AiVi Nguyen

Overview

AiVi Nguyen is a business lawyer with a specialty in litigation, a practical strategist with a focus on complex contract, real estate and employment disputes. AiVi represents businesses of all sizes and in all stages of growth in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in a wide variety of industries spanning from healthcare to craft breweries. “I think of myself as a problem solver,” she says. AiVi’s goal is to get her clients the best result in the most efficient manner. Sometimes that means taking a matter all the way through trial, where AiVi has proven to be an aggressive and successful advocate.

She has extensive experience litigating at the trial and appellate levels as well as in arbitrations and mediations. She also represents clients before state regulatory and adjudicatory agencies and has defended other attorneys before the state Board of Bar Overseers in disciplinary proceedings.

AiVi’s broad litigation background has provided her with an understanding of the business needs of her clients. She candidly counsels owners and executives on practical, day-to-day issues, firmly believing that the best litigation lawyers are the ones who insulate their clients from being sued. “As much as I love litigation, my aim is to keep my clients out of it,” she says.

AiVi is a recipient of an Inspirational Women of Worcester Award, presented by Worcester Union Athletics in March 2019. She is also a 2017 recipient of the Worcester Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business Award. (Click here to view a brief video assembled in AiVi’s honor.) AiVi also is a 2016 recipient of the YWCA of Central Massachusetts Katharine F. Erskine award in the category of Business & Law, which honors women who have shown not only achievement in their professions, but also dedication to promoting diversity through social and racial equality, community involvement and serving as a role model for women and girls.

Among her many roles at the firm, AiVi is a leading contributor to three of the firm’s blogs: Campus Counsel, At the Bar with Bowditch and The Case for Inclusion. Her opinion and legal commentary pieces are frequently featured in publications such as the New England Journal of Higher Education and Worcester Business Journal. She is also the former Chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee, which is devoted to “progress within the firm and in the communities where we live and work,” according to AiVi. Her commitment to this progress is demonstrated through her frequent seminars and talks on issues of diversity in the workplace.

Outside of the firm, AiVi held the position of Vice Chair of the City of Worcester’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. Through this role, AiVi’s goal was to promote the city’s diversity by supporting the community’s outreach programs and services. As a Worcester native, AiVi is deeply committed to giving back to the community that helped shape her.

Before Bowditch

AiVi was a Summer Associate at Bowditch & Dewey in 2008. She was also a Judicial Intern for The Honorable F. Dennis Saylor, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, 2007-2008.

Besides work

AiVi is a beer collector and connoisseur. “We travel for beer,” recently making the pilgrimage to Brussels for the ultimate sour beer adventure.

Affiliations

Worcester is AiVi’s hometown, and she is committed to its continued economic and cultural progress.

Chair of the Board of Directors, Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center
Member, Complex Commercial Litigation Section Council, Massachusetts Bar Association
Corporator, Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Member, Worcester County Bar Association
Member, Asian-American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
Member, Women’s Bar Association
Corporator, YWCA of Central Massachusetts

Former Chair & Member of Board of Directors, United Way of Central Massachusetts
Former Director, Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center
Former Vice Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, City of Worcester
Former Chair, Diversity Committee of Bowditch & Dewey, LLP
Board of Trustees, Quinsigamond Community College, 2010-2016
Former Worcester Advisory Board Member, Bottom Line
Former Board Member, Squares Squared (Nonprofit that runs Pow! Wow! Worcester)
Former Member of Attorney Advisory Committee, Boston Lawyers Group

Honors

Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2023)
Community Legal Aid 2020 Pro Bono Honor Roll
Selected to Massachusetts Super Lawyers list for Business Litigation (2020)
Selected to Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list (2015 – 2019)
Member of Worcester Business Journal’s (WBJ) Power 50 Class of 2019 and 2020
Inspirational Women of Worcester Award (2019)
Outstanding Women in Business Award, Worcester Business Journal (2017)
Recipient of the YWCA of Central Massachusetts Katharine F. Erskine Award for Business & Law (2016)
Named to Worcester Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” (2015)

Articles + Talks

Articles

“10 Things I Know About… Providing better benefits for young employees,” Worcester Business Journal, January 24, 2022
“10 Things I Know About… Successfully building relationships via Zoom,” Worcester Business Journal, June 21, 2021
“How to counter the Shecession,” Worcester Business Journal, June 7, 2021
“10 Things I know about … How companies respond to George Floyd’s killing,” Worcester Business Journal, July 6, 2020
“Worcester seeks to diversify city workforce,” Worcester Business Journal, October 15, 2018
“10 Things I Know About Effectively Serving on a Nonprofit Board,” Worcester Business Journal, October 15, 2018
“10 Things I Know About Creating a Truly Diverse Workplace,” Worcester Business Journal, June 11, 2018
“10 Things I Know About Opening a Brewery,” Worcester Business Journal, March 19, 2018
“10 Things I know about: Causing & preventing business litigation,” Worcester Business Journal, January 8, 2018
“Understanding How the First Amendment Treats ‘Hate Speech’,” This Week In Worcester, September 5, 2017
“Five Signs Your Lawyer is a Keeper,” Worcester Business Journal, June 12, 2017
“How Much Power Does a Higher Ed Institution Have Over Including Transgender Students in Greek Life?,” The New England Journal of Higher Education, December 19, 2016
“The Massachusetts Equal Pay Act: What it Means for Employers,” Human Resources Management Association newsletter, October 2016
“Pabst Blue Ribbon to John Cena/WWE: ‘We have a chokehold called the Cease & Desist’,” Craft Brewing Business, June 28, 2016
“Campus Free Speech Presents Both Legal and PR Challenges For Colleges,” WGBH News On Campus Blog, April 30, 2016
“Campus Free Speech Presents Both Legal and PR Challenges for Colleges,” The New England Board of Higher Education, April 19, 2016
“Partner at 31; Worcester Advocate Since Childhood,” Worcester Business Journal, February 1, 2016
“Investing in Millennials is an Investment in Worcester,” Worcester Business Journal, January 18, 2016

Talks

“Celebrating and Honoring Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month,” Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester, MA, May 23, 2023
“Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act: Four Years Later,” Massachusetts Bar Association, March 30, 2023
Leadership Worcester Impact Panel, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, September 17, 2021
“COVID-19 + Working Women: How to Reverse the Shecession,” Worcester Business Journal, April 20, 2021 (Moderator)
“PERSONAL BRANDING: AiVi Nguyen,” Founders Story podcast, March 29, 2021 (Featured Guest)
“How To Protect Your Clients & Yourselves in An Ultra-Competitive Market,” Realtors Association of Central MA, March 18, 2021
Greater Boston Asian Pacific American Law Student Association Conference, February 19, 2021
“Young Professionals Night Out (In),” Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, January 26, 2021
“Racial Justice and Health Inequity Seminar,” Community Legal Aid, October 28, 2020
“Pathways to an Inclusive Financial Services Workforce and Portfolio,” Worcester Chamber Game Changers, October 20, 2020 (Moderator)
First Annual Auburn Middle School Girls Conference, Auburn, Massachusetts, June 6, 2019 (Keynote Speaker)
Commencement Speaker, Quinsigamond Community College 54th Commencement, Worcester, Massachusetts, May 23, 2019
“Pay Equity: Get What’s Yours,” Live in Color Conference, Worcester, Massachusetts, May 14, 2019
“Leveraging Your Authentic Self: Women in Leadership,” Presidential Inauguration Week at Becker College, Worcester, Massachusetts, April 3, 2019
“Start Me Up Legal Conference,” Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and Bowditch & Dewey, Worcester, Massachusetts, March 27, 2019 (Moderator of Formation & Financing Panel)
Talk of the Commonwealth radio show, February 20, 2019
“Negotiating In/For/Through Your Life,” Women Leading Government “Galentine’s Day” Event, Massachusetts Municipal Association, Norton, Massachusetts, February 14, 2019
“A Brush with the Law…” Podcast, Pop It, December 20, 2018
Color Magazine’s Diversity & Inclusion in Legal Practice Summit, December 13, 2018 (Executive Speaker)
“AiVi Nguyen – Law Partner at 31? Boss.,” How to Change the World, Episode 28, Javelina, August 2018
“In the Pursuit of Success,” Women of Color Leadership and Empowerment Conference, June 22, 2018 (Executive Speaker)
“Young Professionals Leadership Panel Discussion,” Corridor Nine Area Chamber of Commerce, HYPE9, Westborough, Massachusetts, June 6, 2018 (Moderator)
“Legal Considerations for Business Owners,” Certified Value Growth Advisors, Dedham, Massachusetts, May 16, 2018
“Navigating Career Politics: Creating Your Own Opportunities,” Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Worcester Women’s Leadership Conference, DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, May 3, 2018
“Legal Considerations for Start-Up and Early-State Businesses,” Center for Women and Enterprise, Westborough, Massachusetts, May 2, 2018
“Get on Board,” Non-profit Director Workshop, Boston College Law School, Boston, MA, February 9, 2018
“The Start-up Ecosystem: Worcester UX (User Experience),” Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Game Changers Business Conference & Expo, Worcester, Massachusetts, October 20, 2017
“Drugs & Alcohol On Campus: Protecting the University,” Bowditch & Dewey College and University Roundtable, Worcester/South Hadley, Massachusetts, May 2017
“Lady Boss: Millennial Women in Charge,” Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Leadership Conference, Worcester, Massachusetts, April 13, 2017
“From Campus to the Courtroom: Recent Developments in Title IX Litigation,” Bowditch & Dewey College and University Roundtable, Worcester/South Hadley, Massachusetts, September/October 2016

Bar Admissions

Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
U.S. Supreme Court

Education

J.D., Boston College Law School
B.A., University of Pennsylvania

Experience

Obtaining a preliminary injunction keeps a craft brewery in business

When a craft brewery in Massachusetts was told that it had violated its lease, it could have put them out of business and killed a key part of its town’s revitalization. “The dispute was over the presence of food trucks and live music,” AiVi noted. “We prevailed at a preliminary injunction stage because the judge was persuaded by my client’s real life story. We were aggressive in making our case, written and oral, and it was the right strategy, since a preliminary injunction has to meet a very high legal standard.” Pending final resolution, the firm’s client is still operating…business as usual.

Forcing the sale of a historic commercial property

For two years, a local father/son commercial real estate company negotiated to buy a building in the heart of one of Boston’s key, historic neighborhoods. During that period, they managed and improved the property, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars on the strength of a handshake. “The owner kept delaying the purchase/sale agreement,” AiVi explained. “Finally, when it came time to follow through with the transaction, the seller upped the price.” She filed for a preliminary injunction to force the sale at the handshake price…and won. “Our client has been able to update the property in a way that helps uplift the entire neighborhood.”

Other experience

Successfully mediated favorable resolution of landlord-tenant dispute for a craft brewery.
Comprehensive 13-day American Arbitration Association arbitration related to employment dispute.
Favorable verdict in trial representing commercial tenant against its landlord for failure to remediate property after extensive damage caused by landlord’s negligence.
Successfully defended mortgage company client in multiple consumer protection actions.
Favorable settlement midway through trial in an action against high-end kitchen renovation company.
Significant settlement results on behalf of client in an action against mortgage servicing company for negligent winterization of property valued at more than $2 million.
Favorable results for an institutional financial services client accused of breach of contract and negligence in complex dispute over decedent’s property.
Negotiated dissolution of closely-held franchise partnership that held over 100 franchises, with favorable results to client.

Insights + News