Five Questions With: Benjamin M. Scungio

BENJAMIN M. Scungio is managing partner of Providence law firm Brennan, Recupero, Cascione, Scungio & McAllister. / COURTESY BRCSM
BENJAMIN M. Scungio is managing partner of Providence law firm Brennan, Recupero, Cascione, Scungio & McAllister. / COURTESY BRCSM

Benjamin M. Scungio is managing partner of Brennan, Recupero, Cascione, Scungio & McAllister. Among other areas of expertise, BRCSM practices tax and antitrust law, and is augmenting its ranks to grow the firm. Scungio talks with Providence Business News about BRCSM, his team and trends in the tax and antitrust world.

PBN: Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your firm?

SCUNGIO: At BRCSM, we operate with the understanding that legal issues don’t exist in a vacuum. We provide common-sense solutions for our clients’ complete legal needs. It’s a combination of judgment and advice delivered with a lot of personal attention. And, of course, it must be delivered promptly and cost-effectively. With deep roots in the community, BRCSM celebrated 25 years in business in 2016. In fact, our five original (name) partners are still here today, working collaboratively in our Providence and Taunton offices. I have served as the managing partner for the last eight years; in that role, I provide strategy and vision to drive our client development and, internally, to spearhead systems development for the firm. This is in addition to my legal focus, which includes a mix of municipal and school district representation, real estate and business law. One of my law partners, Ron Cascione, provides administrative and financial oversight for the firm.

PBN: You’ve recently added some new attorneys to the team, are you growing? Why or why not?

SCUNGIO: The firm is always assessing opportunities that provide our clients added value and that represent incremental, steady growth. Recently Jon Anderson and Janne Reisch joined our team. Jon has strong experience representing school districts; he adds decades of depth to our firm’s existing reputation in that area. His experience in tax and antitrust law enriches our business-law segment. Janne had a successful career in business as a chemical engineer before she found her passion as a lawyer. She is part of our firm’s family-law team and also works on education matters. In the big picture, we have grown our team to meet the demands of our clients in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We unveiled a new logo and launched a new website in 2016 and have implemented some major technology initiatives. We continue to give back to our community and were heartened to receive the 2015 Community Partner in Excellence award in appreciation of our support of United Methodist Elder Care.

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PBN: Can you talk a little bit about trends in antitrust law?

SCUNGIO: Conflicts under the antitrust laws appear in news headlines almost every day. Antitrust law is all about allowing competition in a fair way. Jon Anderson has given advice in matters dealing with price-fixing and monopolization – to name a few of the more recognized issues – to many large and small businesses. In today’s competitive marketplace, businesses face challenges from customers, competitors and federal and state regulators. For instance, before cutting off a customer for dealing with a competitor, for example, a business needs to understand the legal implications. Likewise, a business needs to carefully assess the impact of setting prices or allocating markets with competitors.

PBN: When would a business consider hiring a lawyer for tax purposes?

SCUNGIO: Businesses and nonprofits often consult with a lawyer to reduce their tax risk and operate in a tax-efficient manner, especially given the constantly changing local, state and federal tax laws. When disputes arise, they need an advocate who understands their business to effectively negotiate and resolve adverse tax situations. Jon Anderson has represented businesses – as well as individuals and estates – in United States Tax Court and before the Rhode Island Division of Taxation.

PBN: In what other key areas does your firm work with clients?

SCUNGIO: We represent businesses in commercial finance and bankruptcy, as well as commercial real estate, labor and employment, and general business issues throughout southern New England. Our commercial-finance team represents lenders and borrowers in all areas of commercial finance and was part of a select group of law firms that represented DEPCO in the collection of commercial obligations during the state’s financial crisis. We have a national reputation in the niche area of transportation law and international trade logistics where we serve as advisers to multinational companies.

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