Jacqueline A. Welch

Overview

Jacqueline Welch has over 25 years of complex commercial, litigation, and investigations experience. She concentrates her practice in corporate law, investigations, litigation, infrastructure, clean and alternative energy, financial investment and securities, employment, cyber security and data protection, intellectual property, education, real estate and insurance. Jacqueline has also served as counsel to business start-ups including formation, terms of use and privacy policies, software development and contracts, stock purchase and transfer.

Over the course of her career, Jacqueline has tried more than 60 trials. She served for over five years as an Assistant Attorney General for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, prosecuting unfair and deceptive business practice cases, including in financial fraud, corporate, banking, advertising, real estate, and non-profit organizations. She is a member of several practice groups at the firm, including the Infrastructure Group, the Environmental Group, and the Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Autonomous Transportation Systems Group.

Previously, Jacqueline was a partner at a large Boston-based law firm, and she was also a senior litigation associate at a global law firm where she practiced for over a decade. Jacqueline also managed a legal consulting firm in Southeast Asia where she honed her client-centered perspective to the practice of law. Earlier in her career, she served as a Special Assistant District Attorney. Jacqueline clerked for the Hon. Gilbert S. Merritt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Representative Matters

Investigations:

• Lead counsel in defense of numerous high-stakes state, multi-state and federal investigations in areas such as advertising, marketing, billing, labor, healthcare, COVID-19, anti-kickback, alleged overpayment and others; prepare and defend officer and employee witnesses; lead large-scale document and data production; negotiate favorable out of court resolutions; secure positive judicial outcomes for clients.
• Lead counsel in corporate investigations and reviews conducted during significant governmental, financial, political, and public scrutiny. Internal audits include knowledge of organization, operations and manufacturing processes; and, interviews with officers and employees. When needed, retention and work with world-renown experts in the top echelons of their fields.

Corporate Litigation and Business Counseling including Employment, Professional Liability and Real Estate Law:

• Complex business and financial litigation and counsel, including confidentiality, non-compete and other employment agreements; and, extensive experience in professional liability defense.
• Trial counsel defending alleged violations of Wage Act and employment discrimination claims in jury trial, resulting in favorable defense verdict.
• Trial counsel defending multi-million-dollar liability claims against real estate-related entities in two-week jury trial involving highly technical engineering, corporate and property law issues.
• Trial counsel defending specialized professional in jury trial resulting in complete defense verdict.
• Lead trial counsel for real estate entity in consolidated trial involving Boston commercial real estate development project, resulting in favorable client outcome.
• Lead trial counsel in U.S. Bankruptcy Court case involving fraud allegations, resulting in favorable lengthy written decision denying debtor’s discharge.
• Real estate contracts, zoning and land use matters.

Infrastructure, Clean and Alternative Energy, and Environmental

• Solar power project development, negotiating and drafting power purchase agreements, public finance, net metering, local permitting, and other areas.
• Counsel related to alternative energy, biofuels, and clean hydrogen, including tax credits and incentives.
• Environmental law compliance, assessment, audits, permitting, reporting.
• Taught Environmental Law, speaker and articles while working in SE Asia.
• Environmental legal consulting firm representing U.S. manufacturers in SE Asia.

Securities, Financial Services, Banking:

• Successfully defended financial advisor and financial investment firm against claims in connection with sales of annuities.
• Defense of FINRA U5 report claims in arbitration.
• Successfully defended accounting malpractice claims brought against firm involving tax treatment of real estate investment LLCs.
• Defended complex tax law advice claims brought by Foundation.
• Successfully defended numerous attorneys in professional negligence cases in legal areas such as real estate, business, tax, corporate formation, and others.
• Negotiated and structured eight-figure settlement involving numerous national banks in alleged predatory lending scheme.

Cyber Security and Data Protection, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and Education:

• Counsel advising entities and individuals on cyber security and data protection, issues, including drafting and analysis of Terms of Use, Privacy and other policies.
• Counsel advising entities and individuals on intellectual property issues, including related to copyright and trademark protection and registration.
• Counsel advising schools and individuals on academic and other policies related to Artificial Intelligence.
• Defended entities and individuals who were victims of cyber security and hacking incidents, including complex insurance coverage issues.