J. David Freel

David joined HCC in 2011 and is a Partner in the Litigation Department. He is admitted to practice law in the state courts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Districts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Since 2009, David has been representing primarily national and regional corporate clients both before and throughout all phases of litigation including in the areas of insurance defense, premises liability, product liability, and commercial litigation.

David has experience preparing and responding to pleadings; propounding and responding to written discovery; and taking and defending depositions. He has participated in settlement conferences, binding and non-binding arbitrations, and mediations. David also has experience preparing for and appearing at evidentiary hearings and trials and has successfully argued many technical motions, which request that a judge exclude certain evidence from the jury. In addition, he has researched and authored appellate briefs, and has appeared for oral argument before the R.I. Supreme Court.

David is a magna cum laude graduate of the Roger Williams University School of Law where he served as the Executive Articles Editor of The Roger Williams University Law Review. Prior to law school, he graduated with highest distinction from the Pennsylvania State University. Before joining HCC, he served as a law clerk to the R.I. Supreme Court’s Law Clerk Department, assigned primarily to Justice Silverstein on the R.I. Superior Court Business Calendar.

David was selected as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers, New England, in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. He is also a member of the Rhode Island and American Bar Associations, as well as ALFA International, the Defense Counsel of Rhode Island, and the Defense Research Institute.