Jeffrey S. Raphaelson

Attorney Jeffrey S. Raphaelson represents plaintiffs in cases involving fraud and bad faith in business, medical malpractice, and wrongful death. He has been selected to the Super Lawyers List for each year since 2013, a distinction given to the top 5% of attorneys in Massachusetts by peer review process for professional achievement. He is AV preeminent rated by Martindale Hubbard, the highest rating by peers for ethical standards and legal ability, a distinction given to less than 5% of attorneys across the United States. He was honored as a Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year by the independent editorial board of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for his work on the novel case that extended the apparent manufacturer doctrine in Massachusetts to a trademark licensor that participated substantially in the design, manufacture, or distribution of the licensee’s defective product. He is a Recipient of the G. Joseph Tauro Distinguished Scholar Award from Boston University School of Law. He has been a panelist or presenter on trial advocacy for the Boston Bar Association and Worcester County Bar Association.

Jeff began his legal career in the litigation department of a large law firm in Boston before leaving after four years to form a private practice with another young lawyer at the firm. He has worked for more than 25 years since then as a litigator and trial attorney in the service of the greater Worcester and Boston/Cambridge communities. Notable jury trial results include an $8.9 million final judgment against Otis Elevator Company for the injuries sustained by a young Worcester boy on a defective escalator in China, and a $4.5 million judgment against Wachusett Mountain Ski Area for its negligent operation of the ski area.

Jeff focuses his practice primarily on three areas of the law in which he has substantial experience: fraud and bad faith in business; medical malpractice; and wrongful death.

Fraud. In one notable fraud case, Jeff’s clients obtained a complete recovery of all of their losses plus substantial punitive damages for fraud committed by a commercial landlord and for the bad faith of the landlord’s bank. The full recovery totaled more than seven times the amount of the underlying loss suffered by the clients.

Breach Of Fiduciary Duty. Jeff has represented clients in several breach of fiduciary matters, including:

• Two attorneys who secured an arbitral award for virtually all of their losses plus attorney’s fees in a law firm partnership dispute;
• A law firm client who obtained a $950,000 settlement against one of the firm’s attorneys for misuse of the client’s funds;
• A beneficiary of a will who obtained a judgment order rescinding a fiduciary’s conveyance of real estate out of the estate and reconveying the real estate to the beneficiary; and
• A minority shareholder in a closely-held corporation who obtained equitable relief against the majority shareholders that included striking the CEO’s bonus provision, establishing a dividend policy, and an award of attorneys’ fees.

Unfair or Bad Faith Insurance Practices. Jeff has represented policyholders and claimants in unfair or bad faith insurance claims, including:

• A policyholder who was awarded the full available benefits of a fire policy for the losses to an apartment building and restaurant. The jury rejected the insurer’s claim that the client started the fire;
• A policyholder who was awarded the full available benefits of a disability policy. The trial judge rejected the insurer’s claim that the policyholder made material misrepresentations on his application; and
• A young man who secured a multi-million jury verdict on a personal injury claim, and then a settlement of a separate claim against the liability insurer for making low-ball offers on the personal injury claim before the jury trial.

Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death. Several of Jeff’s clients have obtained multi-million verdicts and settlements on medical malpractice and wrongful death claims, including multiple cases involving the misinterpretation of imaging studies, misdiagnosis of medical conditions, and wrongful death due to medical error.

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To reach Jeff and set up a free consultation, call us at 617-204-9800 or contact us online.