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Attorney Spotlight: Louise Kennedy Selected to Judge the 2023 Draper Competition for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs

Our Founding Attorney and Smith College alum, Louise Kennedy, will judge the annual Draper Competition for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs on April 13-15 at Smith College in Northampton, MA. This competition has been ranked #7 in the Times of Entrepreneurship Top 20 University Competitions.

The Draper Competition is designed to hone skills that undergraduate women need to advance from idea to venture creation. Through multiple rounds of competition, students demonstrate an understanding of a problem, why the problem requires a new venture to address it, and how their idea presents the best solution to the problem.

“This is my 2nd year judging the Draper Competition, and I really look forward to seeing these teams present and answer questions about their entrepreneurial vision,” said Louise Kennedy. “As counsel to several women-led companies and an alumna of Smith College, I am inspired by these young women in STEM who are leading the way for the next generation of women founders.”

West Hill is a WBENC-certified woman-owned business, actively redefining the concept of private law practice. Diverse hiring practices are important to many of West Hill’s clients either because of a corporate commitment to diversity or because hiring a certified woman-owned business assists them in attaining supplier diversity goals.

ATTORNEY SPOTLIGHT: Shehla Syed presents, “What You Should Know About Doing Business Online.”

Shehla Syed presented a webinar for the Enterprise Center at Salem State University, on February 28, 2023, titled: “What You Should Know About Doing Business Online.”

Since the pandemic, the shift to more on-line business is everywhere. As beneficial as it is to conduct business online, it is also challenging to navigate the changing landscape, understanding your obligation & responsibilities and legal pitfalls.

This presentation discussed how you can protect your business, avoid the pitfalls, and answer questions such as:

• How do I work with contractors and use third party content on my website in a way that limits my liability?
• Can I use the names or logos of other companies on my website?
• How can website terms of use protect my business?
• How can I prevent others from copying me?
• How do I protect my customers information? 

This presentation also provided an overview of intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets) and how you can use these tools to increase your competitiveness and create value in your business. Shehla Syed is an experienced attorney who counsels clients on all aspects of their intellectual property – trademarks, copyrights, patents and trade secrets – to help them maximize the value and enforceability of their content, brands and technology.

The Enterprise Center Salem State University welcomes entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals of all ages and experience levels to come in and learn something new. As an advocate and voice for the North Shore small business community, the Enterprise Center is a leader in helping business start and grow in the region.

This informative workshop was sponsored in partnership with the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development, Salem Chamber of Commerce and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD).

West Hill Recognized as One of the Boston Metropolitan Area Best Law Firms by US News – Best Lawyers in America®

West Hill was named to the metropolitan ranking list in Boston Tier 2 – Litigation and Intellectual Property in the 2023 US News – Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms. Law firms included in the “Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings are recognized for their professional excellence and have consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.

According to Best Lawyers, achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. Ranked firms, presented in three tiers, are recognized on a national and regional-based scale.

Firms that received a tier designation reflect the highest level of respect a firm can earn among other leading lawyers and clients from the same communities and practice areas.

“We are both delighted and proud to be awarded this designation and recognized for our firm’s expertise in intellectual property law,” said Louise Leduc Kennedy, Founding Attorney, West Hill.

For more information about Best Lawyers in America® and the “Best Law Firm” list, click here.

About West Hill

West Hill Technology Counsel is a boutique business and technology law firm. Providing pro-active, practical legal advice to help solve problems before they arise. Our clients are new and growing businesses that create or leverage technology as a core part of their business model.

West Hill’s Louise Kennedy Receives “Top Women of Law” Honor at Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2022 Reception

On Wednesday, November 16^th, 2022, our Founding Attorney, Louise Leduc Kennedy, was honored for her extraordinary achievements in the legal profession, by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a 2022 “Top Women of Law.” Each year, this highly coveted honor recognizes exceptional women lawyers who are pioneers, educators, trailblazers and role models throughout the state of Massachusetts. This award goes to attorneys who are making significant contributions to the legal profession while also serving as role models for young women entering law. 

Louise founded West Hill Technology Counsel with a twofold mission: filling a need in the market for tech-savvy counsel for growing companies and creating a firm that would help keep women attorneys in the practice. Kennedy’s interest in technology began when she was a junior associate on a case that resulted in the first published opinion in Massachusetts holding electronic mail was discoverable.  In 2008, Louise established West Hill, based on the simple premise that you need lawyers who understand and care about your business’ success. Louise is still passionate about helping entrepreneurs and growth-oriented businesses succeed and continues to cultivate a team of like-minded attorneys to support this vision.   

Louise is well-known for her work advising technology companies on a variety of strategic and commercial matters including: software licensing and commercialization, cloud computing, strategic alliances, preparing for and facilitating mergers and acquisitions and all aspects of on-line business and contracting.  

Louise is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and is a regular speaker at bar associations, the Salem State University Enterprise Center, the North Shore Technology Counsel, the Center for Women and Enterprise and other industry groups.   

Prior to forming the firm, Louise worked for many years as in-house counsel at IBM Corporation, including as brand counsel for Lotus Notes. She received her B.A. in Economics from Smith College and her J.D., with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law.  

Louise and fellow award recipients were celebrated at the Top Women of Law reception at the State Room in Boston on Wednesday, November 16. The Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Top Women of Law feature on Louise Kennedy can be found at this link and a full list of 2022 Top Women of Law Honorees is available here.

Louise Leduc Kennedy to be Honored Among Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Top Women of Law

West Hill is pleased to announce that our Founding Attorney, Louise Leduc Kennedy, was named to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 2022 Top Women of Law for her extraordinary achievements in the legal profession. This highly coveted honor celebrates the exceptional accomplishments of female attorneys as leaders, pioneers, educators, trailblazers, and role models.  

In 2008, Ms. Kennedy established West Hill, based on the simple premise that you need lawyers who understand and care about your business’ success. Louise is still passionate about helping entrepreneurs and growth-oriented businesses succeed and continues to cultivate a team of like-minded attorneys to support this vision.  

Louise is well-known for her work advising technology companies on a variety of strategic and commercial matters including: software licensing and commercialization, cloud computing, strategic alliances, preparing for and facilitating mergers and acquisitions and all aspects of on-line business and contracting.

Louise is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and is a regular speaker at bar associations, the Salem State University Enterprise Center, the North Shore Technology Counsel, the Center for Women and Enterprise and other industry groups.  

Prior to forming the firm, Louise worked for many years as in-house counsel at IBM Corporation, including as brand counsel for Lotus Notes. She received her B.A. in Economics from Smith College and her J.D., with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law. 

Louise and fellow award recipients will be celebrated at the Top Women of Law reception in Boston on Wednesday, November 16. 

The full list of 2022 Top Women of Law Honorees is available here.

Community Involvement: Organizations We Proudly Support

West Hill believes in giving back to others and supporting local charities in the Greater Boston community that share our values. Each year West Hill makes a donation on behalf of our Clients, some of the organizations we have supported include:

• The YMCA of the North Shore – For over 160 years, YMCA’s have been meeting the community’s needs and in this past year families are experiencing a number of situations that required more support. The YMCA of the North Shore has risen to the occasion and helped the people in our community who need help the most.
• Beverly Bootstraps -provides critical resources to families and individuals so they may achieve self-sufficiency.
• Essex County Habitat for Humanity – brings people together to build affordable homes, strengthen families and communities and foster hope.
• The Victim Rights Law Center – gives free, comprehensive legal services to sexual assault victims in Massachusetts with legal issues, including privacy, safety, education, immigration, housing, employment, LGBTQ specific services, criminal justice advocacy and financial stability.
• The American Cancer Society – A nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.
• Rosie’s Place – the first women-only shelter in the United States. Provides a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives.

A key component of the West Hill Mission is for our team members to “fuel the growth of our business clients and the success of our communities.”  One way we do this is through an annual gift to an organization making an impact in our community of Greater Boston. We are also supporters of organizations promoting women in business, including the Center for Women and Enterprise. 

Community Involvement: West Hill participates in Enterprise Center Technical Assistance Program for Salem Tourism Industry Businesses.

West Hill was selected to provide professional services for participants in the Small Business Technical Assistance Services (SBTAS) Program at the Enterprise Center at Salem State University. This SBTAS Program is being offered to help tourism industry small businesses located in Salem, MA that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. It is funded by the City of Salem Department of Planning & Community Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce and Economic Development Administration (EDA).

The Enterprise Center is an entrepreneurial hub that offers business owners office space, education, and access and connections to small business resources. Serving entrepreneurs on the North Shore and beyond, to help entrepreneurs and their businesses start, grow and succeed.

Louise Leduc Kennedy, Founding Attorney at West Hill feels that “after one of the toughest years on record for small businesses, those that have weathered the storm have pivoted to meet the moment. West Hill is proud to support local businesses by providing no-cost legal services through this innovative program and, as always, to supporting the Enterprise Center.”

West Hill has participated in and supported various Enterprise Center programs over the past decade including CEO Groups, the Million Dollar Women Symposium, Workshops, and previous SBTAS offerings. The West Hill Team looks forward to continuing to help community businesses through this travel and tourism initiative.

Attorney Spotlight: Jennifer Hoenig Selected to the Expert Team for USA 500 Small Business M&A Resources Roundtable

Jennifer Hoenig was selected by USA 500 to serve on the expert team for the Small Business M&A Resources Roundtable. She is part of the team of professional service providers who specialize in the nuances of working with small business owners in M&A deals. USA 500’s vision for this Small Business M&A Resources Roundtable: “When small business owners contemplate a sale (or acquisition) of a business in the $500,000 to $3,000,000 price range, it is sometimes a lonely path forward. They rarely have an internal team in place ready to help them with the process; often they don’t have a skilled outside team ready to step in either. And yet, they need those resources at a very important time in their business…to turn [their] hard work into the liquid assets required to move forward into Phase II of their life. Passionate, patient, persistent professional resources are key to helping those successful small business owners close the deal.”

Click here, for information on West Hill’s M&A practice.

Attorney Spotlight: Shehla Syed recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers for 2022

Shehla Syed recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers for 2022

We are honored to announce that Shehla Syed was recognized by Best Lawyers in America in their 2022 edition in the practice area of Litigation – Intellectual Property. Best Lawyers follows a peer-reviewed process recognizing lawyers in the U.S. who are demonstrating professional excellence in private practice. Shehla Syed, has also been selected as a top rated lawyer for 2022 in the area of Intellectual Property by Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers is an exclusive list of top-rated attorneys in specific practice areas who were chosen after thorough evaluation of numerous criteria. No more than five percent of attorneys in a state are named to Super Lawyers.