West Hill is pleased to announce that Shehla Syed has been named to the Boston Magazine Top Lawyers™ 2024 list. Shehla has been recognized for excellence in Intellectual Property Law. This annual accolade, initiated in 2021, is designed to highlight outstanding legal talent in the region. Attorneys have the opportunity to nominate their peers in specific areas of expertise, with the rankings determined through peer voting and an advisory board.
“I am honored to be named a Top Lawyer by Boston magazine alongside so many great peers also recognized on this year’s list,” said Shehla Syed.
Shehla Syed is a West Hill Shareholder and IP Strategist specializing in Intellectual Property, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Ms. Syed 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.
About Boston magazine Top Lawyers List
Click here to view the complete list of 2024 Top Lawyers. The December issue of Boston magazine featuring the highly anticipated 2024 Top Lawyers list is now available in print and online.
About West Hill
West Hill Technology Counsel is a boutique business and technology law firm. Providing proactive, 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 is pleased to announce that our firm has been ranked among the nation’s top law firms by Best Lawyers®, achieving recognition in the Best Law Firms® 2025 edition. Firms in the Best Law Firms rankings are recognized for excellence and have impressive ratings from clients and peers.
The 15th edition of Best Law Firms, independently produced by Best Lawyers, serves as a benchmark for excellence in the legal industry, providing a comprehensive and reliable guide to the top-performing law firms across 127 practice areas and 188 local jurisdictions. The rankings are meticulously compiled based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes client feedback, peer reviews, industry leader interviews, and detailed analysis of law firm data. Best Law Firms received more than 100,000 client references and observed a 65% increase in client participation in its survey for the 2025 edition.
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 scale. Firms that receive 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. West Hill has been recognized in Boston as Tier 2 for Litigation–Intellectual Property.
“We are both delighted and proud to be awarded this prestigious designation and recognized for our firm’s expertise in intellectual property law,” said Louise Leduc Kennedy, Founding Attorney, West Hill.
About Best Lawyers Best Law Firms
For more information about Best Lawyers® and the Best Law Firms list, click here.
About West Hill
West Hill Technology Counsel is a boutique business and technology law firm. Providing proactive, practical legal advice to solve problems before they arise. Our clients are new and growing businesses that create or leverage technology as a core business model.
West Hill is proud to be recognized in the inaugural Best Women-Led Law Firms List 2024 by Mass Lawyers Weekly. We congratulate fellow recipients for their shared commitment to the support and advancement of women in the legal community.
The Best Women-Led Law Firms Award celebrates the incredible contributions of female-led law firms across Massachusetts, and a law firm’s commitment to hiring and promoting women, providing mentoring and opportunities for professional advancement to women attorneys, and establishing programs and policies to help women attorneys thrive professionally.
“We are both delighted and proud to be awarded this designation and recognized for our firm’s continued commitment to supporting and elevating women in the legal community,” said Louise Leduc Kennedy, Founding Attorney, West Hill.
A Better Way to Practice Law
West Hill was founded on and remains committed to hiring and providing professional development for women attorneys and support staff. Louise Kennedy established West Hill in 2008, after working in the Boston office of a regional law firm and as an in-house counsel at IBM. When Louise attended her 10th law school reunion, she was the mother of two daughters. She was distressed to learn how many women in her class had abandoned the practice of law because the pressures of large firm practice were incompatible with the needs of a growing family. Louise was looking for a better way to practice law and allow attorneys to integrate their commitments to family. She created a sophisticated technology law practice that is dynamic, challenging, and innovative.
West Hill Values
Louise built a team of motivated and upbeat legal professionals looking for flexibility while still practicing law at a high level. In 2022, Shehla Syed was elevated to shareholder and assists in the day-to-day management of the firm. West Hill values innovation, integrity, open and honest communication, and diversity. These values shape the positive and inclusive firm culture. West Hill believes – and clients have affirmed – that happy lawyers = happy clients.
Certified Women-Owned Business
West Hill is a WBENC- and SBA-certified women-owned business actively redefining the concept of private law practice. When working with West Hill, clients get the benefit of hiring a diverse supplier, which helps them meet state, federal and industry-based diversity procurement requirements and goals.
Best Women-Led Law Firms
For more information about MassLawyers Weekly and the Best Women-Led Law Firms list, click here.
About West Hill
The support and empowerment of women is a critical component of the West Hill Vision and Mission.
On Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, the North Shore Technology Council (NSTC), held its Third Annual Women in Technology Forum: Better Together–The Power of Partnerships and Mentoring in Times of Uncertainty. Louise Kennedy, West Hill’s Founding Attorney, moderated the panel of inspiring women who discussed their entrepreneurial journeys while highlighting key mentoring and partnership stories from their careers.
The Speakers and Their Stories
The evening started with an inspiring keynote from Julie Chen, Ph.D., Chancellor at UMass Lowell, focused on partnerships with stories from her personal and professional journeys. She highlighted LINC, the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, which was the result of more than a decade of developing public and private partnerships. This project is an excellent example of multiple stakeholders sharing a vision of mentoring and inspiring the next generation of STEM students and bringing top innovators to the City of Lowell.
Louise Kennedy introduced the panel and told the story of West Hill and some key mentors, mentees, and partnerships from her professional journey. “The firm remains committed to supporting and elevating women in the legal community and in the technology businesses we work with,” said Louise. Louise concluded the panel discussion with a challenge to the room to write down and connect with a mentor or mentee today who impacted your career.
The evening concluded with remarks from NSTC President, Gene Wong, the Dean of Science & Technology at Endicott College. For more information on the North Shore Technology Counsel please follow the NSTC on LinkedIn and visit NSTC.org for more info on joining their community and events.
West Hill Technology Counsel is honored to announce that Shehla Syed has been named to the Top 50: Women Lawyers in Massachusetts by Super Lawyers for 2024 for her accomplishments in the legal field.
Shehla Syed is a Shareholder, IP strategist and litigator at West Hill Technology Counsel, a boutique law firm for companies that create or leverage technology. She advises clients on all aspects of their intellectual property. Shehla has extensive experience helping companies maximize the value and enforceability of their technology, content, and brands, including protection through trademarks, copyrights, patents and trade secrets.
Shehla started her career in large law firms in Baltimore and Chicago, primarily focusing on patent law and patent litigation. After moving from Chicago to Boston, and starting a family, she explored career options that allow her to practice within her field, care for her growing family, and continue to be active in the community. Shehla allowed herself time to explore opportunities that better align with her professional and personal goals.
In 2010, Shehla met Louise Kennedy, who had recently left IBM to form a boutique technology law firm. West Hill was unique: it was founded as a mission-driven law firm to redefine the culture of legal practice with two goals — to provide exceptional value to clients and to provide quality of life for attorneys who choose to step off the large law firm or in-house path. It was a perfect fit. Shehla joined West Hill and expanded her expertise beyond patents and litigation to trademarks, copyright law, and technology-focused alternative dispute resolution. Twelve years later, Shehla is a Shareholder and leads West Hill’s intellectual property and litigation teams.
“We are thrilled with the well-deserved recognition of Shehla Syed as an outstanding attorney and a Top 50 Woman Lawyer in Massachusetts,” said Louise Kennedy, Founding Attorney, West Hill Technology Counsel.
About Shehla Syed
Shehla is a Shareholder and IP Strategist specializing in Intellectual Property, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Ms.Syed 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.
Shehla is a member of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts, the Boston Patent Law Association, and the New England Muslim Bar Association, for which she was one of the founding members. Shehla has also served on the Community Ethics Committee at the Division of Medical Ethics of the Harvard Medical School which provides ethics feedback to Harvard teaching hospitals.
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 business model.
About Super Lawyers
For more information on Super Lawyers and their Top 50: Women Lawyers Massachusetts 2024 click here.
West Hill Technology Counsel is pleased to announce that Shehla Syed was named to the Best Lawyers in America® list and Kim Prior – Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® list 2025.
West Hill’s approach to law is grounded in fueling the growth of our business clients and the success of our communities. The recognition of its attorneys by Best Lawyers reflects this mission and highlights the team’s collaborative effort to provide sophisticated legal services to protect technology businesses.
“For more than 40 years, the rigorous methodology of Best Lawyers has ensured the integrity and esteem of our legal recognitions,” said Best Lawyers CEO Phillip Greer. “It is with great pleasure that we continue to provide potential clients with the pinnacle measurement of credibility through our Best Lawyers awards as they search for counsel.”
Lawyers on the Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to ensure they are in current practice and good standing.
About Shehla Syed
Shehla is a Shareholder and IP Strategist specializing in Intellectual Property, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Ms. Syed 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.
About Kim Prior
Kim is a business law attorney with experience advising clients on corporate matters. Kim has specialized knowledge in private investment funds, domestic and international securities offerings, corporate formation, equity structuring, financings and contract negotiations representing both for-profit and non-for-profit businesses.
About West Hill
West Hill Technology Counsel is a boutique business and technology law firm. Providing proactive, 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 business model.
This next post in our series introduces Annie Morgan, an attorney who recently joined the firm after working as in-house intellectual property counsel for a global company.
What is your practice area?
I am a patent attorney and have spent time working at big and small law firms and also working in-house with public and privately held global companies. My practice also includes data and privacy law, which is evolving and growing in importance as a consideration for technology companies.
What drew you to West Hill?
I was drawn to the expertise of West Hill Technology Counsel to serve growing technology- and IP-focused companies. In addition to practicing intellectual property law, West Hill provides the opportunity to grow and expand my legal skills.
What do you like about working at West Hill?
In addition to providing opportunities to work with interesting clients and access to resources for growth in the legal industry, West Hill provides an atmosphere of respect for all team members. West Hill is a firm founded, owned, managed, and staffed by women. That unique perspective helps the firm to provide opportunities to find a much-needed balance to enjoy time outside of work and opportunities to work with an array of clients.
What makes West Hill unique?
What separates West Hill Technology Counsel from other boutique firms is that it has the capability for one-stop shopping for both large or established companies and also for startup companies. West Hill’s unique advantage is its ability to serve all companies with a moderate fee structure while providing deep expertise in not only intellectual property but also commercial and technology contracts, corporate and finance issues, and dispute resolution. It is truly a one-stop shop for any growth-oriented technology company.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love exploring new destinations through traveling and enjoying restaurants in the Boston area with my husband. You can also find me reading, making time for art, and gardening.
You can learn more about Annie by visiting her attorney bio here.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) recently gave website owners more guidance on binding customers to online terms. In another case brought against Uber, Good v. Uber Technologies, Inc., the court considered whether a pop-up screen requiring a user to agree to updated terms before booking a ride was sufficiently binding to compel arbitration.
As discussed in our previous post, the SJC again considered whether Uber provided “reasonable notice” of the terms and whether the customer demonstrated a “reasonable manifestation of assent” to them. This time, they came to the opposite conclusion finding that a binding agreement had been formed, at least to the extent required to force the customer to arbitrate the dispute.
Echoing courts in other jurisdictions, key action items for website owners include:
Preventing users from continuing to interact with the site until they have agreed to updated terms; using clear language and prominent text to inform users of the purpose of the page or pop-up.
Requiring users to check a box indicating they have reviewed and agreed to the terms and then activate a button labeled “confirm” or something similar.
Requiring users to scroll through and review the terms or include an identifiable hyperlink directly to the full text of the agreement.
Keeping your user interface focused and uncluttered and including images or other signifiers that indicate the user is entering into a contract.
Do your website terms and online contracts protect your business? The West Hill Team can review how you have implemented your website terms and other online contracts and advise you on updates to help enforce them.
UPDATE as of 12/13/24:In December 2024, a federal court in Texas issued an order granting a nationwide preliminary injunction against enforcement of the CTA. FinCEN’s is appealing the order, but until further notice, reporting companies are not required to file but may do so voluntarily if they wish. We will monitor the status of this matter and will provide an update if enforcement resumes.
As a business owner, you may already have heard that the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) took effect on January 1, 2024. The CTA requires all entities formed or registered to do business in the United States to report beneficial ownership information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) unless an exemption applies.
What’s the Purpose of the Corporate Transparency Act?
The Corporate Transparency Act was designed to increase transparency and combat tax fraud, money laundering, and other illegal activities. While the government can easily look into information on business structure and ownership of large corporations, there has been little to no transparency when it comes to small businesses. With over 27,000,000 small businesses without employees in the United States, this act aims to target these small businesses.
Do You Need to File?
The CTA applies to most small businesses in the United States, including foreign companies that are registered to do business in the U.S. These types of businesses include limited liability companies, limited partnerships, business trusts, most general partnerships, and corporations created by filing a document with the secretary of state or similar office under their state law.
There are several exemptions to the filing requirements, but we expect that the majority of our clients will be non-exempt reporting entities and will be required to file. Additional information, including filing instructions and a complete list of exemptions, is available here: Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting | FinCEN.gov.
What Information Does the CTA Require?
The act refers to owners of companies as “beneficial owners.” These are defined as any individuals who, either directly or indirectly:
Exercise substantial control over a reporting company, or
Own or control at least 25% of the ownership interests of a reporting company
Each such beneficial owner is required to report his or her name, date of birth, address, and an identifying document (such as a passport or driver’s license) as well as a photo of that document.
Are There Any Privacy Concerns?
Although you are reporting personal information, this information will not be made publicly available. It is only going to be accessible by certain government agencies, financial institutions, and used for law enforcement, national security, and intelligence purposes.
What are the Deadlines to File?
The deadlines for filing vary depending on when you started your business. There are three primary deadlines that you should be aware of.
January 1, 2025:
All non-exempt entities formed before January 1, 2024, to comply with the reporting requirements need to file by January 1, 2025.
Within 90 Days of Business Formation or Registration:
Any new non-exempt entities formed or registered to do business in the United States between January 1 and December 31 of this year must file within ninety days of the date of formation or registration.
Within 30 Days of Business Formation or Registration:
Any new non-exempt entities formed after December 31, 2024, must file within 30 days of the date of formation or registration.
Do I Need to File Every Year?
No, this is a one-time filing, however, if there are any changes to the reported beneficial ownership, an amended report must be filed within thirty days of such change.
Are There Any Penalties for Noncompliance?
If you choose not to file or provide false information, you can be subject to fines and even criminal penalties. The CTA provides for civil fines of $500 per day and up to $10,000 per violation of the act. If you fail to comply or find yourself with multiple violations, you can face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Additionally, the criminal penalty for violations of the act is up to two years of imprisonment.
What about the Recent Disputes about the Constitutionality of the CTA?
There have been some legal challenges to the CTA in recent months. On March 1, 2024, a federal judge in Alabama ruled that the CTA is unconstitutional. However, at this time, the ruling is limited to the plaintiffs in this particular case at issue (members of the National Small Business Association). Unless the Treasury Department announces that it will suspend CTA enforcement for all reporting entities (which it has not yet done), filings are still required. We will continue to monitor the situation and will update our clients in the event of any change in the reporting requirements.
Contact West Hill if You Have Questions
While this new requirement may seem overwhelming at first, the best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with the CTA and reach out to a trusted legal professional if you have questions. We anticipate that we will be helping a majority of our clients file, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or require any assistance to comply with these new filing requirements.
While developing a new app for your business, it’s easy to get caught up in the features and functionality and forget about the legal considerations of app development.
It’s important to make sure that your app is compliant, protects your intellectual property, keeps your user’s data safe, and protects your company from potential liabilities.
While developing your app, here are five legal considerations to keep in mind:
1. Intellectual Property Rights
It is never too early to start protecting your intellectual property. When you think about monetizing your app, you probably think about how much to charge your users or how it will enhance your relationships with customers. You might be overlooking the most lucrative asset: your intellectual property.
When you protect your intellectual property, you can later sell your app, or your business, for significantly more than you could without these protections.
Additionally, by protecting your intellectual property you can prevent competitors and other software developers from copying or stealing your hard work.
Here are a few ways to protect your intellectual property:
Copyrights: protect your app’s source code, design, and other creative elements
Trademarks: register your app’s name, logo, and other branding to prevent your competitors from using any of your branding assets
Patents: protect your unique and innovative features
It is also important to respect the intellectual property rights of others when you incorporate their code into your app. This can be open source or commercial software or integrations with web services. In order to avoid infringing the copyright of these companies and developers, you need to keep track of this code and provide copyright notices and disclaimers as required.
2. App Store Guidelines and Review Process
Prior to launching your app, you should review the submission guidelines and policies of the app stores or web services that you plan to distribute your app through. Your app will need to comply with their content and policy restrictions to prevent your app from being removed down the line.
Nearly all app publishers require that you include a Privacy Policy with your app that complies with their requirements. This is not a copy and paste exercise. You will need a customized privacy policy for your app in order to make it through the app approval process and protect yourself from data privacy claims.
3. User Data Privacy
In developing a Privacy Policy for your app, you need to think through what data you collect from your users during the registration process and other touchpoints throughout their experience. This is the first step to comply with data protection laws and regulations.
Here are a few things to consider:
Where are your users? Make sure that your app is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
Make sure your Privacy Policy informs your users about the type of data that you collect, how you use it, and what security measures you have in place to protect their information.
Obtain consent from usersbefore you collect or process their data.
An attorney who specializes in both technology law and privacy can help you understand which laws and regulations apply to your app.
3. End-User License Agreement (EULA)
In addition to a Privacy Policy, you need to have a clear End-User License Agreement (EULA) for your app.
The EULA should outline your user’s responsibilities and prohibited actions within the app – including any flow-through terms required by your web services provider. It also protects your company’s rights and interests while also limiting your user’s ability to redistribute your app without permission. In your EULA, you can limit your liability and choose how and where disputes get resolved.
Finally, you should include disclaimers within your app that are required in your industry.
5. Developer Agreements
If you plan to outsource components of the app development to other app developers, designers, or third-party service providers, you need to make sure that your company and its intellectual property are protected.
Prior to starting the development process, you should sign clear and comprehensive contracts wwith these vendors outlining the roles and responsibilities of both parties.
These contracts should include confidentiality provisions, explicitly define who owns the intellectual property rights of the app’s components, and the developer’s obligation to report use of third party code. You should also include comprehensive data privacy terms if your developer will have access to your customers’ data.
Technology Law Firm
Navigating the process of protecting your new app can be challenging without the help of skilled business and intellectual property lawyers who understand your technology. At West Hill, we specialize in helping software companies protect their intellectual property and business ideas. Contact us today for more information.
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