Patrick Guida named to National Education Board
(January 2012) We are pleased to announce that our partner Patrick Guida was recently elected President-Elect of the National Association of State Boards of Education for 2012 and will proceed to become President commencing in January of 2013. He has also been involved in leadership positions in numerous civic and volunteer pursuits in the area of education.

Five Attorneys Named Best Lawyers
(September 2011) Bob Duffy, Mike Sweeney, Roger Hood, Stacey Nakasian and Patrick Guida were recently selected as top-listed lawyers in the annual Best Lawyers rankings. Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 41,000 leading attorneys cast almost 3.9 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."

Providence College Highlights Firm Founding Partners
(August 2011) Firm founding partners and PC alums were highlighted in a recent article in the college’s on-line magazine following the firm’s 15-year anniversary celebration. Bob Duffy and Mike Sweeney talked about the “role they say Providence College has played in their firm's establishment and growth.” Click here to read article.

Stacey Nakasian Named Co-Chair of Rules Committee
(July 2011) Effective July 1, D&S trial attorney Stacey Nakasian became the co-chair of the Federal District Court’s Local Rules Review Committee. Stacey is President of the Federal Bar Association, Rhode Island Chapter, and was appointed to the Local Rules Committee of the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island in 2010.

Robert Duffy and Rachelle Green Prevail in Dispute Resolved though Baseball Arbitration
(June 2011) D&S litigators recently prevailed in a major arbitration on behalf of client CT-based manufacturer of tankless water heaters, representing a seller involved in a post-acquisition M&A dispute with the buyer. In the six-day “baseball” arbitration where the D&S team was pitted against aggressive lawyers from the national law firm of Jones Day, each side presented a single number for the damages to be awarded and the arbitrator had to choose one side. Jones Day asserted its client was entitled to $3.4 million in damages. The Arbitrator rejected that claim, awarding only $500,000, the figure advanced by D&S, and ordered the claimant to pay all costs associated with the arbitration. The case presented a thorny and novel issue of how damages are to be calculated in a breach of a representation in a stock purchase agreement when the buyer claims to have based its purchase price on an EBITDA formula. The case was featured in Lawyers Weekly on June 27th. Read article.

Guida Elected as Fellow to American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers
(April 2011) – Congratulations to Patrick Guida who was recently elected as a Fellow to the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers and became the only member from Rhode Island. Election to the ACCFL is awarded to lawyers whose principal practice is in the field of commercial finance law; who have achieved preeminence in the field; and who have made substantial contributions to the promotion of learning and scholarship in the field through teaching, lecturing or published writings. The official induction ceremony was held on April 16th as part of the College’s annual meeting in conjunction with the American Bar Association Section of Business Law meeting at the Algonquin Club in Boston. Read PBN Interview

Nine D&S Attorneys Named in Chambers USA
(March 2011) Attorneys Robert Duffy, Michael Sweeney, Roger Hood, Jean Harrington, Stacey Nakasian, Rachelle Green, Patrick Guida. Joshua Celeste and Byron McMasters were recently recognized as leading attorneys in Rhode Island by world-renowned Chambers and Partners' America's Leading Lawyers for Business rankings. All attorneys named won vast endorsements from clients and peers. Past year’s comments note that D&S attorneys “get to the crux of each issue” and provide “New York or Boston caliber legal services at Providence rates.”

Hiring For Start-Ups Workshop Set for March 2nd with D&S Partner Roger Hood
(March 2011) - Join Roger Hood at the RI Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship on Wednesday March 2nd at 4:00 p.m. for a workshop on HIRING FOR START-UPS. Learn what should you consider before bringing those prospective employees through your door and how can you make sure an employee will protect your company's confidential information. And if they're fired or quit, what will deter them from going to work for the competition or absconding with your clients? For more information, contact Roger Hood at rhood@duffysweeney.com or register at www.ri-cie.org.

15th Anniversary Celebration
(February 2011) - More than 300 clients and friends gathered with us at the Biltmore earlier this month to share in our 15th Anniversary Celebration. It was a spectacular night of community and camaraderie... all overlooking the dazzling array of lights from the City of Providence. Click here to view the gallery.

D&S Attorney and Sailor in the News during Newport ’s bid for America ’s Cup
(January 2011) D&S litigator Kurt Kalberer was interviewed by ABC Channel 6 on December 31st as part of the ongoing news coverage focused on bringing the America ’s Cup back to Newport . Captured in action while sailing on the waters off Fort Adams State Park in Newport and practicing for Newport Fleet 413’s Frostbite Racing Series, both Kurt and Brown University sailing coach John Mollicone were interviewed for the America’s Cup story. Kurt is a member of the New York and East Greenwich Yacht Clubs and was captain of his high school sailing team while attending Moses Brown School in Providence ’s East Side .

Jean Harrington Spoke for Fifth Year on Organizing a Business
(December 2010) D&S partner Jean Harrington spoke at the Rhode Island Bar Association program entitled Organizing a Rhode Island Business on December 10th. This practical skills seminar is a cornerstone of the CLE offerings and often a sell-out. The program addressed choosing a business entity, completing the required forms and filings and other essential elements. Attendees reviewed the differences between sole proprietorships, general and limited partnerships, corporations and limited liability partnerships. For more information, contact Jean Harrington at jharrington@duffysweeney.com or go to www.ribar.org

D&S Ranks in First Tier for IP Law by US News
(September 2010) Based on comments form clients and leading lawyers about factors they considered vital for hiring law firms and for choosing a firm to refer legal matters, Duffy & Sweeney was ranked in the highest position in the recent findings by US News and Best Lawyers. The firm was also ranked in Tier 2 for the categories of corporate law and general commercial litigation. One client commented regarding IP litigation: "Duffy & Sweeney are phenomenal partners. They are responsive, expert, and strategic; and they keep an eye on the billings. I can't think of an experience with them that I would not rate as top-notch in every way."

Josh Celeste Name Partner, Eric Contre Joins Litigation Team
(September 2010) Congratulations to new partner Josh Celeste and new associate Eric Contre. Josh works with business clients on acquisitions, dispositions, and mergers; complex restructuring and recapitalizations; and governance issues. He handles significant real estate development deals including property acquisitions; project development; leasing and financing. Eric spent three years at the D.C. office of Sidley Austin LLP where he worked on business litigation, ranging from multi-faceted pharmaceutical cases to breach of contract matters for large, privately owned businesses. He also clerked for three years for judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, and the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Seven D&S Attorneys Named in Chambers USA
(August 2010) Attorneys Robert Duffy, Michael Sweeney, Roger Hood, Jean Harrington, Stacey Nakasian, Rachelle Green and Joshua Celeste and were recently recognized as leading attorneys in Rhode Island by world-renowned Chambers and Partners' America's Leading Lawyers for Business Directory. All attorneys named won vast endorsements from clients and peers. This year’s comments note that D&S attorneys “get to the crux of each issue” and provide “New York or Boston caliber legal services at Providence rates.” Client comments from 2009 included: "strong presence in New England," and "considerable market praise for their abilities.

Josh Celeste Named 'Forty Under 40' Winner
(July 2010) Congratulations to Joshua Celeste who was named to the Providence Business News list of 'Forty Under 40' for 2010! The annual contest recognizes professional achievements, workplace contributions and community commitment for professionals under the age of 40. Josh often works with business clients from start-ups to public corporations on high-stakes acquisitions, dispositions, and mergers; complex restructurings and recapitalizations; and diverse governance issues.

Bob Duffy Selected for Comment on US Supreme Court Decision
(May 2010) Managing partner Robert Duffy was featured in Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly in an article reporting on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. The decision appears to place harsh new limits on the traditionally broad discretion judges have had over the calculation and awarding of enhancements to attorneys' fees in fee-shifting cases. See full article at http://www.lawyersweekly.com/reprints/RobertDuffy.htm.

Roger Hood Speaking and Writing on Intellectual Property and Technology News
(April 2010) Open source technology, cloud computing, new Mass privacy rules, business valuation of IP, and social networking are just a few of the topics about which Roger Hood is writing and speaking this spring. In case you missed these, click here for Roger’s interview with Providence Business News on the latest technology happenings, here for PBN’s Firms Search for IT Savings in the Cloud, and here for PBN’s New Mass Privacy Rules.

D&S Teams Compete in Shape Up RI
(February 2010) Team Litigation and Team Corporate were launched on February 8th, the start-date for the winter cycle of Shape Up RI. The program is a statewide exercise and weight loss challenge embraced by businesses and founded on the belief that part of the solution to healthy living lies in the power of teamwork and peer support. http://www.shapeupri.org/

Chuck Schmidt Appointed to Northern RI Chamber Board
(January 2010) Congratulations to partner Chuck Schmidt who was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce for a six-year term. The organization includes 1,000 member businesses and is devoted to strengthening the economic climate through business leadership that fosters member and community prosperity.

Patrick Guida To Chair National Education Board
(January 2010) The National Association of State Boards of Education named Patrick Guida to chair its Governmental Affairs Committee, the entity responsible for developing federal policy recommendations and communicating with Congress and federal officials about the education reform priorities of state boards of education. Patrick is vice-chair of the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education.

Roger Hood Weighs In On Technology Issues and Ideas
(December 2009) Duffy & Sweeney partner Roger Hood recently shared his thoughts on the current opportunities and compelling challenges facing businesses today with regard to intellectual property and technology law. (Click here for article.)

Welcome New Associates Kurt Kalberer and Tyler Ray
(November 2009) Kurt Kalberer joins the Litigation Group after serving as a litigation associate with one of Florida ’s largest firms where he represented NASDAQ-listed Fortune 500 companies. Tyler Ray joins the Business Law Group with more than four years of experience as in-house counsel at Cookson Group, a multi-national conglomerate.

Chuck Schmidt and Rachelle Green Named Partners in Firm
(September 2009) Duffy & Sweeney is pleased to announce that Charles (Chuck)Schmidt and Rachelle Green became partners in the firm, effective September 1st. Chuck practices in the Intellectual Property and Technology Law department and Rachelle practices in the Litigation department.

Bob Duffy Speaks to Bar Association Group about Investment Fraud
(May 2009) Bob Duffy recently presented a seminar entitled "Advising Victims of Securities Fraud" for the Rhode Island Bar Association. The continuing legal education program focused on how attorneys can advise clients who are the unwitting victims of fraudulent transactions such as embezzlement, bad investments, or "Ponzi" schemes.

Joshua Celeste named to the Board of March of Dimes
(April 2009) Congratulations to Joshua Celeste who was named to Board of Directors for the March of Dimes, Rhode Island Chapter. The organization is dedicated to preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality through research, community service, education and advocacy.

Rachelle Green Featured Speaker on Employment Law
(February 2009) Rachelle Green recently was a featured speaker for Sterling Educational Service's all day seminar entitled "Employment Law Update in Rhode Island" where she focused on developments in Family and Medical Leave Act compliance and the overlap of the American with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and workers compensation when dealing with absences of ill, injured or disabled employees.

+Byron McMasters Named to Board of Apeiron Institute

+Firm Protects Astro-Med From Unfair Competition

+Tenley Beals and Joshua Celeste Join The Firm

+Six Partners Recognized As Leading Lawyers for Business

+Four Partners Chosen For 2008 New England Super Lawyers

+Partner Stacey Nakasian Elected to Visiting Nurse Board

+Four Partners Named 2008 Best Lawyers in America

+Patrick Guida Appointed to State Committee for Civil Rights

+Duffy & Sweeney Joins Preeminent Licensing Group

+Roger Hood Selected for Chief Executives Board