Matthew R. Plain

Matt Plain concentrates his practice in labor and employment law, professional liability, general liability, contract drafting and disputes, and administrative law. He serves clients in the government, and also in the private and non-profit sectors. Mr. Plain devotes a considerable portion of his practice to advising school boards, administrators and teachers on a myriad of education law issues, including special education, employment, student/staff discipline, government relations, and constitutional law. He regularly lectures to educators on a variety of school-related issues.

In addition to his education law practice, Mr. Plain serves clients in the health care and insurance industries, handling disputes involving professional liability, employment practices, products liability and contract disputes. A portion of his practice is also dedicated to personal injury work.

Prior to law school, Mr. Plain taught 7th and 8th Grade in the North Carolina public schools for four years and has an Advanced Competencies Teaching License for Social Studies Education (Grades 6-12). 

Representative Accomplishments

Mr. Plain recently persuaded the Rhode Island Supreme Court to order a local school district to reimburse the firm’s client, a local independent public charter school, for tuition payments the district had wrongfully withheld under a mistaken interpretation of state law. He successfully defended in administrative appeals two schools facing closure by the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

He served as one of the primary drafters of the current Rhode Island Charter Public Schools Act. In addition, Mr. Plain was a consultant to the Rhode Island Technical Assistance Project at Rhode Island College, and contributed to revisions to the Rhode Island Regulations Governing the Education of Children with Disabilities.

In the civil litigation realm, Mr. Plain obtained a $1.2 million settlement on behalf of a client who suffered catastrophic spinal cord injuries while being transported in a wheelchair van to a medical appointment. He also gained a $200,000 settlement for a plaintiff in a case involving bad faith insurance practices. Mr. Plain obtained a summary judgment for a medical director who was facing a medical malpractice lawsuit with potentially multi-million dollar exposure.

Publications

"Lunch With Legends" article series published by the Rhode Island Bar Journal highlighting senior members of the Rhode Island bar.

"Results Above Rights: The No Child Left Behind Act's Insidious Effect on Students with Disabilities," 10 Roger Williams University Law Review 249. 

Awards

Mr. Plain was named by Super Lawyers as a Rhode Island Rising Star in 2011 and 2012. The Providence Business News named Mr. Plain as one of its 40 Under Forty winners in 2011.

Seminars

Mr. Plain regularly presents substantive seminars on education and liability issues. For example, he recently led a panel discussion on the viability of negligence claims in school as part of the 2012 School Safety Conference hosted by the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. He has also presented seminars to help school leaders decide on legal and communications strategies when managing crises.

Clerkships

Law clerk to the Honorable George E. Healy Jr., Chief Judge, Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court, 2005-06.

Professional and Civic Affiliations

• Delegate, Rhode Island Bar Association House of Delegates
• Member, Leadership Rhode Island Iota II class
• Editorial Board, Rhode Island Bar Journal
• Board of Directors, Fund for Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP)
• Board of Directors, Avenger Football Alumni Association
• Board of Directors and Executive Board (formerly), The Manton Avenue Project
• Advisory Board, Roger Williams University Pro Bono Collaborative
• Board of Directors, St. Thomas More Society (formerly)
• Board of Directors, Blackstone Academy Charter School (formerly)
• Mentor, Year Up Providence
• Member, Rhode Island Bar Association
• Member, Massachusetts Bar Association