Joseph Perl

Joseph Perl is an attorney specializing in commercial collections and general civil litigation. He is licensed to practice in the state courts of Massachusetts and New York, and in the federal courts for the District of Massachusetts and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Attorney Perl has extensive experience with a wide range of collection methods, including motions for pre-judgment security, and post-judgment enforcement measures. In addition to experience in civil litigation, Attorney Perl is experienced in using alternative dispute resolution methods to maximize client benefit.

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly has written multiple times about cases handled by Attorney Perl that helped set precedent in Massachusetts and clarify plaintiffs' rights to enforce their judgments. In 2010, Mr. Perl graduated magna cum laude with a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School where he wrote a research paper titled "Wings of Exchange: Our Past and Future Laws of Money".

• Judgment Enforcement
• Civil Litigation

• Free Consultation
  Free 15 minute consultation

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers

Since 2010

New York

New York State Office of Court Administration

Since 2020

Attorney

Joseph Perl, Attorney at Law

2012 - Current

Attorney

Perez-Kudzma Law Office

2010 - 2012

Intern

Framingham District Court

2009 - 2009

Consultant

DeMiranda & Pires, LLC

2008 - 2009

University of Massachusetts - Boston

B.A.

Suffolk University Law School

J.D. (2010) | Law

Peer Reviewed 4.9/5.0 Stars

Avvo

Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers

Current

Q. How can I recover unpaid wages from my employer in MA?

April 17, 2025

A: In MA, if an employer does not pay wages to their employee when due, the employee is entitled to triple the amount of wages that are past due. Look into the MA wage act. They are also not allowed to fire you for pursuing your legal right to back pay, since that is a separate violation. Before you can sue for triple damages, you need to fill out online a complaint with the attorney general's office. Use this link: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/file-a-workplace-complaint.

Somewhere there will be a checkbox asking if you want authorization to file a private lawsuit. Check that box. You will then get a letter in the mail from them- typically around two weeks later, authorizing you to sue under the wage act.

For the lawsuit itself, find the district court in MA nearest to you and ask them for the forms to fill out to file a small claims case. There will be a section to state the reason you a filing the case, and there you would just say that your employer has not paid your wages, and that you are seeking triple damages under the wage act. You need to name the defendants- they would be your employer (name of company) and any officers of the company and others who are responsible for payment. I would not name more than three parties as defendants- so pick whoever is most culpable. One good thing about the wage act is that it holds individual officers personally liable for failure to pay wages. This comes in handy if the company itself is insolvent.

The small claims court will then mail you notice of a hearing date, and the defendants will be notified as well. There you will just tell the court what you wrote in the complaint, and bring any supporting documentation like proof of your employment with the company, any communications with the employer where they admit non payment, etc. Your own testimony is also evidence which alone may be enough if the other side isn't disputing it or if they are not credible.

A practical choice you have is just to tell them that if they don't pay you, that you will be filing a claim with the attorney general's office and in court for their violation of the wage act, and that you will be seeking triple damages. They might at that point want to just give you the $2,000 if you promise you wont seek triple damages. It's up to you at that point if you want to accept the $2,000 and not or proceed to seek triple damages (that can take time since the small claims hearing might not be for several months), or if you want to pursue triple damages. ... Read More