Earth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on environmental and sustainability topics, including recently proposed legislation in the Rhode Island General Assembly including efforts to enshrine a right to a clean and...more
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we see that the DEA’s rescheduling hearing is still pending. Germany’s cannabis program is likely to...more
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) has announced the release of the 2025 Guidelines and Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Fund Grants....more
Adoption is a deeply transformative process, not only for the child but also for the birth parents and the adoptive parents. The decision to adopt or to place your child for adoption involves a range of legal, emotional and...more
On February 27, 2025, the Rhode Island General Assembly announced a 12-bill package, aimed at addressing housing issues faced by the state of Rhode Island. This marks the fifth package of housing bills introduced since 2021...more
With Rhode Island municipal revaluations of property going into effect for the 2025 tax year, many homeowners and business owners are beginning to explore their options on challenging the new assessment, as most assessments...more
Rhode Island recently passed the Consumer PFAS Ban Act of 2024, which will ban the manufacture, use and distribution of certain products with intentionally added PFAS starting January 1, 2027. The Act further states “[i]t is...more
For the first time in nearly 40 years, an asbestos case was tried to verdict in Rhode Island. This case, The Estate of Bonnie Bonito, resulted in a full defense verdict!...more
Cannabis policy reform in Rhode Island has spanned nearly two decades, starting with the legalization of medical marijuana in 2006. Then, after years of determined advocacy and legislative debate, the Rhode Island Cannabis...more
Land use matters in Rhode Island are often challenging to interpreappt and navigate. In fact, the Ocean State is known for having among the most restrictive policies for zoning and land use control in the U.S. It’s not hard...more
Despite two Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) issued by federal courts in Rhode Island and Washington, DC, the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island found that the Trump Administration’s funding freeze...more
Rhode Island’s Electronic Monitoring in Nursing and Assisted Facilities Act (the “Act”) will become effective January 30, 2025. The Act allows for installation and use of electronic monitoring devices, including any photo,...more
My home state of Rhode Island may be the smallest in the union, but it has taken on a significant initiative to implement the Protective Domain Name Service (PDNS) in all 64 public school districts. PDNS, an initiative...more
On June 29, 2024, Rhode Island’s governor signed the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act (RIDTPPA) into law. The RIDTPPA will go into effect January 1, 2026. The law generally aligns with other...more
As the holidays approach, family is at the forefront in many people’s minds. Families come in every variety of size, color, age, gender and chaos. Some families look like the Cleavers or the Cosbys. Others look more like the...more
In a time of rapidly shifting priorities on environmental and climate policies, our attorneys recently attended the Environmental Business Council’s annual R.I. Department of Environmental Management update, where leaders...more
In late June 2024, Rhode Island joined the growing list of states that have enacted phased bans on the manufacture, sale, and distribution of various types of products containing PFAS. Rhode Island’s statute, entitled the...more
“Three hours of sleep again last night. Three hours of sleep because of that dog!” The foible of being an attorney is not being able to enjoy television without noticing every liability, crime, and actionable conduct of...more
The state of Rhode Island recently filed a lawsuit against 13 companies that provided design, construction, and inspection services over the past ten years (the extent allowed by the applicable statute of limitations) to the...more
On June 13, 2024, the Rhode Island legislature passed the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act (the “Act”), which became law in late June. The Act aims to protect the personal information of Rhode Island...more
On June 25, 2024, Rhode Island became the 20th state to enact a comprehensive consumer data protection law, the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act (“RIDTPPA”). The state joins Kentucky, Maryland,...more
Hinckley Allen claimed an important win for private property rights in Rhode Island last week. In Roth v. Rhode Island, Hinckley Allen challenged the constitutionality of newly enacted state legislation that significantly...more
Rhode Island is the latest state to adopt a comprehensive data privacy law, titled the Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act....more
In June 2023, the Rhode Island General Assembly enacted legislation granting the public expanded “privileges of the shore,” including but not limited to the right to fish from the shore, to swim in the sea and to pass along...more
On June 25, 2024, the Ocean State dove into the growing sea of state consumer data privacy laws with the Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act (RIDPA), becoming the 19th state to pass a comprehensive...more