Stephen Adams

Mr. Adams is an experienced trial lawyer who actively practices in the courts of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. He has tried cases across a wide spectrum of practice areas, including matters involving products liability and environmental contamination, commercial, breach of contract, wrongful termination, professional liability and general liability. He has also handled reinsurance coverage disputes, including significant arbitration experience under the Federal Arbitration Act.

In addition to his litigation work, Mr. Adams devotes a significant portion of his practice to education law, advising educational institutions and education professionals on employment matters, compliance issues, special education disputes and discipline concerns.

Having been seasoned in the courtroom, Mr. Adams has the depth of insight to effectively counsel clients on avoiding and managing risks. He also uses his litigation knowledge when called upon by clients to draft legislation and regulations.

Representative Accomplishments

Mr. Adams has obtained numerous victories in the courtroom. For instance, in a products liability case involving alleged exposure to asbestos at construction sites, he persuaded the Rhode Island Superior Court to grant summary judgment to his clients based on his argument that the lawsuit was untimely under the Rhode Island Statute of Repose. (Cote v. E. Turgeon Const. Corp., 2006 WL 3004067.) The plaintiff alleged his lung cancer was caused by exposure to asbestos at construction sites in the 1960s and 1970s at which Mr. Adams’s contractor clients were involved, well before when the lawsuit was filed. As a consequence of this ruling, asbestos claims against building contractors in Rhode Island have all but stopped.

In the education realm, Mr. Adams successfully defended a Rhode Island public high school against a wrongful termination claim by a tenured teacher. After the school board upheld the termination, the teacher appealed to the Rhode Island Department of Education. The school ultimately agreed to settle the case on favorable terms, after Mr. Adams convinced the school’s insurance carrier step to the plate, thereby extinguishing the risk of liability exposure to the school.

He obtained a jury verdict in favor of an orthopedic surgeon in a case alleging permanent foot injuries. Mr. Adams also secured a defense verdict on behalf of a national retailer in a personal injury lawsuit alleging a negligently designed floor plan. And due to the efforts of Mr. Adams, a large commercial construction company defeated a seven-figure property damage claim involving claims of alleged environmental contamination.

In the commercial context, Mr. Adams and his partner Robert Elmer convinced the jury that the plaintiff landlord had relinquished its right to collect significant unpaid rent, winning the case on the affirmative defense of waiver.

Outside of the courtroom, he obtained $750,000 arbitration panel award on behalf of a multi-national reinsurance carrier seeking to enforce a reinsurance treaty.

As a consultant to the Rhode Island Technical Assistance Project at Rhode Island College, he advised the Project on the Rhode Island Special Education Regulations, which were required by Congress under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004.

Professional and Civic Affiliations

Mr. Adams has lectured to professionals on various legal topics, including student discipline, and compliance with federal and state special education laws. He has been a member of several associations devoted to advancing the skills of trial attorneys, including the Defense Research Institute and the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Adams is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association and Connecticut Bar Association. He is active in his community as well, including volunteering at the Primrose Hill School in Barrington, R.I.