Matthew T. Oliverio, Esq.

Matthew T. Oliverio, an AV® Preeminent Rated attorney by Martindale Hubbell, has successfully litigated and tried numerous, complex civil cases for the past thirty six years in the state and federal courts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts from their inception through appeal before the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

His clients, like the cases he litigates, are as diverse as their legal needs and include individuals, businesses of all types and sizes, corporations, both publicly traded and privately held, public and quasi-public boards, agencies and commissions, including various state and municipal organizations and agencies as well as non-profit and charitable organizations.

Mr. Oliverio’s experience includes the prosecution and defense of claims involving employment and labor issues, trust, estate and fiduciary claims and obligations, personal injury actions, product liability, public nuisance and mass tort claims, warranty, wrongful death claims, property and land use rights, residential and commercial construction contracts. His experience in the areas of business and corporate disputes include cases involving fraud, breach of and interference with contracts, breach of fiduciary duties, shareholder disputes, covenants not to compete, insurance defense and coverage matters, investment and securities fraud, accounting issues, and regulatory disputes that require his appearance before a variety of regulatory agencies.

For many years, Mr. Oliverio has served as either Solicitor or Assistant City Solicitor for several municipalities and school committees in the State of Rhode Island where he is responsible for all litigation matters, including misdemeanor prosecutions, labor arbitrations and collective bargaining disputes.

In addition to his role as advocate, Mr. Oliverio serves as adjunct professor at Johnson & Wales University, teaching a law and policy course to doctoral students in its Educational Leadership program.  In addition, Mr. Oliverio is widely sought out and engaged by members of the bar for his skills as an arbitrator or mediator in various forms of alternative dispute resolution.  Over the past thirty years as a state, court or private party appointed mediator, Mr. Oliverio has successfully resolved dozens of vigorously contested disputes involving labor, employment and collective bargaining impasse, corporate and small business dissolution and shareholder disputes, land use and boundary disputes, construction disputes, insurance coverage claims and personal injury claims of all types.  These mediated resolutions have ranged in value from tens of thousands of dollars to multi-million dollars.  In addition, he is retained by private and public sector entities to undertake comprehensive investigations of alleged violations of workplace rules, regulations and policies.   He is frequently retained by members of the bar to serve as an expert in fee dispute cases.

Education
• Providence College, B.S., magna cum laude, 1982
• University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., 1985
• Law Clerk, Superior Court, Providence, Rhode Island, 1985-1986

Publications
• When Commercial Freedoms Collide: Trade, Secrets, Covenants Not to Compete and Free Enterprise, Rhode Island Bar Journal, Vol. XLVII, Number 8 (May 1999)
• Co-Author, A Practical Guide to Evidence in Rhode Island, (MCLE, Inc. 1st ed. 2011)  
Seminars
Mr. Oliverio has taught seminars on the following topics:
• Product Liability Strategies and Prevention
• Ethics in the Discovery Process
• Covenants Not to Compete
• Civil Remedies
• Civility in the Courts
• School Committee Funding Disputes
• Jury Outreach to High School Students
• Labor and Employment Panel Discussions
• Deposition and Trial Skills and Litigation Training
• Navigating Virtual Depositions, Hearings, Trials and Mediation

Professional Affiliations/Awards
• Rhode Island Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association, Rhode Island Chapter/Member, Executive Committee
• US District Court Bench/Bar Committee
• US District Court Local Rules Committee (Co-Chair, 2015-2016)
• US District Court Board of Bar Admissions and Education
• US District Court Core Committee, Litigation Academy
• Justinian Law Society
• Fellow, Rhode Island Bar Foundation
• Member, Judicial Council to the Governor
• Volunteer Performance Judge and Past Board Member, Rhode Island Legal/Educational Partnership
• Volunteer Lawyer Program (Recipient, Pro Bono Publico Award, 1992)
• New England Super Lawyers (2008-2021)
• Commissioner, Judicial Nominating Commission (2002-2007)
• Commissioner, Judicial Tenure & Discipline Commission (2009-2014)
• Adjunct Professor, Johnson & Wales University  

Community Involvement
• In his spare time, Mr. Oliverio devotes his talents as trustee for several local theatre endowments and serves as a volunteer on numerous committees for these organizations. For years he has actively volunteered his time to assist several local middle and high schools as a mock trial coach, parent’s council and advancement committee member.  Mr. Oliverio is a past board member for several private elementary and post-secondary educational institutions.