SAVAGE LAW PARTNERS - Key Persons
Alyssa is an Associate Attorney, focusing her practice on environmental, energy, zoning, and land use issues. Alyssa has published work pertaining to Rhode Island and federal energy law and specifically relating to the offshore wind industry. Alyssa has her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Rochester, her Master of Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island, and her J.D. from Roger William School of Law, summa cum laude. In law school, Alyssa was a member of the Law Review, the Admiralty Moot Court Team, and the Honors Program, and was the recipient of the 2021 William J. Coffey Excellence in Maritime Writing Prize and the 2021 Marine Affairs Achievement Award. Following law school, Alyssa served as a judicial law clerk for the Connecticut Appellate Court and then the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Alex advises individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions on intellectual property, entrepreneurship, Internet law, privacy and information law, non-profit law, and the First Amendment as well as contract, corporate, education, employment, and general liability matters. Alex regularly appears before state and federal courts and agencies in Rhode Island and Massachusetts on wide-ranging civil, appellate, and administrative matters. Alex served as a judicial law clerk for the Rhode Island Superior Court, assisting the Honorable Sarah Taft-Carter, the Honorable Luis Matos, and the Honorable Brian Van Couyghen.
Chris Fragomeni is a Partner who focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation, receivership and business insolvencies, and public sector and governmental services. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Chris attended Stonehill College where he graduated cum laude, and attended law school at Roger Williams University School of Law. At Roger Williams, Chris was an Articles Editor on the Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. He also served as an extern to Judge John J. McConnell of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and to the former Governor Gina Raimondo in her Office of Executive Counsel. Chris graduated cum laude from Roger Williams in May 2015, and in August 2015, he began working for the Rhode Island Supreme Court in the Trial Court Law Clerk Department. During his time as a law clerk, Chris was assigned to the Out-County Business Calendar where he worked closely with the Honorable Brian P. Stern on a number of complex business disputes and insolvencies.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Public Sector / Governmental Services
With over 28 years of experience in all areas of business and civil litigation, Mr. Wagner focuses his practice in commercial and business litigation, shareholder disputes, construction litigation, employment litigation, real estate litigation, environmental litigation, receiverships, bankruptcy and adversary proceedings, commercial loan recovery, lender liability, health care law, energy law, contract disputes, condemnation, professional liability, products liability, insurance litigation and land use and zoning. Mr. Wagner represents clients in federal and state courts, arbitrations, mediations and before regulatory agencies in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He also provides counsel to businesses on corporate and employment matters. Mr. Wagner is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, as well as the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Wagner obtained his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1995, where he served as the Articles Editor of the Connecticut Journal of International Law. Mr. Wagner earned his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Rhode Island in 1989. Mr. Wagner was selected by his peers as a Rhode Island and New England Super Lawyer in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023.
With more than three decades of experience, Mr. Giron, a Partner with the firm, focuses his practice in commercial and business litigation and transactions, including litigation and appeals, banking and finance law, insurance law, employment law (employer), labor law, creditors' rights, construction law, employment discrimination (employer), real estate, and corporate law. Mr. Giron has represented numerous public sector clients, including the Barrington School Committee (in which he handled various adversarial proceedings before the Rhode Island Department of Education, the Rhode Island Department of Labor, the Superior Court, and the Supreme Court). He has also served as Assistant Town Solicitor to the Town of Bristol, representing the Town at Town Council meetings and on multiple occasions in the Superior Court in litigation. He has also represented the Burrillville School Committee as interim school committee counsel in 1995-96, served several years ago as special counsel to the City of Central Falls in connection with its possible development of a Municipal Economic Development Zone, and more recently assisted with the representation of the City of Central Falls during its judicial receivership. Mr. Giron currently regularly assists in the Firm's representation of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, acting as corporate and legislative counsel on a variety of issues, including attendance at monthly meetings, compliance with the Rhode Island Open Meetings Law, labor and employment matters, and drafting legislation. Additionally, Mr. Giron has regularly represented clients before city and town councils, zoning and planning boards throughout municipalities in Rhode Island. He is currently special counsel to the East Greenwich Housing Authority.
Mr. Giron also has substantial experience in the drafting and analysis of legislation. In 2003, Mr. Giron, along with Mr. Savage, served as Counsel to the Rhode Island General Assembly Special House Commission on Gaming. In that capacity, the Firm analyzed a variety of gambling legislation issues, and drafted comprehensive proposed casino gambling legislation that resulted from the Commission's study. More recently, Mr. Giron represented entities that sought to develop a resort casino in the Town of Johnston, and in connection therewith drafted a proposed constitutional amendment and a proposed casino gaming statute. Mr. Giron also assisted Rhode Island Commerce Corporation with the drafting of proposed revisions to the Rhode Island Unemployment Insurance statutes.
Mr. Giron was one of the lead attorneys working on the Landmark Medical Center special mastership. Among other duties, including litigation in the mastership proceedings, he acted as labor counsel to management responsible for collective bargaining, labor contract administration for approximately 700 unionized employees, processing of grievances, and litigation of arbitrations. Mr. Giron was also been chief pension counsel in connection with the Hospital's defined benefit pension plan, and oversaw the termination by, and transition of that plan to, the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
Mr. Giron is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Mr. Giron is also admitted to practice in the First Circuit Court of Appeals. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School in 1983, where he was an editor on the Law Review, and earned a B.A. from Colby College in 1978. Mr. Giron is a member of the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bar Associations, and he has been a lecturer on various topics in construction and employment law. Mr. Giron is also a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association Federal Court Bench-Bar Committee and a past President of the Colby College Alumni Club of Rhode Island.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Partner
- Real Estate and Conveyancing
Ellen Corneau has broad and in-depth experience in public finance, governmental law and business law and commercial finance.
In the areas of public finance and governmental law, Ms. Corneau serves as bond counsel on general obligation bonds and notes to municipalities, school districts and water and fire districts as well as state agencies which finance various public projects. She also serves as bond counsel on taxable and tax-exempt revenue bonds, including industrial revenue bonds, lease revenue bonds, tax-exempt leases, water and sewer revenue bonds and 501(c)(3) bond transactions. Ms. Corneau has represented public issuers including, the State of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Industrial Facilities Corporation, CommerceRI (formerly, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation), the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation and the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation.
Ms. Corneau also acts as underwriter's counsel, credit facility counsel and borrower's counsel in public finance transactions. She is regularly called upon to draft and interpret legislation, charter provisions ordinances and resolutions and to provide complicated municipal law analysis to public finance clients in all areas, including open meetings laws and public records requests. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the area of public finance law.
In the area of business law and commercial finance, Ms. Corneau has experience in many types of finance and lending transactions. She has represented both lenders and borrowers in connection with real estate and other asset based lending transactions and lines of credit for many types of commercial projects, including office, retail, mixed use and small business financing. She also provides clients with general corporate representation and assists clients in the structuring/restructuring of businesses, contract negotiation and corporate governance issues.
Ellen is a Member, National Association of Bond Lawyers, Rhode Island Government Finance Officers Association, and Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bar Associations.
Education
B.A. from Boston College in 1985
J.D. from Villanova Law School in 1988.
Job Titles:
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Executive
- Chief Marketing and Development Officer
George A. Zainyeh is an energetic and experienced executive who thrives on challenges. As a polished communicator and passionate leader, George has developed and executed complex business strategies; managed government affairs within regulated industries; organized and lead people and teams; assessed the impact of technology and systems on regulated industries; and won new business. He is able to generate enthusiasm, trust and cooperation at all levels of public and private organizations while staying committed to the people on the team.
George is the Chief Marketing and Development Officer at Savage Law Partners and leads the team at the Athena Solutions Group. George also has a wealth of knowledge and understanding relating to governmental matters, politics, legislation, lobbying, and is able to advocate for our clients on a wide array of organizational and strategic matters.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Public Sector / Governmental Services
Judge Judith Colenback Savage is a retired trial justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court and Partner at Savage Law Partners, LLP, specializing in alternative dispute resolution. She serves as a private mediator and arbitrator in complex civil cases that are pending trial or appeal in the state or federal courts. Judge Savage also advises select clients in connection with their most complex legal disputes-leveraging her forty years of commercial litigation and judicial experience to dictate case strategy, define the contours of critical arguments, and drive to successful outcomes.
Similarly, having served as a state court trial justice for over two decades, sitting on every calendar of the Rhode Island Superior Court in every county, Judge Savage brings to her mediation and arbitration practice a wealth of experience adjudicating and mediating complex civil litigation matters, including class actions, corporate, business, and commercial litigation, and medical malpractice, employment, administrative, and governmental disputes.
Before her appointment to the bench, she served as a partner in the Litigation Department of Edwards & Angell (now Locke Lord), handling complex corporate, environmental, employment, governmental, and civil rights litigation. She also served as Executive Counsel to Governor Bruce Sundlun, supervising litigation involving numerous state departments and agencies and litigating high-profile constitutional cases, pension issues, and matters arising out of the Rhode Island banking crisis. She successfully mediated federal court litigation that effectively ended the decades-long supervision of the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institutions by the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
After retiring from the bench, Judge Savage served as Distinguished Jurist in Residence and Adjunct Faculty at Roger Williams University School of Law. She has continued to mentor future lawyers at Savage Law Partners, LLP, and students in the community. As an advocate for greater educational opportunity and justice for all, she is an active Board Member of College Unbound and works to improve the justice system.
Judge Savage is a graduate Wellesley College and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Ruggero J. Aldisert, then Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Savage Law Partners, law and business advisors, is a full-service regional law firm offering high-quality legal services in an innovative, cost-effective manner.
Jeremy focuses his practice on general corporate, transactional, receivership, real estate and litigation. Jeremy brings a wealth of general corporate legal and business experience from his previous role of President and General Counsel at Kiel James Patrick, which makes him an invaluable advisor to his clients. In addition to this recent private sector experience, Jeremy has previously worked as a corporate associate at Hinckley Allen and as an intern for U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr., United States Bankruptcy Court Judge Stephen Rhodes on the City of Detroit bankruptcy case and Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, where he participated in the design of and drafted the legislation that created the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank.
Jeremy is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, cum laude, and Lawrence University, magna cum laude.
Education
2015, University of Michigan, Cum Laude
2012, Lawrence University. B.A. English/Philosophy Magna Cum Laude
Jerry Visconti graduated from Providence College (B.A. 1965 and Suffolk University Law School (J.D. 1968). He practices in all areas of litigation and business law with particular emphasis on construction consulting and litigation, business and commercial litigation, arbitration and mediation, and matters at trial and appellate levels, including employment, construction and commercial litigation. Jerry brings over 40 years of legal experience to the firm. He is admitted practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as before the U.S. District Courts for the Districts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.
As one of the leading experts in construction law in the state, Jerry has been instrumental in the drafting and passage of the Mechanics' Lien statute and other laws pertaining to the construction industry. He is also the legal counsel for the Rhode Island Subcontractors Association (RISA). Mr. Visconti represents owners, developers, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors and suppliers.
Mr. Visconti also serves as a mediator/arbitrator.
Jerry has been both a member and chair of the Judicial Nominating Committee, is President Emeritus of the Whitmarsh Corporation, and has received numerous awards for his achievements in both the legal community and the private sector. Jerry very much enjoys cooking and has self-published a cookbook of his favorite recipes.
John Gray v. Pearl Gray, LLC d/b/a Saint Monday (PC-2019-10894).
Jonathan N. Savage is a partner at Savage Law Partners, LLP and chairs the firm's Corporate and Business department, Public Sector/Governmental Services department, and Co-chairs the firm's Receivership and Business Insolvency department. Mr. Savage has extensive experience in all matters relating to business representation including financial and corporate restructuring, labor negotiations and strategy, work-out, debt strategy, transactional work, and creative structuring.
As a Receiver and a Special Master, Mr. Savage has served as the defacto CEO of private companies, a publicly traded corporation, a municipality, a Federal detention facility and a large community hospital. In such roles he was ultimately responsible for all management operations, labor strategy and negotiation, financing and business stabilization. Some of Mr. Savage's larger more complex cases include: Hopkins Manor, Ltd./Hopkins Health Center: a Rhode Island nursing home facility (property owner) in financial distress exacerbated by Covid 19; Phoenix Houses of New England Inc., a regional substance abuse rehabilitation facility with programs and property in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, in financial distress exacerbated by Covid 19; Landmark Medical Center: a Rhode Island acute care hospital with revenues in excess of $130 million annually; The City of Central Falls; LJ Crane & Rigging; Nestor Traffic Systems, Inc.-a publicly traded company; American Biophysics Corporation-an internationally traded manufacturing company; Marathon Construction-a large construction company operating in seven states; and Wyatt Federal Detention Center. In resolving these cases, Mr. Savage was responsible for all aspects of their merger/acquisition and/or for negotiating the return to the community. Such duties included vetting partners, facilitating transactions and collaborating with regulators in these often heavily regulated, potentially sensitive industries.
Mr. Savage has extensive experience in matters relating to public sector and governmental services and agencies, often involving regulatory issues and complex government operational issues.
As a prominent leader of the legal community, Mr. Savage has been honored by his peers and judges with the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell which is the highest rating based on both legal ability and ethics.
Savage Law Partners, law and business advisors, is a full-service regional law firm offering high-quality legal services in an innovative, cost-effective manner.
Savage Law Partners is pleased to add Larissa DeLisi as a Senior Associate to our roster of impeccable attorneys here at Savage Law Partners. Larissa focuses her practice in the areas of business and civil litigation, receivership and business insolvencies, and public sector and governmental services. She is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Larissa attended Providence College where she graduated magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She graduated summa cum laude from Roger Williams University School of Law in May 2015, and was a member of the Honors Program. Larissa received CALI Awards for the highest grade in Advanced Torts; Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure: Investigation; and Evidence. She also received a recognition for her pro bono service. During law school, Larissa served as a judicial extern for the Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In addition, she was a research assistant to the Dean and Associate Dean, served as a legal extern for the In-House Legal Department at Alex and Ani, LLC, and was a judicial intern to Chief Judge George Healy, Jr. of the Rhode Island Workers' Compensation Court. Following law school, Larissa worked as a judicial law clerk for the Rhode Island Workers' Compensation Court. While serving as a law clerk, Larissa assisted with publishing decisions for the Appellate Division. Prior to joining Savage Law Partners, Larissa worked as a litigation associate at a local Rhode Island law firm and focused her practice in insurance defense, product liability, construction, premises liability, and toxic tort.
MA Child Custody- Successfully represented Mother in Massachusetts and Rhode Island child custody proceedings to have minor children returned to her custody and possession. Father removed minor child from Massachusetts to Rhode Island without permission from Mother or Court and filed custody proceedings in Rhode Island. Obtained Emergency Order in Massachusetts to have minor child returned to Mother immediately and awarding Mother sole legal and physical custody of child. Obtained dismissal of Father's complaint in Rhode Island.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Public Sector / Governmental Services
Mr. Robinson has more than two decades of experience as a practicing attorney and currently focuses his practice primarily on civil litigation and public sector and governmental services. He has experience handling a wide variety of matters including labor and employment disputes, construction and contract disputes, business litigation, and issues involving municipal, family and educational law. Mr. Robinson has extensive experience in representing public sector clients, including having represented numerous municipalities and/or school districts in various capacities. Mr. Robinson has been general counsel to the Retirement Board of the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Rhode Island and the Municipal Employees' Retirement System of the State of Rhode Island since 2007, where he has provided advice and counsel with regard to the numerous issues, claims and lawsuits that affect a large and complex state agency.
Mr. Robinson is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Mr. Robinson obtained his J.D., cum laude, from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2000, where he also served as the Articles Editor for the Law Review. He obtained his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts in 1997. Mr. Robinson is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association. He presently serves as the Chairman of the East Providence Planning Board, and has served on the Board for almost two decades. He also serves on the Roger Williams University School of Law Board of Directors.
Education
2000 Roger Williams University School of Law, Juris Doctor
Law Review Articles Editor, Roger Williams University School of Law
1997 University of Massachusetts, Amherst, B.A. History, Philosophy
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Interim President of the International Propeller Club of the United States
Nicole advises her clients on complex commercial disputes with an emphasis on healthcare, general business, labor and employment, energy and environmental, construction, and admiralty/maritime law. Nicole brings this broad knowledge base to assist businesses in regulatory matters as well as in resolving pending disputes pre-litigation.
Prior to joining Savage Law Partners, Nicole worked at an Am 100 law firm representing clients in connection with a wide variety of cases. She was also previously general counsel to a private maritime college, simultaneously serving as the director of policy and legal affairs for the maritime vessel registry of an International Maritime Organization Member State. She was a member of that State's delegation to the IMO. She has also worked on matters involving renewable energy, land use, and environmental disputes.
Nicole currently serves as the interim President of the International Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Narragansett Bay, and is a proud alumna of Providence College. In law school, Nicole was a RI Sea Grant Law Fellow and President of the school's Maritime Law Society. She received the CALI Award for the highest grade in the Immigration Law Clinic and represented clients before several courts and the USCIS. She completed an externship at the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies on Naval Station Newport, which is under the Department of Defense. Outside of the law, she enjoys everything that comes with owning a hobby farm, cooking, and all sports/outdoor activities, particularly on the water.