BOSTON – Attorney General Martha Coakley last week appointed Timothy Langella, an attorney with more than 30 years of legal experience in national and international business disputes, as chief of the Business, Technology and Economic Development Division. more

BOSTON – A company that provides ATMs to convenience stores, restaurants and other retail businesses in Massachusetts agreed to pay $50,000 to settle allegations that it failed to post fee-disclosure notices on certain machines, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced last week. more

PROVIDENCE – The owner of a local tax-preparation firm has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for under-reporting more than $1 million in income and failing to pay nearly $400,000 in federal taxes, The Associated Press reported last week. more

PROVIDENCE – Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis last week warned Rhode Island LLCs to be wary of a direct-mail solicitation from an nonexistent entity calling itself “Rhode Island Corporate Compliance.” The latest notice comes just two months after the company mailed a similar letter to for-profit corporations. more

DARTMOUTH – The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School of Law and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have formed a National Fair Housing Collegiate Partnership Campaign. more

BRISTOL – Roger Williams University School of Law now will offer students the option to earn a three-year J.D. degree on an accelerated 2.5 years, or a more flexible four-year track. more

As part of its 25/25 initiative, Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP recently donated 25 tickets to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art to the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket. more

BOSTON – An auto-insurance company has agreed to pay more than $200,000 to settle allegations that it overcharged consumers by failing to reduce premiums as drivers gained additional years of driving experience, Attorney General Martha Coakley said. more

PROVIDENCE – Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced last week that as part of a nationwide settlement against the drug manufacturer Amgen Inc., the state will receive $54,248. more

Nearly a year of reassurances from Rhode Island’s top political leaders that the state will pay off its 38 Studios LLC debt hasn’t quieted advocates of a tactical default. more