Practice:

• Business Litigation
• Private Client
• Probate & Trust Litigation

Bar Admissions:

Maine
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. District Courts for the Districts of Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Experience:

Mr. Sanford oversees the Firm's litigation practice in the federal and state courts throughout Rhode Island. Paul is a seasoned business trial lawyer, having served as counsel in hundreds of cases in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey and Virginia.

Mr. Sanford represents individuals and corporations in complex commercial business, real estate, trust and estate and marine related disputes. In the area of fiduciary litigation, he works closely with the Firm's Boston-based Probate Litigation Group in representing fiduciaries in matters involving estates and trusts in New England.

Mr. Sanford has successfully served as lead trial counsel in numerous cases brought to jury verdict in federal courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Additionally, several of his clients' cases have resulted in published decisions in such areas as closely-held corporation shareholder disputes, fraud, spoliation of evidence, real estate valuations, attorneys' fee awards, coverage disputes, bad faith claims, Chapter 93A, contract disputes and municipal agency powers.

Clients, particularly institutional fiduciaries, frequently seek Mr. Sanford’s advice from behind the scenes as important events are unfolding in order to avoid future litigation. Recognizing the importance to clients of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a potential means to resolve disputes quickly and cost effectively, he has been trained and appointed as a Superior Court arbitrator and has served as a member of the ADR panel for the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.

Significant Cases:

• Ferragamo v. Chubb Life Ins. Co., 94 F.3d 26 (1st Cir. 1996)
• Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. v. 104 Acres of Land, 32 F.3d 632 (1st Cir. 1994)
• Buchanan v. Bank of America, N.A., 2011 R.I. Super. LEXIS 115 (R.I. Super. Ct., Aug. 17, 2011)
• Olson v. Sovereign Bancorp. Inc., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24826 (D. Mass., Feb. 28, 2012)
• Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Drainville, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63613
• New England Multi-Unit House. Laundry Assn. v. Rhode Island Hous. and Mortgage Fin. Corp., 893 F.Supp. 1180 (D.R.I. 1995)
• Ferragamo v. Chubb Life Ins. Co. of Am, 894 F.Supp. 33 (D. Mass. 1995)
• Wojcik v. Town of N. Smithfield, 874 F.Supp. 508 (D.R.I. 1995)
• Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. v. 104 Acres of Land, 828 F.Supp. 123 (D.R.I. 1993)
• California Medical Prods., Inc. v. Emergency Medical Products, Inc., 796 F.Supp. 640 (D.R.I. 1992)
• Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. v. 104 Acres of Land, 780 F.Supp. 82 (D.R.I. 1991)
• Carner v. Grist Mill '76 Corp., 645 F.Supp. 331 (D.R.I. 1986)
• Tidewater Realty, LLC v. State, 942 A.2d 986 (R.I. 2008)
• Rotelli v. Catanzaro, 754 A.2d 104 (R.I. 2000)
• Burns v. Connecticut Mut. Life Ins. Co., 743 A.2d 566 (R.I. 2000)
• Cardi v. Medical Homes of Rhode Island, Inc., 741 A.2d 278 (R.I. 1999)
• Rhode Island Hosp. Trust Nat'l Bank v. Eastern Gen. Contrs., 674 A.2d 1227 (R.I. 1996)
• National Council on Compensation Ins. v. Paradis, 603 A.2d 340 (R.I. 1992)

Memberships:

• American Bar Association
• Rhode Island Bar Association
• Massachusetts Bar Association, Fiduciary Litigation Section
• Maine Bar Association
• Federal Court Bench Bar Committee
• Superior Court Bench Bar Committee

Additional Information:

• Mr. Sanford is a Leadership Rhode Island graduate.

Education:

• J.D., Suffolk University Law School, 1983
• B.S., University of Maine

Awards:

• Mr. Sanford was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (2011-2013) in the field(s) of Litigation - Trusts & Estates. Best Lawyers® is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 41,000 leading attorneys throughout the country cast almost 3.9 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Inclusion in Best Lawyers® is considered a singular honor.
• Paul has been invited to become a fellow of the Litigation Council of America, a trial lawyer honorary society where fellowship is by invitation only. Selection is based on effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation.
• Mr. Sanford was selected for inclusion in Rhode Island Super Lawyers ® (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007). Super Lawyers and Rising Stars employ an annual jurisdictional selection process. Only five percent of lawyers in the state were selected to the Super Lawyers list and 2.5 percent to the Rising Stars list. The listing appears annually in the November issue of Rhode Island Monthly magazine and in New England Super Lawyers.

Quotes:

Other:

Mr. Sanford is an AV rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell.