HCC Welcomes Two Additional Attorneys
Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney is pleased to announce that Attorneys Sydney R. Kirsch and Tyler J. Pare have joined the firm.
Sydney Kirsch practices in HCC’s Workers’ Compensation and Litigation Departments. She is admitted in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. She was previously employed with a regional law firm, practicing workers’ compensation law. Earlier, she worked in the litigation department at a general practice firm.
She attended Roger Williams University School of Law, graduating cum laude. Her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, is from Fitchburg State University. While in law school, she served as an Assistant Editor for the Roger Williams University Law Review.
Tyler Pare is an attorney in the Litigation Department at HCC. He is admitted to practice before the state courts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Francis X. Flaherty of the R.I. Supreme Court, where he conducted extensive legal research for various civil and criminal cases. In the process, he also prepared memoranda and draft opinions for the justice on important pending matters.
Tyler graduated summa cum laude from Roger Williams School of Law, where he was also a member of the law review. During that time, he interned at the R.I. Supreme Court, R.I. Family Court, and the Office of the R.I. Attorney General. His B.A. degree was awarded magna cum laude from Saint Anselm College, during which time he also studied at King’s College London.
R.I. Superior Court Operations Set Until Year’s End
Presiding Justice Alice B. Gibney has issued R.I. Superior Court Administrative Order 2020-08 governing court operations from September 6, 2020, to December 18, 2020.
The Superior Court will continue to work to safeguard participants and court personnel in the management of court calendars, hearings, and other matters in courthouses throughout the state. Matters that can be handled via remote WebEx technology will continue to minimize the number of persons gathered in courtrooms. These remote hearings and conferences are encouraged and will continue to be supported by personnel specifically trained for this purpose. Matters that cannot be handled remotely shall be conducted in-person.
- Calendars will be staggered to ensure compliance within capacity limits established for courthouses and individual courtrooms to allow for appropriate distancing.
- Jury trials are to resume on a limited basis in Providence County no sooner than September 21, 2020. However, no jury trial will be scheduled without the express, written authorization of the Presiding Justice, where a constitutional, statutory, or otherwise highly critical need has been demonstrated.
- In-court bench trials shall continue with advanced notice to the Presiding Justice. The selected courtroom shall allow for social distancing based upon the number of participants. The bench, witness area as well as the clerk and stenographic workspace shall be outfitted with plexiglass and properly distanced from the counsel table. Plexiglass separators shall be provided to attorneys and/or litigants seeking additional separation at the counsel table as needed or upon request.
The complete court order is available here. If you have any questions regarding any of these measures, please do not hesitate to contact any of the partners at the firm.
The Best Lawyers in America® Names James A. Ruggieri “Lawyer of The Year.” Five HCC Attorneys Honored
Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney, LLP, is pleased to announce that James A. Ruggieri, Stephen P. Cooney and Gerald C. DeMaria, Sr. were recently recognized in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
An additional accolade was afforded James Ruggieri, who was named “Lawyer of the Year” for his outstanding professional excellence in product liability litigation defense. This honor resulted from the consistently high evaluations that he received from his peers.
In fact, Best Lawyers® only highlights a single “Lawyer of the Year” in any given location and practice area based on the number of votes received from peers each year.
The Best Lawyers in America® is considered one of the leading peer-reviewed resources for selecting the best legal talent worldwide. For the current edition, only five percent of lawyers in private practice are selected as Best Lawyers®.
James Ruggieri was also named a Best Lawyer® in the category of employment law – management. Gerald C. DeMaria, Sr. was recognized on the list of Best Lawyers® in the areas of personal injury litigation – defendants and product liability litigation – defendants. In addition, Stephen P. Cooney, who maintains an active environmental law practice, was selected as a Best Lawyer® by his peers for his expertise in defending mass tort class actions.
The selection process begins when lawyers are nominated for consideration. Those who receive high peer reviews undergo an additional validation process. Only then can these attorneys be recognized by Best Lawyers®.
This year, Best Lawyers® also recognized attorneys who have demonstrated professional excellence early in their careers. The “Ones to Watch” selected from Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney were Brian W. Haynes and Kurt A. Rocha.
Brian Haynes was recognized in the areas of insurance law and personal injury litigation – defendants. He is admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Before joining Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney, he practiced at a regional litigation firm headquartered in Boston and clerked for the in-house legal department of a multinational company.
He is a graduate of the College of William & Mary with a BA in history and received his JD, cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School.
Kurt Rocha was selected for insurance law and personal injury litigation – defendants. He is admitted in three jurisdictions: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, as well as the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Prior to joining the firm, he worked at leading civil litigation law firms in New England.
He received his law degree from Roger Williams University, cum laude. He obtained his BS in Criminal Justice from the same institution, where he also received a Master of Science in Criminal Justice.
James Ruggieri and Stephen Cooney are partners with the firm. Gerald DeMaria is Of Counsel. Brian Haynes and Kurt Rocha joined Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney as litigation attorneys in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Paul S. Callaghan Profiled in the Providence Business News on Construction Law
Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney partner Paul S. Callaghan was featured exclusively in the Providence Business News for a wide-ranging interview on the various construction law issues arising during this pandemic.
For almost 30 years he has represented local, national and international corporations, including construction companies and their insurers, in a wide variety of litigation matters – at trial and on appeal in the state and federal courts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and before arbitration panels.
He has handled a wide variety of construction-related matters including breach of contract, construction defect, bodily injury, property damage, indemnification, insurance, and surety cases.
In the area of insurance law, he has handled numerous cases involving extra contractual liability, claims handling, insurance fraud, breach of contract, coverage litigation, and bad faith.
A copy of this excellent article is available here. This same interview was also featured in a recent ALFA International publication.
Paul S. Callaghan: Construction Litigation Issues Amid COVID-19
Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney partner Paul S. Callaghan has authored a timely and informative article titled, “Construction Litigation Issues Amid COVID-19.”
Paul addresses a range of issues of concern to the construction industry including the application of “liquidating damages” in contracts as well as “force majeure” or “Act of God” clauses that may excuse performance in certain instances.
He also comments upon current circumstances in the construction field that may give rise to litigation. Each of these points is covered in detail. The complete article is available here.
If you are interested in pursuing the topic of construction litigation further, please contact Paul at pcallaghan@hcc-law.com.
