On June 13 in Clark v. Attorney General, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court allowed an initiative petition relating to restaurant service workers to appear on the November 2024 ballot. Currently, the minimum wage paid to wait staff, other service employees, and bartenders is $6.75 per hour. This wage is known as the “service rate” (or the “tipped wage”). 

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Photo of Jack Gearan Jack Gearan

Jack S. Gearan is a shareholder in the Boston office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He concentrates his practice in the areas of Labor & Employment and Litigation, where he defends companies and public institutions in labor and employment, business, and consumer actions, including

Jack S. Gearan is a shareholder in the Boston office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. He concentrates his practice in the areas of Labor & Employment and Litigation, where he defends companies and public institutions in labor and employment, business, and consumer actions, including class and collective actions. He is experienced in complex employment litigation and trials, and frequently handles state and federal whistleblower claims, non-compete and restrictive covenant litigation, trade secret, wage and hour litigation, and individual employee discrimination, harassment, and retaliation litigation and arbitrations. Jack also focuses his practice on handling pharmaceutical and medical device products liability cases.

Jack’s business litigation practice covers a variety of business torts, including misrepresentation, fraud, contract disputes, and claims under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A – the Massachusetts unfair trade practices statute

In addition to defending clients in litigation when necessary, Jack provides counsel to senior management and human resource personnel on various employment law compliance matters, such as leaves of absence, exempt status classification under the FLSA and state law, employee discipline and restrictive covenant agreements. Jack is also regularly called upon by clients to conduct outside independent investigations of sensitive personnel issues or threatened legal actions. Additionally, Jack has advised companies regarding employment law in connection with various corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and reductions in force.

Photo of Robert C. Ross Robert C. Ross

Robert “Bob” Ross advises businesses and other organizations in a wide range of complex regulatory, governance, and transactional matters. He assists both established and emerging businesses and nonprofits looking to do business in Massachusetts, especially those in highly regulated areas, such as life…

Robert “Bob” Ross advises businesses and other organizations in a wide range of complex regulatory, governance, and transactional matters. He assists both established and emerging businesses and nonprofits looking to do business in Massachusetts, especially those in highly regulated areas, such as life sciences and energy.

Bob has over 20 years of experience advising senior government leaders in a variety of state government roles in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Most recently, he served as chief legal counsel in the office of Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker. In this role, he oversaw a team of in-house attorneys and advised the governor’s office and state agencies on myriad issues, including the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 pandemic response. He also oversaw litigation and approved settlements on behalf of the Commonwealth. In his previous role as general counsel in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, Bob was deeply involved in the preparation of five annual state budgets.

As assistant attorney general and chief of the Massachusetts Business and Labor Bureau, he supervised the regulation and enforcement of various laws governing a wide variety of businesses in Massachusetts. Bob’s other state governmental roles have included chief policy advisor for the Office of the Senate President, counsel and budget director for the Committee on Ways and Means, and counsel for the Division of Insurance, State Rating Bureau. Bob started his career as a litigation associate at a national law firm. Bob obtained his J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and his B.A. from College of William and Mary.