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Rhode Island Supreme Court Imposes A New Time Limitation On Original Homeowners To Discover Latent Defects

In a case of first impression, the Rhode Island Supreme Court this term held that a homeowner has (1) ten years following the substantial completion of an improvement to real property to discover a latent defect and (2) three...more

Rhode Island Supreme Court Electronic Filing Rules Give Attorneys The Gift Of Extra Time

2021 has ushered in not only a new Rhode Island Supreme Court, but also significant technical upgrades as the Court officially converts to electronic filing. Beginning January 29, 2021, attorneys must submit all filings to...more

Countdown To 2021: 60 Important Supreme Court Decisions For Rhode Island Civil And Appellate Practitioners (2015-2020)

For the first time in a decade, the Rhode Island Supreme Court is about to have a new composition. Justices Melissa A. Long and Erin Lynch Prata will fill the seats vacated by retired Justices Gilbert V. Indeglia and Francis...more

Supreme Court Affirms Dismissal of Case That Resulted From Counsel’s Failure to Ensure Accurate Contact Information in Electronic...

In the first Rhode Island Supreme Court decision to address the Rhode Island Judiciary’s new electronic filing system, the Court cautioned counsel to confirm the accuracy of their service contact information to ensure receipt...more

Social Copycats: Is a Social Media User Infringing On Your Intellectual Property Rights?

Social media platforms present great opportunity for brands to gain visibility and attract followers.   But what if another user is using your brand name or a confusingly similar brand name to promote a competing business?...more

Supreme Court Holds Attorneys’ Fee Affidavits Must Be From Independent Counsel

In a decision that impacts most litigators in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has held that affidavits or testimony offered to support a claim for attorneys’ fees must be from a member of the Rhode Island Bar who...more

Supreme Court Decision Establishes New Law Concerning The Rights Of Trustees In Rhode Island

In a case of first impression, the Rhode Island Supreme Court recognized a statutory right for trustees to recover their attorneys’ fees when a trust beneficiary refuses, without any basis, to release the trustee of his or...more

Supreme Court Order Underscores Importance of Prebriefing Statements

Prebriefing Statements, which are sometimes referred to as Rule 12A Statements, are often viewed and treated as preliminary statements of the issues that will be later briefed on appeal. A recent Rhode Island Supreme Court...more

Are Your Trade Secrets Gone Without A Trace?

Trade secret misappropriation presents a significant concern for companies. Pilfered trade secrets can have devastating effects on a company’s business, especially when trade secrets that are central to the successful...more

Supreme Court Amendment Imposes Obligation on Practitioners to Review Certain Files for Non-Public Case Information

Through an order issued on January 29, 2016, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has made amendments to the Rhode Island Judiciary Rules of Practice Governing Public Access to Electronic Case Information (the “Public Access...more

Juror Misconduct: If You Hear Something, Say Something

The Rhode Island Supreme Court’s recent decision in Roma v. Moreira, No. 2014-141-Appeal, 2015 R.I. LEXIS 106 (R.I. Nov. 13, 2015) serves as a reminder to trial counsel that if you hear something that leads you to believe...more

Are Your Company’s Social Media #Sweepstakes FTC Compliant?

Social media contests and sweepstakes have gone viral. They have not only caught the attention of consumers nationwide, they have caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission....more

The Raise-Or-Waive Rule: A Trap For Trial And Appellate Counsel

The raise-or-waive rule, arguably one of the most important rules of appellate practice, also is one of the Rhode Island Supreme Court’s most frequently invoked legal doctrines. In its last term, the Rhode Island Supreme...more

Supreme Court Amendments Mandate Rejection Of Nonconforming Briefs And Dismissal Of Inactive Cases

On October 16, 2015, the Rhode Island Supreme Court issued an order making important amendments to Article I of the Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure....more

Rhode Island Supreme Court Decision Serves As A Reminder To Engage Necessary Experts Early In The Case

A recent Rhode Island Supreme Court decision serves as an important reminder of the need to engage essential expert witnesses early in a case and, at a minimum, before discovery responses are due....more

Rhode Island Supreme Court Closes Door To In Camera Review In Certain Circumstances

In addressing an issue of first impression under Rhode Island law, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has held that a trial justice may not make decisions on the merits based on documents submitted in camera....more

Reality Check: What Marcus Lemonis Learned About Purchasing Intellectual Property That Your Business Should Too

Entrepreneur and reality television star Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC’s The Profit, has learned a tough lesson about contract law. With a business strategy that makes every lawyer cringe, Lemonis prides himself on having made...more

Rhode Island Supreme Court Addresses Deposition Conduct And Instructions Not To Answer

Rhode Island has long honored the late Professor Robert B. Kent’s teachings on civil procedure, including his opinions concerning depositions. In keeping with Professor Kent’s teachings, Rhode Island courts take the position...more

Patience Please: Rhode Island Supreme Court Reminds Litigants It Has Not Yet Adopted Iqbal And Twombly

In 2007, the United States Supreme Court in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007), significantly modified the standard of review applied to motions to dismiss in federal courts. A few years later, in 2009,...more

You’ve Got Mail! But Can You Get It Into Evidence?

With the advent of electronic discovery, emails and web pages are now common and fertile areas of discovery. However, until its 2014-2015 term, the Rhode Island Supreme Court had not addressed the means by which emails and...more

Fast Five - Rhode Island Appellate Practice - June 2015

SUPREME GHOSTBUSTERS: RHODE ISLAND SUPREME COURT IMPOSES LIMITATIONS ON GHOSTWRITING. The Rhode Island Supreme Court “ain’t afraid of no ghost.”[1] In a long-anticipated, unanimous decision, the Rhode Island Supreme...more

Fast Five: Rhode Island Appellate Practice - September 2014

In a case of first impression, the Rhode Island Supreme Court held that a doctor who was hired by a third party to provide an opinion about a patient based solely on his review of the patient’s records did not owe a duty of...more

Fast Five: Rhode Island Appellate Practice: The McAuslan Doctrine

In its decisions this term, the Rhode Island Supreme Court addressed at length the McAuslan Doctrine, a judicial exception to the general rule that interlocutory orders are not immediately reviewable. The Court’s decisions...more

Fast Five: Rhode Island Appellate Practice - August 2014

Before you file or respond to a motion for summary judgment, consider the following guidance from three recent Rhode Island Supreme Court decisions. 1. TO SURVIVE SUMMARY JUDGMENT, A NON-MOVING PARTY MUST COME FORWARD...more

Fast Five: Rhode Island Appellate Practice - July 2014

With the dog days of summer upon us, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has concluded its Spring 2014 term, leaving practitioners with new guidance on a variety of trial and appellate practice issues. In one of its last...more

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