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Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Matt Berlin balances law and music careers with new album release
Berlin and Kweskin have teamed up yet again, to produce a new ensemble album, 'Doing Things Right,' under the name the Berlin Hall Saturday Night Review. (Berlin credits his grandfather, who ran a dance hall in Virginia as the album's inspiration.) The album came out last Friday, following release parties at Club Passim in Cambridge and the Jalopy Theatre in New York, on Jalopy's label. The two musicians bring together a number of longtime collaborators to create a lively mix of jazz, folk, blues, and swing. Berlin grew up in a musical family in Cambridge, starting as a cello player at age 7. He talked his way into a regular big-band gig as a newly christened bass player in high school. Tendinitis derailed his dream of being a full-time musician so he followed his father's path into a legal career, first working with his dad Jerry Berlin at his small firm, and then joining Rubin and Rudman in 2001. Advertisement He does see some overlap: In law and in music, he said, you have to be willing to engage with new material and people, and keep an open mind. Advertisement When he tours, he does his legal work in hotel rooms or in the passenger seat of a vehicle heading to the next gig, and takes the occasional call to authorize a wire transfer during soundchecks. 'My friend calls me an adrenaline junkie,' Berlin said. 'It's very intense to play music at a high level [but] it's an intensity that I enjoy and I crave.' And there's the added benefit of meeting people from all walks of life, while learning an American songbook that doubles as an audio alternative to a history book. 'It gives insight to all the different layers of American culture and experience,' Berlin added, 'that I wouldn't have standing here in my office looking out of a 15th story window.' For Rivers, this deal is personal Bob Rivers, CEO of Eastern Bank, poses for a portrait in his Boston office in 2020. Blake Nissen/The Boston Globe As Eastern Bank 's top executive, Bob Rivers has engineered many acquisitions over the years. This one, though, Rivers says, is personal: Eastern has reached a deal worth nearly $500 million in stock and cash to acquire HarborOne Bank , whose Brockton headquarters is a stone's throw from where Rivers grew up (Stoughton) and where he went to college ( Stonehill , in Easton). 'I went into Brockton way more often than I would go to Boston,' said Rivers, Eastern's executive chair. 'To come back on this one ties a lot of things together from 40 years ago.' Of course, that's not the reason Rivers is doing this deal. Acquiring HarborOne helps Eastern build market share in the Boston metro area as Rivers and his team seek to move ahead of Santander to become the region's third biggest bank after market leader Bank of America and runner up Citizens Bank . Eastern won't get there with this deal, but it's getting closer. Advertisement While HarborOne is a much smaller bank, at roughly one-quarter of Eastern's size ($5.7 billion in assets versus $25 billion), HarborOne has a larger mortgage selling business than Eastern. And Eastern gets its first retail branches in Rhode Island. Rivers and HarborOne chief executive Joe Casey stayed in touch over the years, and started talking about a merger a few months ago. They stuck with it despite the stock market's recent volatility. (Casey and one other HarborOne director will join Eastern's board as the deal closes, likely around the end of this year.) Rivers started working on this deal around six months after Eastern completed its purchase of Cambridge Trust ― an unusually quick turnaround. Rivers concedes he would have preferred to wait a little longer. But opportunities don't come up often in this region, even amid the flurry of M&A the local banking sector is experiencing. Rivers believed he needed to strike when he could. 'When you get that opportunity, you've got to do everything you can to make it happen,' Rivers said. 'Once they're gone, they're gone.' Seeing green at UMass As the federal government cuts back funds for university research and addressing climate change, Marty Meehan hopes the UMass system can pick up some of the slack. In his annual 'State of the University' address, University of Massachusetts president focused on what UMass can do to help accelerate the Healey administration goals of ensuring this state flourishes as a hub for climate-tech innovation and economic development. During the roughly eight-minute speech, Meehan explained that he's asked chancellors at the five UMass campuses to develop economic development strategies that align with the state's climate-tech goals, including those subsidized in the Legislature's latest economic development bill. Advertisement 'UMass ... will be the engine that drives the state's economic ambitions, as we've been for 160 years,' Meehan said in the address. Meehan talked about some specific efforts that are already underway: climate resiliency research at UMass Boston 's Stone Living Lab, UMass Dartmouth's work on sustainable fisheries, and water treatment and purification research at UMass Amherst . He also mentioned the importance of global partnerships, singling out the Clean Energy & Environment Legacy Transition Initiative that UMass Lowell and Boston University are working on with university partners in Ireland, as well as UMass Boston chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco 's efforts with the Vatican Climate Summit last year. 'There's no question that the federal government is trying to take us back with regard to climate change,' Meehan said. '[But] I would argue that climate change is the existential threat of our time. ... Our goal is to position UMass to be the partner of choice for state government, the private sector in Massachusetts, and also globally.' Learning leadership starts early Jean Hynes, CEO of Wellington Management, pictured in 2020 David L. Ryan/Globe Staff While Jean Hynes is now one of the most prominent women in the mutual fund industry, she credits at least some of her success to where she went to high school. She rose up the ranks of Wellington Management over three decades at the Boston fund giant, to become the first woman to be named its CEO, in 2020. Along the way, she never forgot the lessons she learned at Fontbonne Academy , the all-girl Catholic school in Milton. And at a March 29 fundraiser at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Norwood, she helped headline an event that raised more than $400,000 for Fontbonne scholarships. Advertisement 'Whether it was the math team, or whether it was community service organizations, those kinds of things, they're just opportunities to have those small leadership moments,' Hynes said. 'It just gave me the confidence that you could be a leader, very early in my journey in life.' Hynes was one of three Fontbonne alums to be honored at the gala, along with Melissa Nelson , chief midwife at Mass. General Hospital , and Arielle Gaines , a teacher at the Match Community Day school in Hyde Park. The fund-raising gala drew some 400 people. Fontbonne previously held this event every 10 years but this one, recognizing the school's 70th anniversary, was such a success that the school will now make it an annual event. (In other years, the school would hold smaller fund-raising dinners.) 'When you're engaging with people and you care about what they're investing in, … that to me is the perfect role model for our 'servant leadership' that we teach here at Fontbonne,' said Maura Spignesi , Fontbonne's head of school. 'You're achieving things in your own life but how do you now turn around and do good in the world? I think Jean does good in the world, both in how she leads and how she gives back to the community.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Eastern's Bob Rivers on $500 million HarborOne purchase: ‘This deal is really personal for me'
'Brockton was always my city [growing up, so] this deal is really personal for me,' said Rivers, Eastern's executive chair. 'I went into Brockton way more often than I would go to Boston. … To come back on this one ties a lot of things together from 40 years ago.' Of course, that's not the reason Rivers is making this deal. Acquiring HarborOne helps Eastern build its market share in the Boston metro area as Rivers and his team seek to move ahead of Santander to become the third-biggest bank in the region after market leader Bank of America and runner up Citizens Bank. Eastern won't get there with this deal, but it's getting closer. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up While HarborOne is a much smaller bank, at roughly one-quarter of Eastern's size ($5.7 billion in assets versus $25 billion), HarborOne has a much larger mortgage selling business than Eastern. And Eastern gets its first retail branches in Rhode Island through this deal. Advertisement Eastern's first foray in Brockton occurred more than a decade ago, with the purchase of The Community Bank. Following that deal, Rivers became involved in the city's business community and got to know HarborOne chief executive Joe Casey and his predecessor, Jim Blake. Advertisement Rivers and Casey stayed in touch over the years, and started talking about a merger a few months ago. They stuck with it despite the stock market's recent volatility. (Casey and one other HarborOne director will join Eastern's board of directors as the deal closes, likely around the end of this year.) Rivers started working on this deal around six months after Rivers concedes he would have preferred to wait a little longer before lining up another major deal like this. But opportunities don't come up often in this region, even amid the flurry of acquisitions the local banking sector is experiencing. Rivers believed he needed to strike when he could. 'When you get that opportunity, you've got to do everything you can to make it happen,' Rivers said. 'Once they're gone, they're gone.' This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene. Jon Chesto can be reached at
Business Wire
28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
HARBORONE BANCORP INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of HarborOne Bancorp
NEW YORK & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ('KSF') are investigating the proposed sale of HarborOne Bancorp (NasdaqGS: HONE) to Eastern Bankshares, Inc. (NasdaqGS: EBC). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of HarborOne may elect to receive either 0.765 shares of Eastern or $12.00 in cash (subject to certain allocation procedures), for each share of HarborOne that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ( toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eastern Bank to broach Rhode Island with $490M HarborOne deal
This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter. Eastern Bankshares will merge with Brockton, Massachusetts-based HarborOne in a $490 million stock-and-cash deal that would push the Boston-based lender's brick-and-mortar footprint into Rhode Island for the first time, the banks said Thursday. The transaction, set to close in the fourth quarter, will add 30 locations to Eastern's 109-branch presence and bolster the $25 billion-asset bank with a further $5.7 billion in assets. HarborOne shareholders will receive a choice of either 0.765 Eastern shares or $12 cash for each HarborOne share they own, as long as 75% to 85% of the overall payout is in stock. The deal's $490 million value is based on an 80% stock-to-cash ratio – meaning Eastern would issue $99 million in cash, along with 25.2 million shares at $15.48 each, the stock's closing price from Wednesday. The deal announcement comes just one day after Columbia Banking System said it would buy Pacific Premier Bank in a $2 billion transaction meant to boost its presence in Southern California. Taken together, the Columbia and Eastern deals lend credence to the idea that an expected surge in banking mergers and acquisitions following President Donald Trump's reelection may just have needed the right trigger. The Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency last Friday gave a green light to Capital One's $35.3 billion proposed acquisition of Discover, the largest banking merger in at least six years. Capital One and Columbia mergers notwithstanding, Eastern has shown a particular cadence with its acquisitions: It has tended to expand through purchases roughly every other year. The Boston bank announced it would buy Cambridge Bank for $528 million in 2023, and Century Bank for $642 million in 2021. Bob Rivers, Eastern's chair, called HarborOne a 'highly recognized institution in our local market.' 'We share a deep commitment to customers, colleagues and communities,' Rivers said. Once the transaction closes, HarborOne directors will get two seats on Eastern's board, including one to be occupied by CEO Joseph Casey. 'Today's announcement is a testament to the strength of our franchise and dedication of our team,' Casey said. 'Partnering with Eastern brings further scale, resources and innovation to deliver long-term value and enhanced banking experiences to our customers and local communities. We look forward to building upon the legacy forged by HarborOne for over a century.' Eastern CEO Denis Sheahan touted the deal's 16% earnings accretion, noting that Eastern would earn back its tangible book value in 2.8 years. Sheahan called HarborOne 'a natural strategic fit with shared values, vision and focus on customer-centric banking.' 'We look forward to introducing HarborOne customers to an enhanced array of products and services,' he said. That includes Eastern's wealth business, which manages $8.4 billion in assets – largely inherited through the Cambridge acquisition. HarborOne, for its part, counts a sizable mortgage-lending business. Additionally, its HarborOne U program offers educational resources such as free digital content, webinars and recordings aimed at small-business owners and clients seeking personal-finance help. Sign in to access your portfolio
Boston Globe
25-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Eastern Bank is acquiring HarborOne, expanding in Mass. and R.I.
Eastern Bank, the largest Massachusetts-headquartered bank with 109 locations across eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, will take over HarborOne's 30 banking centers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Eastern has about $25 billion in assets, while HarborOne has $5.7 billion. Advertisement After the merger, HarborOne CEO Joseph Casey and one other HarborOne director are expected to be join Eastern Bank's board of directors, according to the release. Maren Halpin can be reached at
