President’s Remarks at REBA’s 2008 Spring Conference

President’s Remarks at REBA’s 2008 Spring Conference

by Paul F. Alphen

Thank you all for taking the time from you busy schedules to join us today. I hope you have enjoyed the program, and that you are a little bit smarter after attending our timely and informative seminars. We are very grateful, of course, to the many volunteers who unselfishly give their time and expertise to these break-out sessions. But I must also acknowledge the REBA staff who pull it all together twice a year. Nicole Cunningham, Joe McBride, Bob Gaudette and Tim O’Brian are a terrific and creative team, and they have worked tirelessly to make today’s conference a reality. And, I must express my personal appreciation to Peter Wittenborg who has an especially heavy burden this year because his President is 35 miles from Boston.

Your Association is highly involved and engaged in every area of real estate, transactional and business law. We hope that you will take advantage of the many opportunities to participate in your areas of interest, including joining our open committee meetings with the knowledgeable speakers who will inform and educate you.

Some of you may not be aware of our pioneering peer-to-peer mentoring program. While not a new initiative, it has become one of our most popular. It is also unique. Other bar associations do not have such a program. If you know of some young lawyers who could benefit from the program, put them in touch with REBA headquarters. And you more experienced practitioners should consider becoming a mentor. Mentoring is one of the most rewarding experiences of any lawyer’s professional life.

You are no doubt aware of the REBA-sponsored professional liability insurance program launched late last year. The program is tailored to transactional lawyers in firms of nine or less, through a members-only program in conjunction with two premier insurance partners here in Massachusetts: The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and Renaissance Insurance Group. The rates are superior to rates offered by our competition.

Recently our Litigation Committee launched two new subcommittees: a litigation forms group headed by former president Bill Hovey and long-time member Ed Englander and a condominium litigation group headed by Clive Martin. This new group will become the focus of a growing number of lawyers who practice in the expanding area of condominium law and litigation. We welcome them to the REBA family.

Our Litigation Committee, under leadership of Tom Moriarty and Larry Heffernan is taking off this year. It may become our first ‘Section.’

This fall we will launch a “Young Leaders Committee” which will actively recruit REBA members among law students and newly-admitted lawyers. We will offer courtesy memberships to our young leaders with the expectation that they will soon realize the benefits of belonging to a bar association that both provides CLE and networking opportunities while caring passionately about professionalism in the practice of law.

You have probably read about our pro bono program in various news reports. Led by Kurt James and REBA’s Affordable Housing Committee, we have launched a pilot program to provide pro bono advice to qualifying homeowners facing foreclosure. Participants in this pilot program include Citizens Bank, the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development and the Lawyers’ Clearinghouse on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. Please contact REBA headquarters if you would like to volunteer.

Of course, REBA Dispute Resolution continues to grow and thrive. In the past year we have selectively recruited several knowledgeable and experienced new mediators to join our team of neutrals. Many of you are adding REBA-drafted alterative dispute resolution clauses to contracts and purchase and sale agreements, and we trust that you have found the process to be helpful and cost effective.

Today’s meeting syllabus includes a comprehensive listing of all REBA member benefits on page 329. Visit our website to become more familiar with these member benefits including the REBARewards program which puts money into the pocket of the sponsoring member.

 

At the risk of “preaching to the saved,” in these difficult times, with a faltering residential and commercial real estate market, membership in REBA is more important than ever. The Real Estate Bar is the un-tiring advocate and bar association home—not just for real estate lawyers, but for all transactional lawyers and business litigators.

I recently testified on behalf of REBA before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in opposition to the TAVMA bill which would have opened commercial and residential real estate closings to non-attorneys. We continue to fight the good fight to prevent the unauthorized practice of law.

Our case in Federal District Court against National Real Estate Information Services is in the discovery stage and depositions will begin early next month. Our counsel is highly optimistic that we will prevail. As I am sure you know, litigation against a well-heeled national concern can be extraordinarily expensive. However, we believe this litigation is essential to protect consumers and to prevent the unauthorized practice of law.
How can you help?

You can all help by recruiting new REBA members. Many of us carry REBA membership applications with us, and we regularly ask lawyers we interact with if they are members; if they are not we hand them an application form and encourage them to join. With your help we could easily double our membership and spread the burdens of fighting the good fight.

Thank you again making this year’s Spring Conference a success. We look forward to seeing all of you here at our Annual Meeting and Conference on Monday, November 3rd.