Timothy J. Groves

Timothy J. Groves is an experienced civil litigator focusing his practice on professional liability defense, business litigation and education law. Prior to law school, Mr. Groves taught high school English for four years, and then co-founded Schoolyard, Inc., which developed and maintained comprehensive websites for independent schools.

Mr. Groves was named by Super Lawyers as a Rhode Island Rising Star in 2011 and 2012.
 

Representative Accomplishments

As general counsel for an independent school, Mr. Groves has redrafted key sections of the school’s employment contracts and personnel policies manual. He has advised the school’s administration on contract disputes and student disciplinary issues, helping to avert potentially costly litigation. In the public school arena, Mr. Groves has advocated for the rights of school administrators in court and on appeal before the Rhode Island Department of Education.

Mr. Groves, on behalf of a Rhode Island public charter school, persuaded the Rhode Island Supreme Court to order a local school district to reimburse the charter school for tuition payments the district had wrongfully withheld under a mistaken interpretation of state law.

He has had substantial success in a variety of cases in Connecticut Superior Court. On behalf of an insurance carrier, he recently obtained a summary judgment dismissing the claim of a woman seeking underinsurance coverage for injuries resulting from an auto accident, successfully arguing that the woman’s lawsuit was filed beyond the time limitation permitted under the insurance policy. In a separate case, Mr. Groves persuaded a Connecticut Superior Court judge after a full trial to reject the personal injury claim of a woman involved in a motor vehicle accident. He also played a substantial role in obtaining a defense verdict on behalf of a home heating oil delivery company related to a property damage claim.

Mr. Groves successfully represented a condominium association at trial obtaining an injunction to prevent unlawful construction.

Clerkships

Mr. Groves served as a law clerk in 2006-07 to Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Paul Suttell.

Professional and Civic Affiliations

Mr. Groves is a member of the Executive Director’s Council of the San Miguel School. He has served as a volunteer mentor to students at Year Up in Providence. He serves on the Governance Committee of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. Mr. Groves is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association and Massachusetts Bar Association. He has been a member since 1998 of the Save the Bay organization, and has been an advisory board member of the Big Brothers of Rhode Island since 2002. Mr. Groves is a volunteer soccer coach in the East Side Sports Youth Soccer League.