Keough + Sweeney

05/28/2026

When Rhode Island passed a 2023 law strengthening shoreline access, some advocates felt a sense of relief as state and local authorities took a stronger stance in support of the public’s right to use and enjoy the Rhode Island coastline.

When Rhode Island passed a 2023 law strengthening shoreline access, some advocates felt a sense of relief as state and local authorities took a stronger stance in support of the public’s right to use and enjoy the Rhode Island coastline. But that stance has seemingly shifted after a group of beach...

05/25/2026

Honoring and remembering those who were lost in service to our country.

05/21/2026

A new law took effect a year ago that lets tenants petition to seal the court records of past eviction cases. The biggest roadblock for implementation turns out to be that almost no one knows the option exists.

The idea behind the law is to let tenants wipe the slate clean from certain evictions and not have those cases present obstacles to renting an apartment, securing a mortgage to buy a home, or finding employment.

05/18/2026

At Keough & Sweeney, we are committed to providing trusted legal guidance and professional representation for individuals, families, and businesses throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Whether you need assistance with family law, DUI/OUI matters, litigation, or other legal services, our experienced attorneys are here to help you navigate every step with confidence and care.

Contact Keough & Sweeney today to discuss your legal needs and learn how our team can assist you.

05/14/2026

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering one of the most comprehensive micromobility regulatory overhauls we’ve seen in the US yet, proposing a new legal framework that would categorize everything from bicycles and e-bikes to electric scooters and Sur Ron-style electric motos into a four-tier speed classification system.

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering one of the most comprehensive micromobility regulatory overhauls we’ve seen in the US yet, proposing a...

05/11/2026

Hotels and short-term rental operators in Rhode Island are being required to do their part to prevent human trafficking. Employees at all of Rhode Island’s 170 or so hotels and close to 1,000 short-term rental operators are mandated to undergo training to recognize the signs of human trafficking.

Hotels and short-term rental operators in Rhode Island are being required to do their part to prevent human trafficking. In fact, it’s the law. As of Jan. 1, employees at all of Rhode Island’s 170 or so hotels and close to 1,000 short-term rental operators are mandated to undergo training to rec...

05/07/2026

Public officials collaborated with a data center developer in Lowell, Massachusetts to unlawfully circumvent permitting processes, according to a lawsuit filed on April 27 by the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School on behalf of 10 Lowell residents. The lawsuit comes just weeks after residents in Lowell won a historic moratorium on data center development in the city.

A lawsuit by the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic challenges the expansion of a 352,000 square foot data center in a residential neighborhood.

05/04/2026

Scott Naso is appealing Judge Felix Gill’s decision to not have the plaintiffs — Siavash Ghoreishi and Jila Khorsand, the parents of his late wife, Shahrzad “Sherry” Naso — pay his attorney fees as well as Gill’s finding of fact that it would be in the best interest of his 4-year-old daughter, Laila, to have her grandparents in her life.

Widowed father Scott Naso, embroiled in a nearly two-year legal battle with his in-laws in Rhode Island over visitation rights to his young daughter, is now challenging the judge’s ruling that he must pay a $2,500 fine and be held in contempt of court

04/30/2026

Massachusetts tenants facing eviction proceedings usually walk through the courthouse doors at a stark disadvantage. In 2024, just 4.3 percent came with a lawyer, while their landlords had attorneys in 90 percent of cases. A state program launched two years ago is trying to level that imbalance. Unlike in criminal cases, where every defendant is entitled to a lawyer regardless of ability to pay, eviction proceedings are civil cases with no such guarantees.

"If you're evicted from public housing, for all intents and purposes, a family will never have a chance to get back to it because the wait lists will be so long," said Daniel Daley, a senior housing attorney at MetroWest Legal Services. The "double whammy," he said – losing both housing and subsid...

04/27/2026

New legislation signed into law this weekend overhauls the state’s cannabis regulations, restructuring the oversight commission and expanding both business and consumer rights.

The Act Modernizing the Commonwealth’s Cannabis Laws dissolves the Cannabis Control Commission and reduces it from five members to three. Governor Healey now has 30 days to appoint the new commission.

Several things about the state's cannabis laws have changed significantly