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Third-Party Legal Opinions in Commercial Transactions: Maximizing the Power of Opinion Letters and Navigating Potential Risk for Opinion Givers

  • Training

  • 1 Hour
  • Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE)
  • ID: 5835518
Third-party legal opinions are commonly used and relied upon in commercial transactions, including real estate and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Although the delivery of third-party opinion letters has decreased in many types of transactions, certain transactions, including financial transactions, still heavily rely on their delivery.

Opining lawyers must negotiate legal opinions to minimize the possibility of a claim against the opining law firm by integrating certain assumptions, qualifications, and exceptions. To quote Democritus, Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion. Counsel must know how to skillfully traverse minefields in that space.

In this new program, the panelists provide practical guidance to lawyers engaged in receiving and delivering third-party legal opinions.

Course Content

12:00 - 12:05 pm
  • Overview: Role, Purpose, and Scope of Legal Opinions
  • Dustyn M. Mascia, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • John Shinn, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
12:05 - 12:25 pm
  • Structure of Legal Opinions
  • Dustyn M. Mascia, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • John Shinn, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
12:25 - 12:40 pm
  • Assumptions, Qualifications, and Exceptions
  • Dustyn M. Mascia, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • John Shinn, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
12:40 - 12:50 pm
  • Risk Potential for Opinion Givers & Recipients and Minimizing Possibility of a Claim
  • Dustyn M. Mascia, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • John Shinn, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
12:50 - 12:55 pm
  • Reliance on Legal Opinions
  • M&A transactionsSecurities offerings
  • Dustyn M. Mascia, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • John Shinn, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
12:55 - 1:00 pm
  • Ask the Experts Q&A Session and Key Takeaways
  • Dustyn M. Mascia, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • John Shinn, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • Please Note
  • MCLE webcasts are delivered completely online, underscoring their convenience and appeal.
  • There are no published print materials. All written materials are available electronically only.

Speakers

Faculty
  • Dustyn M. Mascia, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston
  • John Shinn, Esq., Sherin and Lodgen LLP, Boston