ADTA Boston 2010 Blog

2010-04-13T04:39:00.000-07:00

Boston's Irish Pubs
by Michael F. Aylward

Boston has a wide range of Irish pubs and drinking establishments for every taste. If you want to do your homework, here are some web sites to help you plan your pub crawl.

http://www.travelmuse.com/articles/boston/boston-pub-guide

http://drinkboston.com/bars/

http://www.celticweb.com/pubs.html

http://www.hiddenboston.com/IrishPubs.html

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_loc=Boston%2C+MA&cflt=pubs

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/galleries/take10/irish_pubs/

I would particularly recommend the following:

--Black Rose (Boston-Quincy Market)
--Matt Murphy’s (Brookline)
--Eire Pub (Dorchester)
--J.J. Foley’s (Boston)

For more information, contact Michael Aylward directly. Click here for Michael's contact information.

Limited Seating Remains for Boston 2010 Optional Events - Sign Up Now

2010-04-13T04:11:00.000-07:00

We have a terrific lineup of optional events planned for the Annual Meeting, but you gotta sign up! Time is running out.

To reserve your space, email Peggy Schultz now at pschultz@adtalaw.com by Friday, April 16th! Don't miss out on these wonderful opportunities to experience Boston!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

1:00 - 4:00 PM

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Visit Boston's world-renowned Museum of Fine Arts, which opened in 1876. In addition to the regular collection of nearly 450,000 pieces, there will be special exhibits, including The Secrets of Tomb 10A, Egypt 2000 BC; and Tibet/China Confluences; and many other interesting exhibits.

Cost: $70 pp includes bus to and from the museum, museum tickets, and headsets.

Friday, April 30, 2010
1:00 - 4:00 PM
The Original and World Famous Duck Boat Tour

and

Tour of Fenway Park

You've never toured Boston in anything that comes close to Boston Duck Tours. The fun begins as soon as you board your "DUCK", a W.W.II style amphibious landing vehicle. First, you'll be greeted by one of our legendary tour ConDUCKtors, who'll be narrating your tour. Then you're off on a journey like you've never had before. You'll cruise by all the places that make Boston the birthplace of freedom and a city of firsts, from the golden-domed State House to Bunker Hill and the TD Banknorth Garden, Boston Common and Copley Square to the Big Dig, Government Center to fashionable Newbury Street, Quincy Market to the Prudential Tower, and more. And, as the best of Boston unfolds before your eyes, your ConDUCKtor will be giving you lots of little known facts and interesting insights about our unique and wonderful city.

And just when you think you've seen it all, there's more. It's time for "Splashdown" as your ConDUCKtor splashes your DUCK right into the Charles River for a breathtaking view of the Boston and Cambridge skylines, the kind of view you just won't get anywhere else.

Take the Duck Tour Alone, or add a tour of Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. Visit the park where the Babe pitched, The Kid hit, Yaz dazzled and Big Papi still thrills young fans today!

Cost: $65 (Duck and Fenway Park Tours); $45 (Duck Tour Only)

Saturday, May 1, 2010

12:30 - 3:00 PM
Boston Harbor Lunch Cruise

Odyssey is one of the largest fine-dining cruise ships on Boston Harbor, with an elegant atmosphere reminiscent of the classic ocean liners.

Departing from Rowe's Wharf, Odyssey cruises along Historic Boston Harbor from Castle Island to George's Island, then east to the Boston Light on Little Brewster Island and back north to Charlestown Naval Yard before returning to the Wharf.

The Odyssey then heads back inbound and cruises along the breathtaking Boston skyline offering unmatched views of Boston's most famous architecture: South Station Tower, John Hancock Tower, Prudential Tower, Federal reserve Bank Building, One Boston place and many more.

Cost: $100 includes coach transfer from hotel, cruise tickets, and luncheon buffet.

Friday Night Dine Around - Sign Up Now!

2010-03-31T03:14:00.001-07:00

We're expanding the Friday Night Dine Around options for this year's meeting in Boston. In addition to providing you with a list of recommended restaurants, we have reserved a dozen tables at some of Boston’s finest restaurants where you will join ADTA host couples for a special evening of fun, fine food and great company. We will have sign up sheets and sample menus posted in the Hospitality Suite but if you want to ensure your place at one of these tables, e-mail our elite Dine-Around Diva, Ceci Birk at cfbirk@comcast.net.

Abe & Louie’s (Steak house)
Table for 8 at 7:30 p.m.
793 Boylston Stree
(617) 536-6300
http://www.abeandlouies.com/
Dress: Casual Elegance
Cost: $61
Distance from hotel: 8 minute walk.

Classic upscale steakhouse offering guests prime meat, fresh seafood and produce. The lump crab bake and swordfish chop are signature dishes. All beef steaks are aged six weeks on the bone. The menu also includes lobster and chicken.

Blue Room (Eclectic)
Table for 8 at 7:30 p.m.
One Kendall Square
(617) 494-9034
http://www.theblueroom.net/
Dress: Casual
Cost: $42
Distance from hotel: 15 minute taxi ride.

Upscale and funky, this MIT-neighborhood restaurant specializes in Mediterranean food with local ingredients. The menu features salads, pasta, fish, meat, poultry and vegetarian dishes. Sitings of Nobel laureates are possible but unconfirmed.

Durgin-Park (New England)
Table for 8 at 7:30 p.m.
340 Faneuil Hall Market Place
(617) 227-2038
http://www.durgin-park.com/
Dress: Casual
Cost: $33
Distance from restaurant: 15 minute taxi ride

Located in Quincy Market this restaurant prides itself on its sassy waitresses and décor featuring long tables with red-checkered cloths. The menu is an extensive one with chowders, salads, seafood, lobster, a New England clambake, chicken, beef, pork, pasta and desserts. The restaurant is great for children.

Hamersley’s Bistro (French)
Table for 8 at 8 p.m.
553 Tremont Street
(617) 423-2700
http://www.hamersleysbistro.com/
Dress: Casual
Cost: $61
Distance from restaurant: 5 minute taxi ride/12 minute walk

Gordon Hamersley began the culinary renaissance of Boston’s South End two decades ago and still presides over this refined but straightforward four-star bistro with an open kitchen. The restaurant is famous for its signature roast chicken and other items include seafood, steak, and pork. Celebrities such as Bill and Adelle Tooms have been sited.

Hungry I (Intimate French Hideaway)
Table for 6 at 7:30
71 1/2 Charles Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 227-3524
Train: Red Line T to Charles/MGH
http://www.hungryiboston.com/
Dress: Casual
Cost: $60
Distance from restaurant: 12 minute taxi ride.

Descend a few steps from Charles Street into this oasis of Old World charm and quiet. This long-time Beacon Hill favorite is small and intimate but serves excellent French food. Three working fireplaces and simple decor give the feeling of sanctuary from the city outside. The short menu is partnered with a daily list of specials. House specialties include venison au poivre, filet mignon with pancetta and rabbit cooked in a crock.

Jasper's White Seafood Shack
Table for 8 at 7:15 p.m.
50 Dalton Street
Boston, MA
(617) 867-9955
Train: Green Line T to Hynes Convention
http://www.summershackrestaurant.com/
Dress: Casual
Cost: $30
Distance from restaurant: 8 minute walk

The best lobster rolls you can get this side of Cape Cod! This restaurant is great for seafood lovers and non-seafood eaters alike. A bright-colored and "funky faux" indoor shack -- plus balloons and fish tanks -- is ideal for families. The menu includes lobster, swordfish, corn dogs and fried chicken. There are also brown paper tablecloths perfect for drawing.

King Fish Hall (Seafood)
Table for 8 at 7:30 p.m.
188 Faneuil Hall Marketplace
(617) 523-8862
http://www.toddenglish.com/
Dress: Casual
Cost: $46
Distance from restaurant: 15 minute taxi ride

This critically acclaimed Todd English seafood restaurant’s menu features traditional New England classics in a setting that is anything but traditional. In addition to handpicked daily selections of the freshest local seafood, there is a raw bar, chowders as well as chicken and steak.

Legal Sea Foods (Seafood)
Table for 8 at 7:15 p.m.
100 Huntington Avenue (Prudential Center)
(617) 266-7775
http://www.legalseafoods.com/
Train: Green Line T to Hynes Convention
Dress: Casual
Cost: $41
Distance from hotel: 5 minute walk

“If it’s not fresh, it’s not legal” Founded in 1968, this local chain of seafood restaurants has been voted Most Popular restaurant in Boston, serving fresh, seasonal and “top of the catch” seafood along with local favorites like clam chowder, fried claims and Wellfleet oysters. The menu also includes filet mignon and roasted chicken. This restaurant is child friendly. This restaurant is a short walk across the Skyway in the Prudential Center complex.

Mamma Maria’s (Italian)
Table for 8 at 7:30 p.m.
3 North Square
(617) 523-0077
http://www.mammamarias.com/
Dress: Business Casual
Cost: $54
Distance from restaurant: 15 minute taxi ride.

Not so much a great Italian restaurant as a fabulous North End institution, this gorgeous restaurants serve great food in a fun old house that dates back to the 1820s.Italian food in a quiet corner of the North End. In a beautiful row house that dates back to 1820 the restaurant, overlooking North Square, offers authentic Italian dishes in a series of small rooms. The menu focuses on New England dishes in a typical Italian countryside fashion. The menu offers pasta, seafood, beef, chicken, pork and lamb.

Ristorante Toscano (Italian)
Table for 6 at 7:30 p.m.
41 Charles Street
(617) 723-4090
http://www.toscanoboston.com/
Train: Green Line T to Park
Dress: Business Casual
Cost: $53
Distance from restaurant: 10 minute taxi ride

A Beacon Hill institution, this cozy Northern Italian restaurant aims to please with an features an extensive and traditional Tuscan menu and a fine wine list to match. The restaurant features a hardwood grill for meat, game and seafood dishes.

Union Oyster House (Seafood)
Table for 8 at 7:30 p.m.
41 Union Street
(617) 227-2750
http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/
Dress: Casual
Cost: $39
Distance from restaurant: 15 minute taxi ride

In continuous operation since 1826, this Boston landmark claims to be the oldest restaurant in the United States, including luminaries such as Daniel Webster, James Michael Curley and Ted Williams among its regulars. Known for its seafood, oysters and chowders, clams and lobster the menu also includes steak, chicken and pork as well as a children’s menu.

Sign up now for ADTA's 69th Annual Meeting in Boston: April 28 - May 2, 2010

2010-02-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

You won't want to miss an opportunity to spend time with your ADTA friends, enjoy a fun-packed program of activities, excellent CLE, and experience the great City of Boston. The program brochure and registration form for ADTA's 69th Annual Meeting is ready - sign up now!

The Boston Marriott Copley Place, 11 Huntington Avenue in the Back Bay section of Boston, will be our hotel and meeting venue. The Copley Marriott connects to two urban shoping malls, which include upscale shops, restaurants, a movie theatre, and more - you could spend the entire weekend indoors if you cared to! But that would be a shame, because within blocks of the hotel are residential streets with some of the best preserved examples of late 19th century urban architecture in the country. Copley Square, one block from the hotel, includes Trinity Church, the Boston Public Library, the John Hancock Tower, and other architecturally and historically rich sites. There are numerous restaurants, shops and other places of interest within walking distance of the hotel. The South End, Beacon Hill, the North End, Harvard Square, and Boston’s great museums are within reasonable walking distance, a 5-10 minute cab ride, or a short hop on Boston’s rapid transit (the “T”).

Our Thursday evening event will be held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. This harbor side venue is home to the Kennedy archives, and its museum provides a fascinating collection of JFK-era memorabilia. You will have an opportunity to tour the museum at leisure, and then enjoy cocktails, an indoor New England Lobster "Clambake" Dinner, and dancing.

Thursday’s ADTA golf tournament will be at the Framingham Country Club. FCC, 30 minutes west of Boston, is a classic New England course, founded in 1902. ADTA’s prime member from Springfield, Massachusetts – John Stewart – will chair the tournament committee. He will be assisted by John Ryan and George Walker.

Friday evening will feature "Dine Around Boston," coordinated by Ed and Ceci Burke. Signup sheets will be provided for many of the best Boston restaurants, to make the process of selecting a dining venue easier, and to ensure that those who have not made prior plans will have the opportunity to dine with other ADTA members and spouses. Before heading out for dinner in the City, enjoy refreshments and good company in ADTA's renowned hospitality room.

Saturday evening’s black tie Jazz Gala will be truly special. ADTA has reserved the Prudential Center Skywalk Observatory, which offers a breathtaking 51st floor panoramic views of the Greater Boston area and beyond. Visitors gain a bird's eye view of Boston's Hancock Tower, Fenway Park, the Boston Common and Public Garden, the Esplanade and Hatch Shell, the Charles River, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, MIT, Harvard University, and countless other Boston landmarks. We will enjoy the Skywalk Observatory’s spectacular views while we dine, dance and enjoy the evening with good friends.

Other Annual Meeting activities will include:

• A special spouse’s program, including a keynote address on the history of Boston’s Back Bay by Dr. Nancy S. Seasholes, an historian and historical archaeologist. Walking Tours of Boston's Made Land is the companion to her earlier book, Gaining Ground (MIT Press, 2003). Dr. Seasholes was a contributing author to Mapping Boston (The MIT Press, 1999). She will lead a walking tour of Copley Square after her presentation.

• A presentation by Theresa McIntosh, Acupuncture Physician, entitled “Your Health, Your Choice," in which you will learn how to improve your health and wellness with education on stress reduction skills and whole food nutrition. Theresa is a Diplomate in Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbology, and a licensed Acupuncture Physician, practicing wellness medicine. She is a Qualified National Marketing Director with National Safety Associates, the maker of Juice Plus+. Theresa is spouse of ADTA Member Doug McIntosh, West Palm Beach, Florida.
• Saturday morning's keynote presentation will be delivered by Bill Littlefield, nationally known author and veteran sports commentator, host of National Public Radio's Only A Game, a weekly one-hour sports magazine.

• Tour of selected art galeries on Boston's fashionable Newbury Street

• Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts

• Walks along Boston’s Freedom Trail

• Duck Tours

• Fenway Park

ADTA Boston 2010 will be a truly special experience in one of America’s great historic cities. Sign up now to share the fun with your ADTA friends in Boston, Massachusetts, Wednesday April 28 to Sunday May 2, 2010!

David Zizik and Karen Baker
Boston 2010 Meeting Hosts

Managing Attorney
Zizik, Powers, O'Connell, Spaulding & Lamontagne, P.C.
690 Canton Street, Suite 306
Westwood, Massachusetts 02090
Direct Tel: 781-320-5401
eFax: 781-658-2532
email: dzizik@zizikpowers.com

Boston Red Sox Release 2010 Schedule

2009-09-16T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox will be playing a weekend series at Fenway Park the weekend of April 23-25, 2010 - the weekend preceding the start of ADTA's Boston 2010 Annual Meeting. For a look at the entire 2010 schedule, click here.

Another ADTA Annual Meeting Success Story!

2009-05-09T06:10:00.000-07:00

From "Adta-talk"
May 8, 2009

If you attended the Annual Meeting in Scottsdale you will remember that Bob Tait, our new President, and Fred Raschke were not able to make it to the meeting until very late Friday night, with Bob missing some of the events a President-elect would truly not want to miss. They could not get away from the trial that seemed endless. But their dedication to serving their clients to the fullest finally paid off.

After three months in trial, Fred and Bob brought in a Defense Verdict in a rail-injury case that one would have normally expected to swing toward the plaintiff.

Fred requested Bob's expertise in the defense of this case as a result of their membership, and ensuing friendship, in ADTA. Dan Balmert, ADTA Marketing Committee Chair, commented:

Relationships. . .it's all about relationships. The ADTA provides its members with the unique opportunity to meet and to get to know genuinely great trial lawyers from all around our country, Puerto Rico and Canada - lawyers who truly are 'one in a million.' Fred Raschke (from Texas) and Bob Tait (from Ohio) met each other at an Annual Meeting of the ADTA and became good friends. That relationship, built on respect for the talents of the other, is very special. The opportunity to engage in and grow such relationships distinguishes our Association from all others.

This case referral was first discussed in the hospitality suite a few years back at an Annual Meeting and after thousands of hours of hard work, a Defense Verdict. Fred noted in discussing the case: "You are correct that this case is a testament to the marketing and networking of the ADTA, but more importantly, it is a testament to the quality of lawyers in the ADTA. As you all know, Bob Tait is pure quality."

This is just one instance where we can truly say the ADTA Annual Meeting Hospitality Suite is definitely a place to connect and make friends for the betterment of your practice and your firm.

Congratulations to Fred and Bob!

CLICK HERE learn more about the case.

Charles River Reservation

2009-05-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR's) Charles River Reservation is a linear park stretching from Boston Harbor up the Charles River for 20 miles. The lower half of the reservation, from downtown Boston to the Watertown Dam, is the Charles River Basin, which includes the Esplanade on the Boston side. The basin abuts the campuses of MIT, Boston University and Harvard. The Upper Charles River section of the Reservation begins at Watertown Square and meanders to Riverdale Park in West Roxbury.

The Charles River was given this name in honor of Charles I of England, the reigning monarch, by John Smith in the 1600s. Subsequent European settlers harnessed the river for industrialization, and by 1640 entrepreneurs on the Neponset River had diverted its water to power their mills. For more about the history about this area CLICK HERE.

April scorcher drives mercury to a record-breaking 93 in Boston

2009-04-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

One year to the day before ADTA's 2010 Annual Meeting begins...

Boston Globe, April 28, 2009 04:09 PM
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Barren trees just beginning to sprout with buds offered no shade from the scorching sun. Spring tulips wilted in the heat, the pink and yellow flowers bowing low as the temperature soared into the 90s. Rollerbladers took off their shirts. Lines formed at ice cream trucks. Bikinis came out of the deep recesses of closets. And the smell of coconut oil and suntan oil wafted from beach towels and dusty lawn chairs.

The weather offered an early but fleeting taste of summer today, giving New England an April gift after a long, cruel winter. A blast of unseasonably warm air pushed the temperature to 93 degrees at Logan International Airport, breaking the previous record of 90 set in 1990, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Simpson.

"This is as good as it gets," said Peter Doran, 40, an estimator for Suffolk Construction who tucked his purple tie into his button-down shirt to stop it from flapping in the wind on a lunchtime walk on the jetty around Pleasure Bay. "That's why I had to get out, because I know it's going to be 50 degrees tomorrow."

The hot weather today is actually better than summer, a dry warmth without that soupy, shirt-sticking humidity of August. A perfect day to bob lackadaisically in a red kayak in Dorchester Bay, warmed by the bright sun but cooled by a gentle breeze. A perfect day for Rene Soto, 25, to sit on a seawall on Day Boulevard and do her English homework for the University of Massachusetts Boston. And a perfect day for 2-year-old Sadira Forcucci to try her new lime-green bathing suit at Carson Beach, digging in the sand with sea shells.

"She's been asking for a beach day since the fall," said her mother Heather Forcucci, 34. "The only problem is tomorrow when it's 50 she'll ask to come back." The high temperature for Wednesday is expected to be in the upper 50s, more than 30 degrees lower than today.Sidewalks filled with strollers, bicycles, and dogs on leashes with tongues wagging in search of water. Three bartenders lugged their lawn chairs and beach towels to the beach at the end of I Street in South Boston, glad that they would not again spend an afternoon indoors.

"It's gorgeous," said one of the bartenders, Louise Waters, 30, who wore a black-and-white bikini and squinted behind sunglasses.

Her friend and co-worker, Laura McDermott, 32, used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.

"It beats shoveling snow," McDermott quipped.

Today's temperature edged close to the all-time record for the entire month, which was 94 on April 18, 1976, according to the weather service. It was the second recordbreaking temperature in three days. Sunday's high of 87 cracked the previous record of 85 set back in 1872, the first year records were kept in Boston. Normal highs for this time are around 60 degrees, Simpson said.

John Stewart to Coordinate Boston 2010 Golf Tourney

2009-04-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

John Stewart, prime member from Springfield, Massachusetts, will coordinate the golf tournament on Thursday, April 29, 2010 at the Framingham Country Club (FCC). FCC, a classic New England golf club founded in 1902, is an easy 30-minute ride west of Boston in Framingham, Massachusetts. FCC has hosted a number of PGA qualifying events and amateur tournaments. For more information, click here --> FCC. To send a message to John, email him at thetrialer@aim.com.

Ed and Ceci Birk to Coordinate 2010 ADTA "Dine Around Boston"

2009-04-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that Ed and Ceci Birk of Jacksonville, FL are coordinating the Friday evening (April 30, 2010) Boston Dine-Around at the 2010 ADTA Annual Meeting. (Ed is a native of Wellesley, Massachusetts.)

We are going to try for about 10-12 restaurants, asking each to reserve a table or tables seating between 8-12 people for dinner Friday night, April 30, 2010 at 7:30 PM. We will open up the reservations as of a certain date, probably sometime in early 2010.

Here’s a preliminary list of restaurants:

· Anthony's Pier 4
· Bonfire (Todd English's restaurant in Park Square)
· Capitol Grill (Newbury Street)
· Davio's (75 Arlington Street, Park Square)
· Durgin Park (Faneuil Hall Marketplace)
· Fig's (another Todd English restaurant, Beacon Hill)

· Harvest (Harvard Square)
· Legal Sea Food (Park Plaza and Copley Square)
· Maurizio's (36 Hanover Street, North End - Italian)
· Union Oyster House

All of these restaurants are an easy cab ride from the hotel.

Please note: This is only a preliminary “whet your appetite” list. If you have any suggestions, please email Ed (elb@marksgray.com) and Ceci (cfbirk@comcast.net). Keep an eye on this blog for further updates!