An experienced litigator, Steve actively practices in the courts of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts on a broad spectrum of cases, including healthcare liability, products liability and environmental litigation, labor and employment, education, and insurance bad faith. In addition, he advises clients on best practices for avoiding and managing litigation risk. Steve has also been called upon to draft legislation and to work with administrative bodies to craft regulations.
In addition to his litigation work, Steve devotes a significant energy to advising educational institutions and professionals on employment and labor matters, legal compliance issues, budgets and fiscal matters, special education disputes and discipline concerns.
Education
- University of Connecticut School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1996)
- University of Connecticut (B.A., cum laude, 1990)
Bar Admissions
- Rhode Island
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- New York
- U.S. District Court, Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, Rhode Island
- U.S. District Court, Connecticut
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- Successfully defended countless labor arbitrations concerning employee terminations as well as interpretations of collective bargaining agreements.
- Obtained jury verdict in favor of an orthopedic surgeon in a case alleging permanent foot injuries.
- Defeated a seven-figure property damage claim on behalf of a large commercial construction company in claims of alleged environmental contamination.
- Secured defense verdict on behalf of a national retailer in a personal injury lawsuit alleging a negligently designed floor plan.
- Successfully defended a large commercial tenant in a breach of contract case, arguing that the plaintiff landlord had relinquished its right to collect significant unpaid rent.
- Obtained $750,000 arbitration panel award on behalf of a carrier seeking to enforce a reinsurance treaty.
- Secured defense judgment in a professional liability matter related to an insurance subrogation case.
- Successfully handled a wrongful termination claim of a tenured teacher at a Rhode Island public high school. The case ultimately settled on appeal to the Rhode Island Department of Education securing insurance coverage for the school district, which extinguished the risk of liability exposure to the school.
- Advised the Rhode Island Technical Assistance Project at Rhode Island College on the Rhode Island Special Education Regulations, required by Congress under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004.
- Obtained summary judgment from the Rhode Island Superior Court in a personal injury case involving alleged exposure to asbestos on construction sites, arguing that the lawsuit was untimely under the Rhode Island Statute of Repose. (Cote v. E. Turgeon Const. Corp., 2006 WL 3004067.) As a consequence of this ruling, asbestos claims against building contractors in Rhode Island have all but stopped.
- Successfully defended numerous educational institutions from complaints and investigations brought by the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Education or brought by individuals under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
- Steve was appointed by the Rhode Island Speaker of the House to the Special House Commission to Study All Education Hearings at the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Professional Excellence in Law in Education Law, Rhode Island Monthly (2019-2025)
- The Best Lawyers in America, Education Law (2024-2026); Litigation – Health Care (2024-2026)
- Named to Rhode Island Super Lawyers list for Schools & Education (2025)
Steve has lectured on various legal topics, including student discipline, labor and employment practices, and compliance with federal and state entitlement such as the ADA, the IDEA, Section 504, and Title IX.
- Member, Defense Research Institute
- Member, American Trial Lawyers Association
- Member, Claims & Litigation Management Alliance
- Member, Rhode Island Bar Association
- Member, Connecticut Bar Association
- Volunteer, Primrose Hill School and Hampden Meadows School in Barrington, R.I.
- Mentor, Foster Forward, a non-profit that matches mentors with children in foster care
More About
Steve's grandfather – newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams who wrote under the pen name of FPA – was a member of the famed Algonquin Roundtable, a group of New York City literati in the 1920s.
