April 2026 Edition


I hope you are enjoying the longer days and later sunsets that beckon the arrival of spring. In April we will have the running of the Boston Marathon and also the 251st anniversary of the starting battle of the American Revolution. A year ago on April 19, I attended “AmRev250” In Lexington. There I witnessed minutemen reenactors recall the seminal events of April ‘75…. 1775, when the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard round the world … the Battle of Lexington and Concord, where it all began.

April 3rd also saw a glorious home opener to the Red Sox season at chilly Fenway Park. With strong starting pitching by Sonny Gray, the Sox triumphed 5–2. It was similar in the season opener behind strong starting pitching by ace Garret Crochet and wise use of the new Automated Balls & Strikes (ABS) system by Roman Anthony to change a 9th inning strikeout to a walk that led to two more runs in a 3–0 win at Cincinnati. But other than those two openers, the Sox have lost all their other games. With a 2–8 record, our Red Sox have the worst record of 30 MLB teams. Fortunately, there remain 152 games for Alex Cora to get our club to winning form.

On a much brighter note, both Boston winter teams appear playoff bound. With 4 games to go, the Bruins are on good position for an Eastern Conference Wild Card birth. And the Celtics even better!

Also with 4 regular season games to play, the Celtics appear locked for the 2nd seed in their Eastern Conference. The C’s are hot — 10 wins in the last 12 games. The club had been sparked not only by the fabulous return of star Jayson Tatum, but also the continued strong MVP style play all season by Jaylen Brown, plus strong contributions by veterans Derrick White, Payton Prichard and our “big man” Neemias Queta (the NBA’s first ever player from Portugal). So, if we can stay healthy, hopes are high, the C’s may reach the finals and potentially a 19th championship banner to raise to the rafters of TD Garden. We shall see.

As for Newsletter items, last week, eight days ago on March 30, IVYEXEC career advancement website published an article of mine on negotiating your corporate relocation package. Further into this April Newsletter, item #3 is an older article of mine published in CEOWORLD magazine on the issue of incentive compensation misalignment for CEOs and senior executives, particularly vs the interest of investors in an M&A, turnaround or change of control future event. The 4th Newsletter item is another older article of mine published by CEOWORLD on negotiating a custom executive compensation package when you, as C-level or senior executive, get a new job offer or a retention situation. The last Newsletter item, item #5 is a special offer on negotiation of C-level and senior executive job offers.

As always, I hope some of these items might be of interest and benefit… and best wishes to all for the rest of April!

1. Terms to Seek in Your Relocation Package
Relocation can involve significant risks to you and your family, especially if the job turns out to be not at all what you expected it to be or, in any case, it just does not work out, and you are left high and dry in a place you do not want to be. My article new published by CEOWorld, offers risk mitigation strategies, as well as important tax and business terms to seek in your relocation package. Read the Article Here

2. Work with CEOs, C-Suite and Senior Executives, exclusively.
Robert Adelson is an attorney specialized in the representation of CEOs, C-level and senior executives. He no longer represents companies or employers. Learn about Robert Adelson’s work with CEOs, C-level and senior executives to advise on and improve job offers, employment contracts, stock, RSUs, options, bonuses and other executive compensation matters, plus advice and aid on issues of wrongful termination, severance, exit terms, retention, change of control, other executive issues and more … More Details Here

3. Protecting yourself against Executive Compensation Misalignment
Are you a C-level or a senior executive with performance compensation based on cliff vesting? Is your performance opportunity subject to discretionary actions of an owner, a Board of Directors or the investors, whose interests might at some point become averse to your own? That situation — executive compensation misalignment — was the root cause of the biggest scandal in US sports history. Due to that misalignment, star players of the Chicago White Sox fixed the 1919 World Series. That example and others are discussed in my article published by CEOWORLD Magazine 3/31/2021 to coincide with MLB Opening Day. My article is reposted now to coincide with April, the first full month of the 2026 Major League Baseball season, to offer ways for you, as a CEO or other top executive, to avoid such harmful misalignment in your own executive compensation negotiations. Read the Article Here

4. Negotiating a Custom Executive Compensation Package
Do you have a job offer as CEO or C-level executive with a startup company? Or in a turnaround situation? Or in a situation where you fill critical needs of the new employer? My CEOWORLD article, published in November 2020, suggests the terms you should seek in negotiating a custom executive compensation package, how much equity to seek, and how best to secure company acceptance for a custom compensation package. Read the Article Here

5. 4/2026 Offer: Good until April 28th
This 3-week value-packed offer, is as a way to get introduced to my law work: Executive Employment Job Offer Law Diagnostic — this offer is good through 4/28/26. More Details Here

It’s always a pleasure to get back in touch with you and other clients, friends, and colleagues. I hope the links and information provided will be useful to you and that there will be an opportunity for me to work with you on legal matters in the near future.

Let’s keep in touch!

Best regards,
Rob
Robert Adelson

*Adelson & Associates, LLC
Executive Employment Attorney
101 Federal Street, 19th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 204–5601 Law Firm
(617) 204–5602 Direct
(617) 204–5604 Fax
E-mail : [email protected]
Blog: https://robadelson.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @AttorneyAdelson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-adelson-b8a1557/
Website: www.executiveemploymentattorney.com
Note on Adelson & Associates, LLC:
* Robert A. Adelson is the Principal of Adelson & Associates, LLC. For fifteen (15) years, from October 2004 through December 2019, Robert Adelson practiced law and referred legal work to associates of his, trusted and experienced colleagues, as a partner of Engel & Schultz, LLP. In December 2019, the lead partners of the firm announced they would go into semi-retirement, go their separate ways, and the office lease would expire in January 2020. In response, Robert Adelson formed Adelson & Associates, LLC in December 2019 and commenced the new firm’s operations on January 1, 2020, with the new firm taking over, on that date and going forward, all current Robert Adelson clients, matters and operations, as well as all referral of legal work to associates of Robert Adelson. Since 1/1/2020, the firm’s offices have been and remain at 101 Federal Street, 19th Floor, across the street from the pre-2020 offices at One Federal Street, 21st Floor, in Boston’s Financial District.

I hope this email finds you well, that you are enjoying the longer days and later sunsets that beckon the arrival of spring.  In April we will have the Boston Marathon and also “AmRev250”.  So April 19, I hope to get a good viewing spot, to view North Bridge in Concord when Concord, Acton, Bedford and other minutemen reenactors recall the seminal events of April ‘75…. 1775, when the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard round the world … yes, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, where it all began. 
 
Also in April, March Madness continues, with Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Men’s Ice Hockey now down the Finals.  

In men’s basketball, my two Division I alma maters Northwestern and Boston University did not make the tournament, and all no. 1 teams are in Final Four.  No Cinderella teams in the Finals this year. 🙁 But best of luck to all, if your alma mater is still in contention or if you are still in the money with your brackets. 

In Men’s Hockey, a large contingent of Hockey East and Eastern teams contended, but only Boston University  survived to the Frozen Four with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win, last Saturday night, over ancient rival Cornell.  Congrats to Coach Jay Pandolfo:  he’s coached three years, and, in all three, his BU teams have gone to the Frozen Four.  I attended the Frozen Four in Tampa (2023) and St. Paul (2024) but cannot go to 2025 in St. Louis.  We lost those two times, and it is still my hope this 3rd time in a row, will be the charm – good luck Terriers! 

And in  professional sports, one of Boston’s winter teams will both soon start the playoffs.  The Bruins had a awful March (3-11) and will finish their season April 15 far from playoff contention. But the Celtics, happily, have gone in opposite direction.  With a record of 13-1 in March through March 30, we can hope the C’s stay hot as they seek to repeat as NBA champions despite stiff competition.  Despite recent losses we also start the Red Sox season with high hopes after several acquisitions in the off season.  I do look forward to attending Opening Day at Fenway this Friday, with an opening day first:  the Sox will host their frequent past World Series season opponents,  the NL’s formidable St. Louis Cardinals!

As for Newsletter items, last week, IVYEXEC career advancement website published an article of mine on using QSBS to potentially shield from taxation  up to $10 million in gains on executive and angel investor stock. 

Further into this April  Newsletter, item #3 is an older article of mine,  published in CEOWORLD magazine, reposted today, around the time of April Opening Day around the Major Leagues, offers an especially grim and powerful example of misalignment in incentive compensation.  In that case example, incentive compensation misalignment of a baseball team’s  ace starting pitcher sparked the worst episode in Major League Baseball’s almost 150-year history (since the founding of the National League in 1876).  In that infamous episode, the “Black Sox Scandal”, the American League champions, the favored Chicago White Sox, played to lose the World Series.  Star White Sox players accepted cash bribes from Boston and New York based gamblers to “fix” the 1919 World Series in favor of the underdog Cincinnati Reds.  Amid the public uproar, and the grave threat posed to the future of the sport itself, in 1920, the MLB team owners appointed the first-ever  Commissioner of Baseball.  Despite Illinois court cases and acquittals of all the accused players, that new Commissioner delivered baseball’s own verdict. Commissioner Landis ruled “8 Men Out” – the accused eight professional ballplayers were barred from baseball, each of the eight accused lost their livelihoods, thrown out of organized baseball …for life…and it all happened due to misalignment.

That 4th  Newsletter item is another older  article of mine published by IVYEXEC,  on startup C-level executive salary, equity and severance terms. The last Newsletter item, Item #5 is a special offer on negotiation of C-level and senior executive job offers.  As always,  I hope some of these items might be of interest and  benefit… and best wishes to all for the rest of April!  😊 

1.       Achieving Zero Taxation on Sale of Your Appreciated Stock
Are you considering joining an early stage company where stock will be an important part of your compensation package?  My article published ten days ago, on March 21,  by IVYEXEC career advancement website, discusses how proper structuring of your equity grant as qualified small business stock (QSBS), may enable you to have zero Federal taxation on all or most of the appreciation on a sale of shares after 5 years, including several key techniques you might find beneficial… Read the Article Here

2.       Work with CEOs, C-Suite and Senior Executives, exclusively.
Robert Adelson is an attorney specialized in the representation of CEOs, C-level and senior executives. He no longer represents companies or employers.  Learn about Robert Adelson’s work with CEOs, C-level and senior executives to advise on and improve job offers, employment contracts, stock, RSUs, options, bonuses and other executive compensation matters, plus advice and aid on issues of wrongful termination, severance, exit terms, retention, change of control, other executive issues and more … More Details Here

3.         Protecting yourself against Executive Compensation Misalignment
Are you a C-level or a senior executive with performance compensation based on cliff vesting? Is your performance opportunity subject to discretionary actions of an owner, a Board of Directors or the investors, whose interests might at some point become averse to your own?  That situation – executive compensation misalignment – was the root cause of the biggest scandal in US sports history. Due to that misalignment, star players of the Chicago White Sox fixed the 1919 World Series. That example and others are discussed in my article published by CEOWORLD  Magazine 3/31/2021  to coincide with MLB Opening Day.  My article is reposted now to coincide with the 2025 MLB season, with opening day around the Najor Leagues last Thursday March 27.  In this CEOWORLD article, I also offer ways for you, as executive, to avoid such harmful misalignment in your own executive compensation negotiations.  Read the Article Here

4.       Startup C-Level Executive Salary, Equity and Severance
Are you a senior executive looking to move up to C-level by joining a startup? Being a startup C-level executive can be rewarding in many ways.  But taking that role has many risks too.  My article published in 2023  by the IVYEXEC career advancement website, advises on key protections to negotiate as well as other terms to seek to ensure that  if the startup succeeds, you too will share financially in that success. Read the Article Here

5.      4/2025 Offer:  Good until April 30th  
This 4-week value-packed offer, is as a way to get introduced to my law work: Executive Employment Job Offer Law Diagnostic – this offer is good through 4/30/25.   More Details Here

It’s always a pleasure to get back in touch with you and other clients, friends, and colleagues.  I hope the links and information provided will be useful to you and that there will be an opportunity for me to work with you on legal matters in the near future. 
​
Let’s keep in touch! 
Best regards,
Rob
Robert Adelson

*Adelson & Associates, LLC
Executive Employment Attorney
101 Federal Street, 19th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 204-5601 Law Firm
(617) 204-5602 Direct
(617) 204-5604 Fax
E-mail :  [email protected]
Blog:  https://robadelson.wordpress.com/
Twitter:  @AttorneyAdelson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-adelson-b8a1557/
Website: www.executiveemploymentattorney.com
Note on Adelson & Associates, LLC:
* Robert A. Adelson is the Principal of Adelson & Associates, LLC.  For fifteen (15) years, from October 2004 through December 2019, Robert Adelson practiced law and referred legal work to associates of his, trusted and experienced colleagues, as a partner of Engel & Schultz, LLP.  In December 2019, the lead partners of the firm announced they would go into semi-retirement, go their separate ways, and the office lease would expire in January 2020.  In response, Robert Adelson formed Adelson & Associates, LLC in December 2019 and commenced the new firm’s operations on January 1, 2020, with the new firm taking over, on that date and going forward, all current Robert Adelson clients, matters and operations, as well as all referral of legal work to associates of Robert Adelson.  Since 1/1/2020, the firm’s offices have been and remain at 101 Federal Street, 19th Floor, across the street from the pre-2020 offices at One Federal Street, 21st Floor, in Boston’s Financial District.

This post was originally posted in https://robadelson.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/april-2025-executive-employment-law-newsletter/robadelson.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/april-2025-executive-employment-law-newsletter/

I hope this email finds you and your family in good health.  We are now into March, with this executive employment law newsletter reaching you on March 4th, which date has a place in US history. On this date, on a cool mostly cloudy afternoon in Washington D.C. 92 years ago, March 4, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt took the oath of office to become the 32nd U.S. President.  He told a nation, during some of the worst days of the Great Depression, that the “only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. With his courage, candor, intelligence, and indomitable spirit, he would go on to lead America through those hard days and then through World War II that would follow, as our nation’s longest serving President.  See link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khFwYWWF6Tc

Meanwhile winter continues.  For those like my wife who relishes her winter sports, I do hope there will be sufficient snow and ice this last month of winter.  For those like me who look forward to warmer weather, perhaps you will get a chance to sneak off for time in the sun in warmer places.
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March madness will soon begin and to all with your brackets and betting favorites, and for those out there with alma maters in the NCAA Basketball Tournament  – all best of luck! For my two tournament-eligible alma maters, this has not been the best of years, but both still do nurse their slim NCAA Tournament chances. Boston University – with four Patriot League wins in its last five games, the Terriers will host Navy in a first round PL tournament game at the “Roof” this Thursday.  Northwestern, after recent 20-win seasons, has been well below that this season, near the bottom of the 18-team “Big Ten.”  However, with 3 recent Big Ten wins, the Wildcats may finish among the top 15 to at least compete in the Big Ten Conference Tournament, March 12-16 in Indianapolis. So, hoping both BU and NU can stay hot through their respective Conference Tournaments though both are long shots for the 2025 Big Dance.

Meanwhile in men’s college hockey, BU won the Beanpot 4-1 in an upset over BC at TD Garden on Feb. 10, but BC remains firmly no.1 atop the college ice hockey national rankings. Hockey East remains strong with five New England college teams ranked among the top ten in national polls. So perhaps we will see a rare all-Eastern final at the Frozen Four in St. Louis April 10 to 12. All the while, in our professional winter sports, the Bruins are struggling and the Celtics are having a solid season and we can hope both will make the playoffs with a decent playoff run for the Celtics beginning next month. The Celtics will be defending their NBA championship but competition will be stiff.

As for Newsletter items, last week, CEOWORLD magazine published an article of mine on FAQs – my answers to Frequently Asked Questions that I receive on executive compensation, executive equity and negotiations.  Further into this March Newsletter, items #3 and #4 are two older articles of mine, both published in IVYEXEC career advancement website,#3 published in 2022 on leveraging  your strengths in negotiating for key terms in executive retention packages, #4 published in 2023 on terms to negotiate for in your new job offer or employment contract as a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or a Chief Information Officer (CIO). Item #5 is a special offer also on executive retention. As always,  I hope some of these items might be of interest and  benefit… and my best wishes to all for the rest of March!

This almost 4-weeks value-packed offer, is as a way to get introduced to my law work: Executive Employment Retention Law Diagnostic — this offer is good through 3/31/25.   More Details Here
It’s always a pleasure to get back in touch with you and other clients, friends, and colleagues.  I hope the links and information provided will be useful to you and that there will be an opportunity for me to work with you on legal matters in the near future. 
Let’s keep in touch! 
Best regards,
Rob
Robert Adelson

*Adelson & Associates, LLC
Executive Employment Attorney
101 Federal Street, 19th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 204-5601 Law Firm
(617) 204-5602 Direct
(617) 204-5604 Fax
E-mail :  [email protected]
Blog:  https://robadelson.wordpress.com/
Twitter:  @AttorneyAdelson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-adelson-b8a1557/
Website: www.executiveemploymentattorney.com
Note on Adelson & Associates, LLC:
*As mentioned in bullet no. 2 of the January 2020 Business Law Newsletter, Robert A. Adelson is now the Principal of Adelson & Associates, LLC.  For fifteen (15) years, from October 2004 through December 2019, Robert Adelson practiced law and referred legal work to associates of his, trusted and experienced colleagues, as a partner of Engel & Schultz, LLP.  In December 2019, the lead partners of the firm announced they would go into semi-retirement, go their separate ways, and the office lease would expire in January 2020.  In response, Robert Adelson formed Adelson & Associates, LLC in December 2019 and commenced the new firm’s operations on January 1, 2020, with the new firm taking over, on that date and going forward, all current Robert Adelson clients, matters and operations, as well as all referral of legal work to associates of Robert Adelson.  The new firm’s offices, at 101 Federal Street, 19th Floor, are across the street from the prior offices at One Federal Street, 21st Floor, in Boston’s Financial District.

On Tuesday April 30, 2024, CEOWorld magazine published an article I wrote titled, “Fighting the Double Trigger as Free Labor vs Slavery II: Negotiating with a Public Company Change of Control Acceleration Terms.”

The new article is designed for public company CEOs and C-level executives, or those senior executives who may be negotiating terms to become a public company C-level executive, where in either case an acquisition and equity acceleration on change of control is part of the considerations in those job offer negotiations.

On September 15, 2023, CEOWORLD published my article “Fighting the Double Trigger as free labor vs slavery: How to negotiate your own Change of Control acceleration terms.” Since that time, I have represented a number of CEO and C-level executive clients where this issue has been an important executive compensation consideration.

Special resistance has arisen with regard to public company executives. In the case of one public company CEO client of mine, we were told by the national law firm representing the public company, that the single trigger is just not done by public companies. The major law firm told my CEO and the company’s Board Compensation Committee that using the single trigger just doesn’t happen in public companies. We were told their rejection of the single trigger was rooted in universal practice of public companies and also for a host of practical reasons.

Yet, despite this initial flat-out rejection of the single trigger, we persevered. In the course of my representation, I rebutted each of the big law firm’s arguments made for the double trigger and was able to offer numerous examples of public companies that, in fact, had used the single trigger. In the end, my arguments and the precedents I offered, proved to be persuasive. My client CEO succeeded in convincing the Board Compensation Committee to go against corporate counsel and accept the terms I drafted in my client’s revised CEO Employment Agreement for a single trigger acceleration in the event of a change of control in that public company.

In my new CEOWORLD article published last week, I share my arguments and some of the precedents I offered to successfully achieve single trigger acceleration terms for my public company CEO client.

As with my September 15 article, I concluded with the words of Abraham Lincoln in his 7th and final debate with Stephen A. Douglas:
It is the eternal struggle between these two principles — right and wrong — throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, “You work and toil and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.” No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle. “
Abraham Lincoln, at Alton, Illinois, October 15, 1858

Certainly, I am not saying that you, as CEO, are an enslaved person. You are not. However, when I view the Double Trigger, and see you work, and struggle and earn a liquidity event and investors “eat it” — that is, the investors alone reap the benefits of your labor, then I suggest Lincoln would still label this practice as the “theft of labor.”
My hope here, is that this article might be of benefit to other public company CEOs and C-level executives in similar circumstances.

To see my full CEOWORLD magazine. article, go to LINK: https://ceoworld.biz/2024/04/30/fighting-the-double-trigger-as-free-labor-vs-slavery-ii-negotiating-with-a-public-company-change-of-control-acceleration-terms/
Or on my website at https://www.executiveemploymentattorney.com/fighting-the-double-trigger-negotiating-with-a-public-company-change-of-control-acceleration-terms/

This was my 45th article published in CEOWORLD since 2016. Previously, the editor advised that I can use “Featured in the CEOWORLD magazine” and the CEOWORLD “Logo” on my website and add CEOWORLD magazine in my LinkedIn profile’s “Experience Section” as an “Opinion Columnist.” and authority in the field.

On its own initiative, CEOWORLD magazine created on their website a library of Robert Adelson published articles. You can peruse this library and/or read as many of my 44 published articles as you wish. See https://ceoworld.biz/author/robert-adelson/

With more than 12.4+ million-page views, CEOWORLD magazine is the world’s leading business magazine written strictly for CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, senior management executives, business leaders, and high net worth individuals worldwide. https://www.linkedin.com/company/ceomagazine/

Tweeting or X-ing My New CEOWorld article on “Fighting the Double Trigger as Free Labor vs Slavery II: Negotiating with a Public Company Change of Control Acceleration Terms.”If you tweet or X and would like to tweet or X my article, here are my five (5) tweets to retweet one or more or to use in your own tweet or x –

4/30/24 article @ceoworld by @attorneyadelson for #CEOs #CLevel and #Seniorexecutives on Fighting the #DoubleTrigger as #freelabor vs #slavery: In #publiccompany gaining #singletrigger #acceleration on closing of a #ChangeofControl https://ceoworld.biz/2024/04/30/fighting-the-double-trigger-as-free-labor-vs-slavery-ii-negotiating-with-a-public-company-change-of-control-acceleration-terms/ via @CEOWORLD magazine

4/30/24 article @ceoworld by @attorneyadelson for #publiccompany #CEOs & #Seniorexecutives on Fighting #DoubleTrigger so #ChangeofControl #acceleration #triggered on #dealclosing so you can #pursue & start other #careeropportunities https://ceoworld.biz/2024/04/30/fighting-the-double-trigger-as-free-labor-vs-slavery-ii-negotiating-with-a-public-company-change-of-control-acceleration-terms/ via @CEOWORLD magazine

4/30/24 article @ceoworld by @attorneyadelson for each #publiccompany #CEO on Fighting the #DoubleTrigger as #freelabor v #slavery with #ChangeofControl #acceleration #triggered on #dealclosing so u can freely assess any #retention https://ceoworld.biz/2024/04/30/fighting-the-double-trigger-as-free-labor-vs-slavery-ii-negotiating-with-a-public-company-change-of-control-acceleration-terms/ via @CEOWORLD magazine

4/30/24 article @ceoworld by @attorneyadelson for #publiccompany #CLevelexecutives on Fighting #DoubleTrigger so your #ChangeofControl #acceleration #triggered on #dealclosing same time as #investorpayout &no more #serviceconditions https://ceoworld.biz/2024/04/30/fighting-the-double-trigger-as-free-labor-vs-slavery-ii-negotiating-with-a-public-company-change-of-control-acceleration-terms/ via @CEOWORLD magazine

4/30/24 article @ceoworld by @attorneyadelson for each #publiccompanyCEO on Fighting the #DoubleTrigger as #freelabor vs #slavery with #ChangeofControl #acceleration #triggered on #dealclosing & no #investorpremium from your lockup https://ceoworld.biz/2024/04/30/fighting-the-double-trigger-as-free-labor-vs-slavery-ii-negotiating-with-a-public-company-change-of-control-acceleration-terms/ via @CEOWORLD magazine
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If you or any colleague of yours has a need in this area, please do reach out to me — [email protected] or call 617–875–8665.