other factors. The colleges on the list each demonstrate educational quality, affordability, and alumni success.

“The fact that Elms is the top-ranked school in the Greater Springfield area — ranked higher than nearly all other Western Massachusetts colleges — is a testament to our mission of transforming lives through education, which calls us not only to prepare students with a liberal-arts curriculum and professional studies, but also to remain affordable and therefore accessible,” said Harry Dumay, president of the college.

The full rankings are viewable at time.com/money/best-colleges.

SPRINGFIELD — Thirteen lawyers from Bulkley Richardson were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for 2019. These 13 lawyers were recognized in 19 unique areas of practice. They include:

• Peter Barry: construction law;

• Michael Burke: medical malpractice law (defendants); personal-injury litigation (defendants);

• Mark Cress: bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; corporate law;

• Francis Dibble Jr.: bet-the-company litigation; commercial litigation; criminal defense (white-collar); litigation (antitrust); litigation (labor and employment); litigation (securities);

• Daniel Finnegan: administrative/regulatory law; litigation (construction);

• Robert Gelinas: personal-injury litigation (defendants);

• William Hart: trusts and estates;

• Kevin Maynard: commercial litigation; litigation (banking and finance); litigation (construction);

• David Park: corporate law;

• Melinda Phelps: medical-malpractice law (defendants); personal-injury litigation (defendants);

• John Pucci: bet-the-company litigation; criminal defense (general practice); criminal defense (white-collar);

• Elizabeth Sillin: nonprofit/charities law; trusts and estates; and

• Ronald Weiss: corporate law; mergers and acquisitions law; tax law.

In addition, Pucci and Sillin were each named 2019 Springfield, Mass. Lawyer of the Year in their respective practice areas — criminal defense and trusts and estates, respectively — by Best Lawyers, in partnership with U.S. News Media Group. Lawyer of the Year rankings are awarded to only one lawyer per practice area in each region.

HOLYOKE — The next dinner forum of the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley will be held Wednesday, Sept. 12 at Delaney House, and the main presenter is Robert Frank, professor of Management and Economics at Cornell University.

Frank will discuss how the field of behavioral economics helps business owners (and all humans) understand our irrational decisions, behaviors that run counter to our own interests, and what we can do about it.

Owners and managers who are members or interested in a closer look may contact Ira Bryck at (413) 835-0810, or learn more at fambizpv.com.