Hon. Margaret R. Hinkle (Ret.) was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court in 1993 and most recently served as the Administrative Justice of the Business Litigation Session, the preferred statewide forum for the resolution of complex business litigation and commercial disputes. Recognized as one of the Superior Court’s most talented and respected judges, Judge Hinkle is well regarded for her intellect, experience, judgment, and work ethic. The Judge has practiced as a full-time JAMS neutral since leaving the bench in 2011.
ADR Experience and Qualifications
- Presided over the successful Business Litigation Session (the "BLS") of the Massachusetts Superior Court during 2009 and 2010 where she resolved complex litigation including class actions, shareholder rights, partnerships, joint ventures, and environmental matters, among others
- During 18 years on the Superior Court bench, presided over hundreds of trials and handled a wide variety of cases in virtually all areas of civil law including business and commercial, consumer unfair and deceptive conduct, employment, insurance (bad faith, coverage, and subrogation), intellectual property, personal injury, professional liability (accounting, dental, legal, and medical), and real estate matters
- Served two years as the Suffolk County Regional Administrative Justice (the "RAJ") for Civil Business with responsibility for oversight of seven busy time standard sessions
- Concentrated on securities and commercial litigation in private practice
Representative Matters
- Partnership dissolutions involving provisions of partnership agreements and allocation of assets
- Successfully mediated dispute involving alleged corporate freeze-out by majority shareholder of closely-held corporation
- Settled longstanding unfair competition dispute between two high-profile Boston area musical instrument manufacturers
- Resolved breach of contract dispute between commercial supplier and landmark Boston hotel
- Settled various claims arising out of the failure of a joint venture in the hospitality industry
- Appraised and later settled several land use claims arising out of residential development scheme
- Claims against financial institutions, attorneys, appraisers, mortgage brokers and others arising from complex mortgage foreclosures
- Assessed validity of contract provisions regarding development of proprietary software and cross-claims of intellectual property
- Mediated claims brought by financial institutions against major accounting firm arising from third party fraud
