Note: This web site is considered a form of "advertising". It is designed to provide general information for clients, potential clients, and friends of the firm and should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice about your situation or case and does not create any lawyer-client relationship. Contacting us and allowing us the privilege of reviewing your situation and concerns with you is still the first step for you to obtain either advice, referral elsewhere or for us to become your lawyers.

Q. Do I need a lawyer?
If you are asking yourself this question you should call us to discuss whatever has caused you to have this question. Our lawyers are professionals who have been trained and have experience in analyzing facts and the law necessary to get the best possible results for those who need a lawyer and become our clients. Not everyone who calls needs a lawyer and in many instances we refer callers to public agencies or other professionals who many be helpful in addressing their concerns. For those who may need the services of a lawyer we generally offer an initial consultation without cost or obligation. Our lawyers can advise you of your legal needs, rights, possible courses of action and/or alternatives, as well as the risks and consequences of acting or not taking action. Therefore, we encourage you to call and discuss your situation and concerns.

Q. I am unhappy with our current lawyer. Can you help?
As consumers of legal services, clients are usually entitled to "change lawyers" whenever they wish. In trying to arrive at this decision things you should consider include how important the matter is to you, what could happen if you win or lose, and the communication you have had with your current lawyer about the handling of the matter. Among the things that we consider in determining whether we are willing and able to help clients who want to change lawyers are whether there is still time to really help you and, if so, how to structure an arrangement for your representation that will be fair to you and our firm under all the circumstances. There is an old saying that "once the toothpaste is out of the tube it's difficult to get it back inside" and the more time that passes the more difficult it will be for us or any lawyer to "take over" your case or representation. So if you are considering making a change call immediately so that we may discuss these important decisions.

Q. Can you represent me in Massachusetts?
YES! If you review our Cases and News you will find that we have successfully represented many clients in Massachusetts since 1985. In fact, we have also handled several matters in Connecticut and New Hampshire - a true "New England Solution" for your legal needs.

Q. Can you guarantee me a result?
Unfortunately, "guarantees" about the outcome of a particular matter or case when we first meet are impossible in our American system of law. We can, however, advise you about the existing laws, whether and how they have been interpreted by courts, the things (witnesses, evidence, records) that will be needed to give you the best possible result, the alternatives available to you, and the potential risks of each choice. That being said, we will make every possible effort to achieve the best possible result for you in hopes that you, your family and friends will join the many, many satisfied past clients who have repeatedly returned to us over the years.

Q. How long will it take for my insurance settlement check to clear the bank?
Former (and well respected) Rhode Island Judge Alton Wiley was fond of recounting a story that was painful for him to retell but helpful to any lawyers who listened. He had settled an automobile accident case for a client and when the check arrived the client asked for the client's share "right away" because the client was leaving on vacation the next day. Feeling that he had an insurance check that would clear the bank quickly he gave his client a check and the client went on vacation, spending most of the money in the process. Unfortunately, a few days after depositing the check, Wiley's bank advised him that it had "bounced" because the insurance company had gone into receivership the same day the check was deposited. It took about 2 years to get this all straightened out, but the Judge reminded everyone he could that you just "never know." With this in mind, from time to time we contact the bank that maintains our Client Trust account about fund availability. The best practice that they recommend is that we give insurance checks at least five (5) business days to "clear" and this is the policy that we have generally adopted.

Q. What exactly is a "Law Clerk" and what do they do at your office?
One of our former law clerks answered that question by telling people that law clerks are the people in a law firm who "read the fine print". But that humorous answers is only slightly true. Law clerks are usually law students who are hired by the Firm during the summers between their first and second years of study. They gain experience in many facets of the Firm's daily operations, helping research and prepare documents and sometimes attending court sessions or meeting with clients. In our Firm, law clerks are exposed to the practical side of the law and we strive to have them help with interesting assignments in a friendly environment. Over the years we have had many law clerks, most of whom are becoming quite successful in their career paths. Some notable examples of our law clerk "graduates" or "alumni" include Margaret L. Fulton (Assistant Commissioner of Revenue Administration for the State of New Hampshire), T. Dos Urbanski (partner in the Boston law firm of Melick, Porter & Shea, LLP), David Tapalian (founder and partner in the Providence law firm of Tapalian & Tadros, P.C.) and Sherwin Siy (graduate of U.C. Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law and currently Deputy Legal Director and the Khale/Austin Promise Fellow at Public Knowledge in Washington, D.C.). We wish them and all of our former law clerks and staff the very best now and in the future!

From John Reilly's interview with Vestnik Magazine of Rhode Island (November, 2008) in English and Russian:

Q. Tell us a little about yourself and your family history.
Like most Americans, my grandparents arrived as immigrants to this Country. Two came from Ireland and the others were from Scotland and Canada. My father and all of my uncles fought in World War II (the Patriotic War) and then came home to raise families. I was born in Maine (a cold place, but not quite as cold as Siberia). My father was an aviation electronics expert who worked for the government. He was transferred to Rhode Island and so this is where I went to High School and then the University of Rhode Island.

Q. Why did you decide to become a lawyer?
I served in the Army during the Viet Nam War period and met some officers who had been lawyers before they joined the Army. They made a good impression on me and after I was discharged from this duty I worked for an insurance company and met more lawyers. The insurance case lawyers did not make such a good impression, but I knew that if they could go to law school and pass their bar examinations, I could do that, too. So I went to Suffolk University Law School in Boston and graduated near the top of my class.

Q. You started your career in Providence, then moved your law practice to Warwick for about 20 years. Why did you return to Providence?
Providence was much different 20 years ago and I had a wonderful opportunity in Warwick where I practiced out of the same office as several very talented lawyers. One of them is now an associate judge of the Rhode Island Supreme Court (the highest court in the state). But as time went by we had more and more clients from northern Rhode Island and from Massachusetts. A friend and client owned a building and made a very good offer for us to relocate to Providence. Returning has increased our visibility to clients and given us a more convenient location from which to meet and help people.

Q. You have 2 Russian-speaking people working with you in your office. How or why did this happen?
This began with the wonderful Irina - a Russian doctor who began using her specialized training to help us with medical cases. I had already met some but began meeting more people from the Russian-speaking community, started advertising in Vestnik of Rhode Island, and everything grew from there. So now with these and other Russian-speaking people around me, even I am learning to speak the Russian language little by little. But the cyrillic alphabet and I do not seem to see "eye to eye".

Q. What has kept you in the practice of law for more than 30 years?
I have enjoyed studying the law and helping people every one of those years. It is my desire to continue this practice of law as long as that desire and joy continue.

Q. What type of services fo you offer the Russian-speaking community?
We offer many types of services and your readers can find these listed on our website. Anyone with a question should call or contact us. If we cannot help, we may be able to refer them to a competent specialist to help with their situation or problem.

Q. Do you take cases on a contingency fee basis?
Yes. These are usually personal injury or medical type cases. In fact, depending on the type of case, we sometimes reduce hourly rate fees and combine them with lower contingency fee which is another way of helping make legal services affordable.

Q. Can you talk about some difficult cases that you have won?
There have been so many! But I think my most difficult cases have usually involved criminal charges or civil cases in which our client had a criminal record or other past history that makes juries feel uncomfortable. Our webpage has a tab called Cases that gives the story of many, many of these cases. And when our clients have had no criminal background we have had verdicts that were among the highest in the State of Rhode Island.

Q. Clearly, it is impossible to win all the cases. If you lost some cases, what were the reasons? What is the percentage of cases you win?
When I have gone to trial I have always believed that my client’s case could be won. When this does not happen a lawyer searches his mind and sometimes his soul to understand why he or she lost. Sometimes it only takes one juror to convince the others to rule against you. Sometimes, the other side seems to have a better explanation or better appearing or sounding witnesses. Sometimes, judges make rulings that hurt your chances or your ability to put evidence before the jury. There can be many reasons for a loss and we try to learn from each one so to avoid this happening again. We have been fortunate to have won about 85% of our jury trials. But thinking about the other 15% is painful.

Q. Many lawyers advertise their services in the yellow pages. Why should our readers choose your firm?
We have never advertised in the Yellow Pages. In fact, Vestnik was the first publication in which we ever advertised. Your readers should compare us with other firms, look at the record of cases, the news and the history we publish on our webpage, and if they choose our firm they will find that they have selected excellent, hard working and affordable lawyers who will get the job done and do it correctly.

Q. What should a client know before hiring a lawyer?
That the quality of lawyers varies from poor to excellent, just as in any other profession or type of work. A client should try to investigate the lawyer’s record and reputation. And a client should remember that they are completely within their rights to get a second or even a third opinion and that they have the right to change lawyers if they are concerned that they are not getting the best legal representation.

Q. How may our readers contact you?
All they need to do is keep reading Vestnik and look for our advertisement on the back cover. It has all of our contact information, including our informative webpage.

Still have questions? Go to our Contact page and call or email us. You need to know and we will help!