PROVIDENCE – Six attorneys and three paralegals have left the Boston-based firm Burns & Levinson to join the Providence office of DarrowEverett LLP, including a lawyer representing plaintiffs in the high-profile naked "fat testing" case in North Kingstown.
The move came days before Burns & Levinson announced Friday that it had decided to close its doors after 64 years of operation.
In recent months, the firm lost about half of its attorneys to defections to other law firms. Before the six Providence lawyers moved to DarrowEverett, Burns & Levinson had eight attorneys in Providence, according to P
rovidence Business News' 2024 Book of Lists.
As of Friday, it appeared the Burns & Levinson Providence office had already closed. There were just two attorneys listed on the website of the Burns & Levinson Providence office, and no one answered the office phones.
"Ultimately, as a partnership, we have decided that it is better for our amazing attorneys to move on to different firms where each of our practices can thrive and our clients can – and will – be well served," Burns & Levinson managing partner Paul Mastrocola said in a statement.
The collapse was quick. Mastrocola noted that 2023 was a banner year for the firm as it posted record revenue on corporate deals and intellectual property, real estate and private client work. But when various partners decided to move elsewhere earlier this year, others started worrying about the future of the firm and left as well, he said.
The remaining partners started considering offers to merge with other firms, but it was too late.
"Unfortunately, after exhaustive analysis, we have determined that the economics, the timeline and the complexity of deals offered would not work for the remaining partners as a group and for our wonderfully varied practices" Mastrocola said.
Meanwhile in Providence, partners Timothy J. Conlon and Joanna M. Achille, senior associates Angelina H. Landi and Sarah Oster Kelly, and associates Laura A. Nicholson and Julia G. Nasiek joined DarrowEverett, a move the firm said will help it serve clients in family law, child protection, trusts and estates, fiduciary litigation, probate administration and white-collar defense.
DarrowEverett – a middle-market law firm – has offices in Boston; Fall River; New York City; Nashville, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; and Miami. Before adding the staff from Burns & Levinson, DarrowEverett had 18 attorneys at its Providence office, according to the 2024 Book of Lists.
"Our firm is always evaluating opportunities to grow strategically, and this addition allows us to offer a broader array of personal legal services to our business clients," said Pia Hallidri, DarrowEverett's CEO who works out of the Providence office. "The caliber of attorneys joining us speaks to the strength of our current team and the culture we've cultivated. By bringing in these top practitioners, we're further positioning ourselves as a go-to firm for all legal needs, while continuing to provide exceptional value to our diverse client base."
The firm said Conlon brings more than three decades of experience in high-stakes family law to DarrowEverett.
His work has included cases such as representing former players of North Kingstown High School's boys basketball team in lawsuits against the school for inappropriate conduct by a coach – the so-called naked "fat testing" scandal – which earned him Attorney of the Year honors from Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly in 2022.
Conlon initially gained national prominence in 2003 when he led litigation for over 30 victims of clergy abuse in Rhode Island, earning Case of the Year from the Rhode Island Association for Justice.
Conlon has handled eight- and nine-figure divorces, managing divisions of closely held businesses, privately traded assets and generational holdings, the firm said.
"Joining DarrowEverett and integrating our private client group has created significant synergies, benefiting our clients and expanding the resources we can provide," Conlon said. "The collaboration we've already experienced has underscored the value of being part of this dynamic team."
Achille, who has worked alongside Conlon since 2019, focuses on complex family law and fiduciary litigation. She has extensive experience handling high-net-worth divorces, parental alienation cases and international child custody disputes. Achille is also well-versed in prenuptial agreements and unwinding complex trusts and estates.
"This move allows us to continue serving our clients at the highest level while expanding our reach and capabilities," Achille said. "The team-first environment at DarrowEverett aligns perfectly with our client-centered approach, and I'm excited to contribute to the firm's ongoing success."
Landi, whose practice covers complex and contested family court matters, including divorce, asset division, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and interstate custody disputes. She also works as a Family Court guardian ad litem and assists professionals involved with the R.I. Department of Children, Youth & Families, representing biological parents, foster parents, kinship relatives, and prospective adoptive parents.
Oster Kelly, whose focus is on complex family law cases, including high-net-worth divorces and contested custody matters. Additionally, her practice involves probate and fiduciary litigation, as well as estate planning. She is bilingual and a board member of the Northern Rhode Island Boys & Girls Club.
Nicholson, a former assistant attorney general, has a background in family court litigation, business litigation, white-collar defense, and criminal law. She brings unique experience in child advocacy, criminal investigations, and restraining order cases to DarrowEverett.
Nasiek handles divorce, probate, and fiduciary litigation, with a particular focus on high-net-worth cases and will contests.
(Updated to add statements from Burns & Levinson managing partner Paul Mastrocola.)
