BSK - Key Persons
Amanda R. Cascione is an experienced trial attorney and has handled a variety of complex criminal cases and investigations over the last decade. She joined the firm as a senior associate after eleven years as Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.
She is a skilled litigator and at home in the courtroom. She is known for her ability to present clear and concise arguments and information to the court and for her communication skills with both clients and colleagues.
She has tried 59 cases to verdict, including felonies, gun and drugs cases, and child abuse cases. She has successfully litigated hundreds of pre-trial motions and has presented numerous cases before various Grand Jurys.
During her time at the District Attorney's Office, Amanda served in various roles over the years, including Chief of the Gun Prosecution Task Force, a specialized unit focused on prosecuting individuals charged with illegal firearm possession, and also Supervisor of the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court, where she managed a team of 10-15 lawyers and additional support staff.
She attended the Prosecution Leaders of Now program hosted by Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Education. This program brought together leaders in prosecution from across the country to address the transformation of prosecution and rectifying inequities in the criminal justice system.
Practice Areas
Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors Rights
Ben Scungio is the co-managing partner of the firm. He is known for his practical, problem-solving approach to resolve legal conflicts in a manner that achieves the best outcomes for all parties involved. He focuses his practice on the representation of Rhode Island school committees, educational collaboratives and educational professionals, handling a myriad of concerns that arise each day including constitutional and regulatory issues. He continues to be recognized by Best Lawyers for the practice area of education law, and for excellence in education law by Rhode Island Monthly.
With a strategic understanding of government and relationship dynamics plus solid negotiation skills, he resolves disputes involving issues that range from parental concerns, to finances and distribution of funding, to collective bargaining and beyond. Ben developed the strategy for a school committee in a Rhode Island Supreme Court case which helped define school districts' management responsibilities. He also represented a school district in a Rhode Island Superior Court which upheld the privatization of custodial services.
He is a frequent presenter on topics of collective bargaining, policy-making, student discipline, harassment and other emerging issues in education and special education law for superintendents, school district business managers, school committees and other groups.
Ben also represents clients in both residential real estate and business and banking transactions. He remains abreast of the critical changes in the law that impacts these areas and provides tactical advice for firm clients.
Brian Hughes was named an equity partner at the firm in January of 2023. He is a civil trial lawyer in the firm's Taunton office, advocating for businesses and individuals in all state and federal courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. With two decades of legal experience, he is known as a skilled and analytical strategist who guides clients through the myriad laws and regulations to reach the best possible outcome.
In 2022, Brian was able to negotiate an advantageous settlement in a complex corporate dispute pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Using the plaintiff's own evidence against him, Brian was able to settle the case for less than one-twentieth of his clients' potential liability, without any admission or wrongdoing.
In 2017, while representing a large, regional financial institution, he received an award that included damages and attorneys' fees totaling close to six figures in a hotly-contested case involving two competing, family-owned businesses. The jury trial in New Bedford Superior Court reinforced that landlords cannot take the law into their own hands and act without legal process. "Self-help" is not allowed in Massachusetts (as it is in Rhode Island) and, in this case, was tantamount to theft. See more.
In 2016, he successfully defended a local manufacturer in a discrimination suit where the client was accused of wrongful employment termination based on allegations of whistle-blower protections, age and disability discrimination. After a five-day jury trial, the court ruled in favor of the manufacturer, avoiding damages. The case involved highly disputed facts and passionate and emotional testimony. See more.
Over the years, Brian has litigated cases that include: business and construction disputes, real estate and landlord-tenant cases, bankruptcy matters, commercial loan disputes, commercial foreclosure and creditors' rights, and discrimination matters. He is also part of the firm's education law team.
He has protected his clients' rights in dozens of construction disputes involving mechanics liens, avoiding litigation in most cases. He has successfully handled appeals in state and federal court and defended a banking client in a foreclosure matter involving an alleged due process violation before the US Supreme Court.
Prior to moving to Marshfield, MA, Brian resided in and was a member of several committees for the Town of Rockland. He is active in the Weymouth United Masonic Lodge, and received the Meritorious Service Certificate in 2009 from the Grand Lodge of Masons.
With two decades of experience as a skilled practitioner in and out of the courtroom, Daniel de Abreu handles general business litigation, including municipal and land use matters, criminal defense, and appeals. He appears regularly in Massachusetts courts.
Prior to joining the firm, Dan was the First Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Taunton. In his eight years with the City, he provided counsel on a range of matters including procurement, public works projects, contracts and zoning law. He represented the City, in court or as in-house counsel, in the defense of civil rights and tort claims made against the City.
He previously was in private practice with a focus on civil litigation and criminal defense. Dan represents clients at all stages of criminal proceedings, including show cause hearings, arraignment and bail hearings, pretrial motion hearings including evidentiary motions to suppress, and jury trials in District and Superior Court. When appropriate, Dan represents clients during plea negotiations. He has substantial experience in post-conviction appeals. He also handles matters involving abuse prevention orders and harassment prevention orders (both of which are often referred to as restraining orders).
Ed is known as an honest, efficient and common sense attorney. He handles permitting and zoning for residential and commercial real estate development in Southeastern Massachusetts. He has been involved in major projects in industries that span hospitality, healthcare, retail and residential subdivisions. With a solid understanding of the local landscape, he is well-respected by local municipal authorities.
Jon Anderson has close to three decades of varied experience with a focus on education, special education, antitrust, and tax law. He continues to be recognized by Rhode Island Monthly for Excellence in the law in the practice area of education law. He was recognized by Best Lawyers for Education Law for 2024.
He is counsel to numerous public school districts, public charter schools and private schools in Rhode Island. He has represented them in highly sensitive matters in the public spotlight and appears regularly in state and federal courts and before the RI Department of Education. As a school lawyer, he handles matters under the Americans with Disabilities Acts, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. He has successfully represented school districts in special education placement disputes, controversies over healthcare obligations to employees, and governance matters.
Joe Recupero focuses his practice on estate planning and real estate law.
In the estate planning arena, he helps individuals preserve personal wealth and minimize tax liabilities, providing customized advice to established clients on estate and elder law planning, and to younger couples/families on education funding and saving for retirement. He remains abreast of the changing landscape, both state and federal, for the estate tax thresholds and other critical requirements. He represents clients in will contests and other probate court disputes, and has given presentations on the pivotal issues that impact probate matters such as undue influence, incompetence and duress.
In the area of residential real estate, Joe represents buyers and sellers in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts in a diverse range of transactions, often with complex and novel closing issues. He understands how to successfully navigate all the steps in the real estate process with multiple parties and deadlines. As an approved vendor for Fannie Mae, the firm handles residential real estate closings for buyers of foreclosed property under Joe's direction.
Joe has been active in the Bristol County community, where he started his practice, as a member of the Bristol County Elks and La Bella Sicilia. He volunteers as a member of the fundraising committees for both St. Patrick School in Providence and for Butler Hospital.
Lisa Kresge was named an equity partner in the firm in January of 2023 and a named partner in the firm in April of 2024 when the firm rebranded as Brennan Scungio & Kresge LLP. She also assumed the role of co-managing partner of the firm in April of 2024.
Lisa joined the firm's Providence office in 2011 from the Boston office of Brown Rudnick, where she was a partner. She oversees the firm's commercial finance and creditors' rights practice.
With a focus on commercial finance, she represents businesses and financial institutions - including banks, credit unions, and mortgage servicers - in both transactional work and commercial litigation. She handles corporate restructuring and creditors' rights matters, representing secured creditors, trade claimants and other parties-in-interest in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcy and receivership cases in jurisdictions across the US. She routinely counsels commercial lenders and borrowers in connection with secured and unsecured credit facilities, asset-based financing, loan workouts, commercial and residential foreclosures and other lending and business transactions.
Lisa is frequent writer and speaker on bankruptcy, receivership and foreclosure law topics. A court-appointed receiver for the RI Superior Court, she is a member of the Rhode Island Women's Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation.
She is Vice President and a member of the board of the Rhode Island Women's Bar Association and is the Co-Chair and member of the Board of the New England network of the International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation. A resident of Mansfield, she is active in the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce. She was recently recognized for Excellence in Law by Rhode Island Monthly in the practice area of Bankruptcy & Workout.
Lori A. Miller joined the firm's Education & Municipal Law team in September of 2018 after more than three decades in finance for Rhode Island schools and municipalities. Most recently, she spent close to 19 years as the business administrator for the Lincoln Public Schools.
Lori is known for bringing stability to the finance offices of the school districts where she served and effectively interacting with students, faculty, staff and parents. Her in-depth knowledge of public education and her seasoned perspective on pivotal issues facing educators today is a major asset to BSK and our clients.
Lori started her career in East Providence in accounting, was promoted to controller and went on to serve as the business administrator for the East Providence School Department. From there, she held a similar position for the East Greenwich School Department before moving to the Lincoln Public School Department in December of 1999. Over the years she received the statewide School Business Official of the Year award twice, in 2005 and in 2013.
She is a magna cum laude graduate of the Roger Williams School of Law, she received her MBA from Bryant University, and she completed her undergraduate degree at Providence College.
Sabrina O'Brien is an associate in the Providence office, handling matters in education law, commercial finance, creditor's rights, labor and employment, and unemployment benefit disputes. She is passionate about helping clients overcome challenges and providing practical legal advice.
Sabrina worked as a law clerk for the firm from January to May 2023.
Prior to law school, Sabrina was a legal assistant at a Connecticut litigation law firm where she first garnered interest in the practice of law. While attending college, she also participated in the University of Connecticut Model United Nations at the annual conference where she took on the roles of Director of UNESCO in 2016 and 2017, and Topic Specialist for the International Law Commission in 2018.
In her spare time, Sabrina enjoys hiking, reading, baking, and travelling. She is fluent in Romanian and French.
Sean Clough is part of the attorney team in the Providence office, working primarily in the Education & Municipal Law, Business Law, and Bankruptcy-Restructuring-Creditors Rights practice areas. Sean is a frequent speaker and writer on topical issues that impact firm clients. He is known for his thorough research and analytical skills, and clear communications with clients and colleagues.
Sean joined the firm after practicing at the Rhode Island Supreme Court's Trial Court Law Clerk Department where he worked as a law clerk researching and analyzing legal issues such as negligence, premise liability, contract law, housing and employment discrimination, foreclosures, and book accounts for Superior Court Judges.
His previous experience includes an externship with Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Francis Flaherty, where he researched and analyzed legal issues such as collateral estoppel, Fourth Amendment rights, and the limits of agent authority.
Additionally, Sean was a member of the Smithfield School Committee for six years. During that time, he led the Smithfield School Committee as the youngest Chairperson ever selected for that leadership position. In that capacity he guided the town's education, assessment and budgetary policies as part of a five-person board.
Sean continues to be recognized in the practice areas of Education law and Litigation-Labor & Employment by Best Lawyers - in conjunction with US News & World Report - as "Ones to Watch" which notes attorneys who have been in practice for 5-9 years.
Active in the Rhode Island Bar Association and his community, Sean serves on the Government Lawyers and Superior Court Bench/Bar Committees and is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Journal Editorial Board. He is also a supporter and volunteer with Rhode Island Special Olympics.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Uniform Law Commission
Tom Hemmendinger represents businesses and financial institutions in commercial finance, litigation, bankruptcy, and receivership matters. He regularly writes and teaches on these topics, and is the author of HILLMAN ON COMMERCIAL LOAN DOCUMENTATION, a leading handbook for lawyers and commercial loan officers. He was named Lawyer of the Year in the practice area of Commercial Finance for 2024 by Best Lawyers.
Tom was noted for Excellence in Law by Rhode Island Monthly in the practice of Bankruptcy & Workout for 2023 and he continues to be recognized by Best Lawyers for the practice areas of Banking and Finance, Commercial Transactions / UCC Law, and Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law. He was one of four presenters at the 2019 Rhode Island Bar Association's Commercial Law Update. (See blog post here.)
Tom has developed an industry expertise in the international logistics and transportation sector; he understands the critical legal issues facing both service providers and customers. He regularly speaks at leading conferences across the country on securing "goods on the water" as additional collateral, plus the rights and obligations of shippers, common carriers, transportation intermediaries and buyers when goods are in transit.
As a member of the Uniform Law Commission, Tom has been active in a number of projects including: commercial real estate receiverships (committee chairperson); regulation of virtual currencies; use of electronic communications in international contracts; and independent guarantees and standby letters of credit, a joint project with the Uniform Law Conference of Canada. He is on the Board of Directors of the Preachers' Aid Society of New England and an Honorary Trustee of United Methodist Elder Care.
Job Titles:
- Condominium Board of Managers, past Chair