Kristina Gasson Email and Phone Number

Responsible for managing all legal matters and overseeing the compliance activities for a variety of programs overseen by OSD. Areas of responsibility include managing all agency litigation, acting as liaison with investigatory bodies, responding to legislative and/or public inquiries, overseeing appeals of purchase of service procurements, managing the content of agency regulations and policies, and providing strategic and other legal advice to the various business units.

Provided legal advice, representation and support to the Cannabis Control Commission and its staff on a broad range of complex legal, business, operations and regulatory issues.

I served as Deputy General Counsel for Boards & Hearings, with responsibility for the management and oversight of the Office of Legal Counsel at the Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL). I provided legal advice to the agency and its 39 boards of professional licensure and ensured that administrative hearings and Superior Court appeals comport with G.L. c. 30A. I developed legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives to promote board and DOL objectives.

I served as counsel to several assigned boards of regulated professions at the Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL) and provide legal advice to board members, constituents, and staff. I frequently advised on and interpreted the professional licensing law, the open meeting law, public records law, state ethics law, agency and board policies, and court decisions and litigation affecting board operations and business. I recommended discipline and issued final decisions in connection with licensing discipline. I managed the process governing the drafting, review, and promulgation of regulations pursuant to G.L. c 30A. I reviewed, analyzed and summarized legislation relevant to assigned boards, divisions, offices, or units and drafted proposed legislation; prepared memoranda for agency review and/or legislative committees.

I managed employer private plan exemptions and established a system of administrative benefits appeals at the the newly established Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML), which provides income replacement for Massachusetts workers who need to care for family members and service-members, bond with new children, or to attend to their own serious medical conditions.Key accomplishments:-Developed and managed the private plan exemption application and audit/compliance process;-Drafted and established SOP, policies and procedures, website language, surety bond forms and requirements, department regulations, Q&A, and private plan insurance requirements;-Provided legal counsel on a variety of employment, insurance, and administrative legal issues facing the DFML during its start-up phase;-Spearheaded insurance carrier meetings to ensure the development of private PFML insurance policies in the marketplace and the regulation of insurance carriers;-Decisionmaker on wage subjectivity issues and developed answers to provide clarity to payroll companies, employers, and other stakeholders;-Responded to requests from municipalities, religious organizations, and other statutorily exempted entities; and -Served as Records Access Officer (RAO) to respond to public records requests and constituent inquiries

I served as legal counsel and presiding officer at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance (DOI), managing and conducting formal hearings on enforcement actions against insurance producers and companies, insurance rate and performance standards review, approving mergers and acquisitions, and monitoring financial solvency of insurance companies. In my role, I conducted public hearings on state regulations and the insurance industry standards and evaluated and offered policy recommendations on assessments and collections actions against regulated entities.

I served as an administrative hearings officer at the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), conducting informal administrative hearings on claims for agency benefits or services where I questioned parties, reviewed evidence, and determined the admissibility of evidence to render legally sound decisions. As Assistant General Counsel, I represented the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) in the Commonwealth's district and superior courts, researched relevant regulations and laws to offer policy recommendations, and conducted investigations on claims against the agency.

I maintained a solo law practice which offered legal services in Social Security claims, employment, worker’s compensation/SSI/MCAD conferences and conciliations, trusts & estates, contracts, business incorporation, and immigration matters. I prepared citizenship, green card, and visa petitions and represented clients in removal (deportation) hearings at the Boston Immigration Court.I also contracted with several large and mid-size law firms to provide legal services and consulting and drafted and edited legal practice manuals and website content on a freelance basis for Lexis-Nexis and Nolo, including three editions of “How to Get a Green Card.”

Provided litigation support and e-discovery services to several large Boston law firms

Provided litigation support and e-discovery services to several large Boston law firms

Supported Immigration Court justices in legal and statutory research on both the federal and state levels; Reviewed and transcribed court docket and hearings at trial; worked on written decisions for removal hearings

Assisted a professor and public health expert on research and writing tasks

Provided constitutional law research; Presented research and writing addressing democratic transition, which was distributed to the Iraq National Assembly

Contributed news and feature stories and opinions columns for The Winchester Star, when owned by the Boston Herald and operated as Community Newspaper Company (CNC).

Interned for Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Ma.) in his Washington office and attended the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles