Providence Lawyers Ascend to Leadership Roles/Receive Recognitions During 2023 RI Bar Foundation and Association Annual Meetings

Insurance + Reinsurance lawyers Dana M. Horton and Crystal D. Peralta ascended to leadership positions as part of the Rhode Island Bar Association’s (RIBA) Annual Meeting hosted on June 1 and 2, 2023 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Dana was elected RIBA Secretary, which in the laddered leadership structure of the RIBA, means she will be elected treasurer at the 2024 annual meeting, followed by president-elect and president at the succeeding annual meetings.

Dana has been an active RIBA member since her admission to practice in Rhode Island, with involvement in several bar committees over the past twenty years, including the Young Lawyer’s Committee, District Court Bench Bar Committee, Federal Court Bench Bar Committee, Annual Meeting Committee and Superior Court Bench Bar Committee. She was the Chairperson of the Annual Meeting Committee for the 2022 Annual Meeting and served as the Chairperson of the Superior Court Bench Bar Committee for five years. Dana has also been a member of the RIBA Executive Committee for the past three years as a Member at Large and has served on the House of Delegates since 2009.

Crystal was appointed to serve as a member of the RIBA House of Delegates. She is currently a member of RIBA’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

During the first day of the event, the Rhode Island Bar Foundation (the charitable arm of RIBA) conducted its Fellows Annual Meeting during which, Bankruptcy + Reorganizations Group member Steven J. Boyajian awarded two Thomas F. Black Jr. Memorial Scholarships and two Papitto Opportunity Connection Scholarships, totalling $25,000, to students entering their first year of law school as chair of the Bar Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. Steve was reelected to the Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors for another three-year term and reelected as Treasurer. Also during that meeting, Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications lawyer Peter V. Lacouture was presented with a certificate of recognition in honor of 18 years of service as a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and chair of its Real Estate Committee. Bar Foundation President Michael R. McElroy offered remarks commemorating Peter’s nearly two decades of service, as he is not seeking another term on the board, and highlighted how the Foundation’s purchase of the building RIBA currently operates in was negotiated pro bono by Robinson+Cole.

Providence Lawyers Receive Distinctions During Rhode Island Bar Foundation and Association Annual Meetings

Multiple lawyers in Robinson+Cole’s Providence received distinctions as part of the Rhode Island Bar Association’s (RIBA) Annual Meeting hosted on June 23 and June 24, 2022 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Insurance + Reinsurance Group lawyer Dana M. Horton is Chair of the 2022 Annual Meeting Planning Committee and, according to the President of RIBA, “produced a diverse and enriching program” for hundreds of attorneys and judges from RI and the surrounding area that attended the two-day event. Dana also serves on the Association’s Executive Committee and is a long time member of the RIBA House of Delegates.

During the first day or the event, the Rhode Island Bar Foundation (the charitable the charitable arm of RIBA) conducted its Fellows Annual Meeting during which Bankruptcy + Reorganizations Group member Steven J. Boyajian was elected to serve as its Treasurer. Steve has been a Fellow of the Foundation since 2010 and was elected as a member of its Board of Directors in 2020. Last year, he was elected chair of the Scholarship Committee, on which he has served since 2013. The Foundation administers both a scholarship fund and an Interest On Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) fund, which makes grants to organizations providing a variety of services in the community, including for indigent legal services, victims of crimes, interpretive services and other access-to-justice type of functions and organizations. As Treasurer, Steve will chair the Finance Committee, which has oversight of these operations.

In addition, Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications Group member George W. Watson III has been invited to become a Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation, a distinction that recognizes those lawyers whose professional, public and private careers have demonstrated their outstanding dedication to the welfare of the community and maintenance of the objectives of the Foundation. Fellowship is by invitation only and is evidence of such professional achievement. R+C lawyers Steve Boyajian, Linn Freedman, Dana Horton, Pat Igoe, Roger Peters and Dan Sullivan, along with Of Counsel Peter Lacouture, are also Fellows of the Foundation.

During the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Annual Meeting Luncheon on June 24, Peter V. Lacouture was among those honored “in grateful recognition of 50 years of outstanding service to the legal profession and the Rhode Island Bar Association."

Providence Office Honored by United Way of Rhode Island

Earlier this month, Brenda Vucci were honored at the United Way of Rhode Island’s "Campaign Leaders Thank You Luncheon" held at Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The luncheon celebrated contributions and success in the 2018-2019 United Way campaign and recognized the top fundraisers among small, mid-size, and major companies in Rhode Island. Brenda and Peter were honored by the organization as “Change Makers,” defined as “dedicated Campaign Leaders and Committee members who inspire their colleagues to change lives and strengthen our community.” Kathryn Rattigan and Brenda attended the luncheon on behalf of Robinson+Cole. 

Providence Offices Raises Nearly $15,000 During United Way Workforce Campaign

Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications Group lawyer Peter V. Lacouture, along with Legal Administrative Assistant Brenda L. Vucci, organized the Providence office’s annual United Way Workforce Campaign. The campaign kicked-off with a special luncheon featuring a video presentation by United Way of Rhode Island and an informational address given by Cortney Nicolato, the organization’s new President and CEO. A successful campaign concluded in early December 2018 with almost $15,000 raised from the contributions made by nearly 100 percent of lawyers and staff.

52 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019

52 Robinson+Cole lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 (Copyright 2018 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

See a complete listing of all Robinson+Cole's ranked lawyers.

Peter Lacouture Edits Recent Developments in Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Industries for 11th Year

The American Bar Association's Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law has published its annual report, Recent Developments in Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Industries – 2015, edited by environmental and utilities partner Peter V. Lacouture. Mr. Lacouture, who was recently elected vice chair of the section, is chair of the section's Publications Committee and has edited the report since 2005. The report outlines judicial decisions, administrative rulings, and legislative actions in public utility, communications, and transportation industries through March 31, 2015, and a few major developments since that date. Each member of the section receives the 450-page volume. George W. Watson III, environmental and utilities lawyer, and Sharon Onga-Nana, the 2015 National Grid/Robinson+Cole summer fellow, assisted Mr. Lacouture in editing the report. In his introduction, Mr. Lacouture recognizes Providence LAAs Brenda Vucci and Heidi Seddon for their help on the book.

Peter Lacouture Elected Vice-Chair of PUCAT

During the American Bar Association's Annual Meeting in Chicago in August 2015, environmental and utilities partner Peter V. Lacouture was elected vice-chair of the Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law (PUCAT). He will serve as vice-chair this year, as chair-elect the next year, and as chair of the section the year after that. Most recently, Mr. Lacouture served as secretary of the section. He has also served as chair of PUCAT's Publications Committee and has edited Recent Developments (formerly the PUCAT Annual Report) since 2005.

Established in 1917, the section is a forum for bar members interested in the rapidly changing legal environment in the communications, cable TV, Internet, electricity, gas, oil pipelines, aviation, motor carriers, railroads, and water industries.

Peter Lacouture Edits Recent Developments in Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Industries for 10th Year

The American Bar Association's Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law has published its annual report, Recent Developments in Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Industries – 2014, edited by environmental and utilities partner Peter V. Lacouture. Mr. Lacouture is chair of the section's Publications Committee and has edited the report since 2005. The report outlines judicial decisions, administrative rulings, and legislative actions in public utility, communications, and transportation industries through March 31, 2014, and a few major developments since that date. Each member of the section receives the 550-page volume. George W. Watson III, environmental and utilities lawyer, and Jorge Ghazal, the 2014 National Grid/Robinson+Cole summer fellow, assisted Mr. Lacouture in editing the report.

Providence Office Sponsors RICH's Annual Luncheon

Robinson & Cole's Providence office was a sponsor of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless's (RICH) annual awards luncheon, held on March 24, 2014, in Warwick, Rhode Island. Representing the firm were Providence lawyers Patricia J. Igoe, and George W. Watson. The event provided an opportunity for RICH members to celebrate their achievements, honor their community heroes, and show their commitment to ending homelessness in Rhode Island. The mission of RICH is to "promote and preserve the dignity and quality of life for men, women, and children by pursuing comprehensive and cooperative solutions to the problems of housing and homelessness."

Peter Lacouture Edits ABA's Public Utility, Communications, and Transportation Law Annual Report for Ninth Year

The American Bar Association's Section of Public Utility, Communications, and Transportation Law has published its annual report, Recent Developments in Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Industries – 2013, edited by environmental and utilities lawyer Peter V. Lacouture. Mr. Lacouture is chair of the section's Publications Committee and has edited the report since 2005. The report outlines judicial decisions, administrative rulings, and legislative actions in public utility, communications, and transportation industries through March 31, 2013, and a few major developments since that date. Environment and utilities lawyer George W. Watson III and Dana Weiner, the 2013 National Grid-Robinson & Cole Summer Fellow, assisted Mr. Lacouture in editing the report.

Providence Lawyer Edits Book for ABA's PUCAT Section

The American Bar Association's Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law (PUCAT) has published Energy, Utility, Transportation and Environmental Law for the 21st Century: A Collection. This book, an anthology of articles from the section's quarterly publication, Infrastructure, was edited by Providence environmental and utilities lawyer Peter V. Lacouture and includes introductions he wrote for each of the six sections and updates to most of the articles written by the original authors.

 

In his Forward, Mr. Lacouture acknowledges significant assistance from Leticia Tavares, the 2012 National Grid/Robinson & Cole Fellow. He also thanked Dwight Merriam for the inspiration for the anthology but noted that it was "not as easy a task to assemble the volume as Dwight made it out to be." To view details about the book, click here.

Peter Lacouture Serves as Editor-in-Chief of American Bar Association's Public Utility, Communications, and Transportation Law Annual Report for Seventh Year

The American Bar Association’s Section of Public Utility, Communications, and Transportation Law has published its annual report, "Recent Developments in Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Industries – 2012," edited by environmental and utilities partner Peter V. Lacouture. He is chair of the section’s Publications Committee and has edited the report since 2005. The report outlines judicial decisions, administrative rulings, and legislative actions in public utility, communications, and transportation industries through March 31, 2012, and a few major developments following that date. Associate George W. Watson III and Adam Riser, the National Grid Robinson & Cole summer fellow in 2011, assisted Mr. Lacouture in editing the report.

78 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2024

78 Robinson+Cole lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2024. Of the 78 lawyers from across the firm’s practice groups and offices named to the list, 57 are from Connecticut. The firm continues to have the highest number of recognized lawyers in the state. Robinson+Cole also has the highest number of listed lawyers in Connecticut in the areas of environmental law and insurance law. Approximately, the top 5 percent of all practicing lawyers in the U.S. were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

Additionally, five lawyers were named Best Lawyers® 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” in the following offices, in the noted practice areas:

Hartford, CT – Best Lawyers® 2024 “Lawyer of the Year”

Jacqueline Pennino Scheib – Trademark Law

Michael R. Enright – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Theodore J. Tucci – Insurance Law

Boston, MA – Best Lawyers® 2024 “Lawyer of the Year”

Michael S. Giaimo – Land Use and Zoning Law

Stamford, CT – Best Lawyers® 2024 “Lawyer of the Year”

Patricia D. Weitzman – Health Care Law and Litigation-Health Care

A Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” designation is awarded to one lawyer in each of various high-profile specialties in large legal communities. These particular lawyers received the highest ratings among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

The fourth edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America was also released, which includes 23 Robinson+Cole lawyers. The “Ones to Watch” recognition is given to attorneys early in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. The firm has the highest number of lawyers to receive this designation in Hartford, Connecticut. Read more in the press release.

74 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2023

74 Robinson+Cole lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023. Of the 74 lawyers from across the firm’s practice groups and offices named to the list, 54 are from Connecticut. The firm continues to have the highest number of recognized lawyers in the state. Robinson+Cole also has the highest number of listed lawyers in Connecticut in the areas of environmental law insurance law and construction litigation. Only the top 5.3 percent of all practicing lawyers in the U.S. were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 29th edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

Additionally, the following five lawyers were named the Best Lawyers® 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” in Hartford, Connecticut, in the noted practice areas: Brian R. Smith in Land Use and Zoning Law, Christine E. Bromberg in Tax Law, James P. Ray in Litigation – Environmental, Joey Lee Miranda in Energy Regulatory Law, Norman H. Roos in Banking and Finance Law, Rachel V. Kushel in Employment Law – Management, Theodore J. Tucci in  Health Care Law and Virginia E. McGarrity – in Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law.

The third edition of Best Lawyers: “Ones to Watch” was also released, includes 23 Robinson+Cole lawyers. The “Ones to Watch” recognition is given to attorneys early in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. The firm has the highest number of lawyers to receive this designation in Hartford, Connecticut. Read more in the press release.

61 Robinson+Cole Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021

61 Robinson+Cole lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Of the 61 lawyers from across the firm’s practice groups and offices named to the list, 46 are from Connecticut. The firm continues to have the highest number of recognized lawyers in the state. Robinson+Cole also has the highest number of listed lawyers in Connecticut in the areas of environmental law and insurance law.

Additionally, the following six lawyers were named the Best Lawyers® 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Hartford, Connecticut, in the noted practice areas: Michael R. Enright in Litigation – Bankruptcy, Gregory R. Faulkner in Litigation – Construction, Virginia E. McGarrity in Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Joey Lee Miranda in Environmental Law, James P. Ray in Litigation – Environmental and Theodore J. Tucci in Health Care Law. Michael S. Giaimo was also named a Best Lawyers® 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Boston, Massachusetts, in the area of Land Use and Zoning Law.

The inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch was also released, of which 17 total Robinson+Cole lawyers are listed in. The “Ones to Watch” recognition is given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States. Read more in the press release.

Peter Lacouture to Lead ABA Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section

The American Bar Association (ABA) Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section elected Environmental, Energy + Telecommunications Group lawyer Peter V. Lacouture as chair during the section’s annual meeting on August 12, 2017, held in conjunction with the ABA 2017 Annual Meeting.

Formerly the Section of Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Law (PUCAT,) the Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section is the third oldest section in the ABA and celebrates its 100^th anniversary during 2017-2018 bar year. The group brings together members of the bar who represent clients in the rapidly changing legal environment in infrastructure and regulated industries including the aviation, communications, electricity, gas, oil pipeline, railroad, transportation infrastructure, and water industries.

Mr. Lacouture has served the section in a number of positions including twelve years as Editor in Chief of Recent Developments in Public Utility, Communications and Transportation Industries, a comprehensive review of developments in areas represented by the Section's committees. Read more in the press release.

Robinson+Cole Receives Top Listing in Connecticut Lawyer Count in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017

Robinson+Cole was again recognized as having the highest number of Connecticut lawyers selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2017 (Copyright 2016 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC). Across the firm’s practice groups and offices, 57 lawyers were named to this year’s list, including 47 in Connecticut.

Additionally, the following four lawyers were named the Best Lawyers® 2017 “Lawyer of the Year” in Hartford, Connecticut, in the noted practice areas: Dennis C. Cavanaugh in Construction Law; Judith M. Keppelman  in Litigation – Trusts and Estates; Linda L. Morkan in Appellate Practice; and Edward J. Samorajczyk Jr. in Corporate Law.

See a complete listing of all Robinson+Cole's ranked lawyers in the news release.

Robinson & Cole Announces Annual Pro Bono, Mentor, and Community Service Awards

Robinson & Cole recognized 13 lawyers for their initiative and outstanding dedication to the firm and the community at a reception on August 8, 2013, at Billings Forge Community Works. Managing partner John B. Lynch Jr. announced the Mentor of the Year, Community Service, and Distinguished Service awards while Pro Bono partner Edward J. Heath presented the firm's Pro Bono Award.