Stephen M. Prignano

Steve represents individuals, businesses and corporations in complex litigation. His practice is broad in scope, ranging from complex Rhode Island Family Court litigation to commercial and civil litigation in trial and appellate courts of numerous jurisdictions. He was named 2023 Lawyer of the Year in “Bet-the-Company Litigation” for Providence, Rhode Island and 2022 Lawyer of the Year in “Product Liability Litigation – Defendants” for Providence by Best Lawyers. In his Family Law practice, Steve serves as President of the Northeast Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

LEGAL PRACTICE

Steve has litigated complex divorce and custody cases, class actions, mass consolidated actions, insurance coverage actions, insurance bad faith and extra-contractual actions, product liability, professional liability, media liability, construction defect actions as well as banking and lender liability cases. In addition to Rhode Island, he has litigated cases in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Washington State.

Steve is a self-confessed technology nerd and his knowledge in cutting edge issues concerning data protection, privacy, electronic discovery and information technology is extremely useful to clients in domestic relations matters as well as complex civil litigation. He has also frequently lectured and written articles on trial practice, insurance coverage, bad faith liability, electronic discovery, privacy and data protection topics.

He is a co-editor and an author of A Practical Guide to Evidence in Rhode Island, co-editor of a chapter in A Practical Guide to Divorce in Rhode Island, and his articles have been published in the New York Law Journal, Andrews Litigation Reporter, Mealey’s Litigation Report, Intellectual Property Today and In-House Defense Quarterly. Steve has been quoted for his insights on various litigation topics in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Lawyer’s Weekly, Compliance Week, and Law 360.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Steve is a native Rhode Islander and heavily involved in the local community. He has earned awards from the Rhode Island Bar Association for his pro bono work and has been recognized by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children for his work on behalf of parents of abducted children. Steve is also an active supporter of the Pro Bono Collaborative in Providence, a unique partnership of community-based social service organizations, law students and pro bono lawyers who provide pro bono legal services to Rhode Island’s most disadvantaged communities. In this role, Steve has been recognized as “one of the PBC’s most enduring and active partners for over 10 years.”

In 2017, Steve was honored by the Roger Williams University School of Law as the 2017 “Champion for Justice,” in recognition of individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to the advancement of social justice in Rhode Island. At the event, Steve was honored for his “deep and abiding commitment to the lawyer’s professional responsibility to serve the community and those unable to afford legal help.”

In addition to his local pro bono work, Steve serves on the Board of Directors of the Roger Williams University School of Law.

LEGAL EDUCATION

Steve graduated first in his class from the University of Bridgeport School of Law (now Quinnipiac University School of Law). While in law school, Steve was the editor-in-chief of the University of Bridgeport law review and was a member of the International Legal Honor Society of Phi Delta Phi.

After law school, and prior to joining the Providence firm of Edwards & Angell in 1987, Steve was a law clerk to the Hon. Thomas J. Meskill of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhatten.

Steve is listed in the Commercial Litigation section of The Best Lawyers in America and has been named a New England Super Lawyer and a Rhode Island Super Lawyer by Law & Politics magazine since 2007.

Litigation percentage:

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Representative Matters: 

• Collective Brands v. National Union Fire Insurance Company, 2013 WL 66071 (D. Kan. 2013)
• Ferreira v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co., 37 A.2d 104 (R.I. 2011)
• H.C. Starck v. National Chain Co., 2011 WL 4916512 (D.R.I. 2011)
• Grady v. Goldberg, 2008 WL 821610 (D.R.I. 2008)
• Salvation Army World Service Office v. Harold Meyer, 2006 WL 1451553 (D.R.I. 2006)
• Starr-Gordon v. Massachusetts Mutual Life Ins. Co., 2006 WL 3218778 (E.D. Cal. 2006)
• Barry C. Scheck v. City of Providence, 404 F.3d 33 (1st Cir. 2005)
• Gray v. Derderian, 389 F. Supp. 308 (D.R.I. 2005)
• Fraioli v. MML Investor Services, 328 F. Supp. 250 (D.R.I. 2004)
• New England Pipe Corporation v. Northeast Corridor Foundation, 857 A.2d 348 (Conn. 2004)
• Morris v. Highmark Insurance Company, 255 F. Supp. 2d 16 (D.R.I. 2003)
• Rose v. Firstar Bank, 819 A.2d 1247 (R.I. 2003)
• Sakonnet Point Marina Association, Inc. v. Bluff Head Corp., 798 A.2d 439 (R.I. 2002)
• Poisson v. Poisson, 743 A.2d 1037 (R.I. 2000)
• Singer v. Singer, 692 A.2d 691 (R.I. 1997)
• Prepared Media Laboratories, Inc. v. Troy Biologicals, Inc., 1995 WL 17017119 (D.R.I. 1995)
• Hydro-Manufacturing, Inc. v. Kayser-Roth Corp., 640 A.2d 950 (R.I. 1994)
• Zafar v. Roger Williams General Hospital, 16 F.3d 401 (1st Cir. 1994)
• Shawmut Bank, N.A. v. Kenneth LaFazia, 1992 WL 139003 (D.R.I. 1992)
• Jordan v. Jordan, 586 A.2d 1080 (R.I. 1991)

Honors & Awards: 

• Selected as the 2023 Lawyer of the Year in "Bet-the-Company Litigation" in Providence by Best Lawyers
• Professional Excellence in Law Award, 2022 and 2023, Rhode Island Monthly Magazine
• Selected as the 2022 Lawyer of the Year in "Product Liability Litigation - Defendants," in Providence by Best Lawyers
• Community Champion Award, Sojourner House, 2019
• Champion for Justice Award, Roger Williams University School of Law, 2017
• Best Lawyers in America, 2010 - present
• New England Super Lawyers, 2007 - present
• Rhode Island Super Lawyers, 2007 - present
• Rhode Island Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, 1992
• Rhode Island Bar Association Pro Bono Continuing Service Award, 1994
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Award of Merit, 1998

Professional Affiliations: 

• Edward Gallogly Inns of Court, 2015 - Present
• Roger Williams University School of Law, Board of Directors, 2013 - Present
• Pro Bono Collaborative, Advisory Board, 2010 - Present
• Defense Research Institute, Insurance Law Committee, 2000 - Present
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Fellow, 1998 - Present
• American Academy of Matrimonnial Lawyers, SEcretary, New England Chapter, 2018-Present
• Rhode Island Bar Association, 1987 - Present
• Federal Bar Association, 1987 - Present

Bar admissions:

• U.S. Supreme Court, 2009
• U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts, 2001
• Massachusetts, 2000
• U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit, 1993
• U.S. District Court District of Rhode Island, 1988
• Rhode Island, 1987
• Connecticut, 1986

Past employment positions:

• Edwards & Angell, LLP (now Locke Lord, LLP), Partner, 1987 - 2015
• Law Clerk to Hon. Thomas Meskill, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1986 - 1987

Publications: 

• Domestic Practice in Rhode Island, Section VII, Chapters III (Equitable Distribution) and IV (Alimony), Rhode Island Bar Association (2016)
• Co-editor, A Practical Guide to Evidence in Rhode Island, author Chapter 1 (Introduction of Evidence), Chapter 5 (Witness Corroboration and Support), MCLE New England,(2010)
• Social Networking: So Much Data, So Little Guidance, So Much Potential Exposure New York Law Journal (2010)
• CAFA 2005: Rise in Employment Class Action Litigation, New York Law Journal (2008)
• Does McLaughlin Close the Door on RICO-Based Consumer Fraud Class Actions? Andrews Litigation Reporter (2008)
• Early Case Assessments, Rein In Costs and Identify Risks, In-House Defense Quarterly (2008)
• Electronically Stored Information and the New Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Andrews Litigation Reporter (2006)
• Modern Discovery Practice: The Hidden World of Metadata in Electronic Discovery, Mealey’s Litigation Report (2006)
• Managing Instant Messenger Litigation and Discovery, Intellectual Property Today (2005)
• New Corporate Obligations: Will D&O Policies Provide Coverage? For the Defense (2002)
• The Spoliation Inference, For the Defense (2002)
• Featured in Providence Journal

Education: 

• University of Bridgeport School of Law, Bridgeport, Connecticut
  • J.D. (Summa Cum Laude) - 1986
  • Law Review: University of Bridgeport Law Review, Editor-in-Chief, 1985 - 1986
• Bryant College
  • B.S. (cum laude) - 1983

Areas of Practice: 

Family Law

• Adoptions
• Alimony & Spousal Support
• Child Support
• Custody & Visitation
• Divorce
• Family Law
• Paternity
• Postnuptial Agreements
• Prenuptial Agreements

Civil Litigation

• Arbitration
• Business and Commercial Litigation
• Class Actions
• Construction Defect Litigation
• Disability Insurance Defense
• Insurance Coverage & Claims
• Litigation & Appeals
• Media Liability Defense
• Product Liability Defense
• Professional Malpractice Defense

Classes and Seminars: 

• Faculty, Litigation Academy, Opening Statements, United States District Court for District of Rhode Island (2019)
• Speaker, Family Law Update, Rhode Island Bar Association (2019)
• Speaker, Family Law Update, Rhode Island Bar Association (2018)
• Speaker, Family Law Update, Rhode Island Bar Association (2017)
• Speaker, Advanced Issues in Family and Divorce Law, National Business Institute (2016)
• Speaker, Complex Family Law Issues, Rhode Island Bar Association Annual Meeting (2016)
• Speaker, Domestic Law Practice in Rhode Island (2016)
• Faculty, Litigation Academy, Opening Statements and Closing Arguments, Joint Program of Roger Williams University School of Law and United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (2016)
• Faculty, Litigation Academy, Deposition Skills Program, Joint Program of Roger Williams University School of Law and United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (2015)
• Faculty, Litigation Academy, Direct and Cross-Examination, Joint Program of Roger Williams University School of Law and United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (2015)
• Speaker, Family Law From A-Z, National Business Institute (2015)
• Speaker, Insurance Coverage Litigation in Rhode Island, National Business Institute (2005)
• Speaker, Equitable Distribution and Alimony in Rhode Island, National Business Institute (1993)