Jon joined the Firm in 1989. He practices in the areas of education law, complex civil litigation, unfair trade practices and antitrust.
Notable Experience
· Jon is counsel to numerous public school districts, public charter schools and private schools in Rhode Island. Jon has represented these educational institutions in a wide variety of contexts, including dealing with highly sensitive matters in the public spotlight. He appears regularly in state and federal courts and represents clients before the U.S. Department of Education and the Rhode Island Department of Education. He has also represented the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families and the Greater Providence YMCA.
· Jon deals with claims at the local, state and federal levels under the Americans with Disabilities Acts, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
· Jon has been involved in state and federal antitrust investigations involving price fixing, monopolization, refusals to deal and exclusive dealing.
· Jon has overseen federal grand jury productions in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey and North Carolina.
· Jon provides business advice regarding mergers, acquisitions, franchising, and antitrust compliance.
Key Reported Decisions
1. N.F. v. Chariho Regional School District, C.A. No. 11-177-ML, 2012 WL 723124 (D.R.I. Mar. 1, 2012) (upholding administrative decision in favor of school district in a special education dispute)
2. K.G. v. Sheehan, C.A. 09-229ML, 2010 WL 644782 (D.R.I. Dec 30, 2010) (prevailing party in special education matter).
3. Felkner v. Chariho Regional School Committee, 968 A.2d 865 (R.I. 2009) (successfully defended regional school committee in quo warranto action).
4. Bowen v. Mollis, 945 A.2d 314 (R.I. 2008) (successfully defended Speaker of the House and President of the Senate in constitutional challenge addressing what constituted a "general election").
5. Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation v. The Parking Company, L.P., 892 A.2d 87 (R.I. 2006) (overturned taking of parking garage by state economic development corporation).
6. Lt. T.B. ex rel. N.B. v. Warwick School Committee, 361 F.3d 80 (1st Cir. 2004) (prevailing party in special education matter).
7. T.B. v. Warwick School Department, No. Civ. A. 01-122T, 2003 WL 22069432 (D.R.I. 2003) (prevailing party in special education matter).
8. Siena v. Microsoft Corp., 796 A.2d 461 (R.I. 2002) (no indirect purchaser action under the Rhode Island Antitrust Act).
9. Alicea v. Citifinancial Services, Inc., 210 F. Supp. 2d 4 (D. Mass. 2002) (safe harbor in TILA immunized mortgage lender from TILA liability).
10. Fluehmann v. Associates Financial Services, No. Civ. A. 01-40076-NMG, 2002 WL 500564 (D. Mass. Mar. 29, 2002) (motion to arbitrate granted despite fact that one mortgagor never signed arbitration agreement).
11. Bessette v. Avco Financial Services, Inc., 230 F.3d 439 (1st Cir. 2000) (no private right of action under the reaffirmation provision of the Bankruptcy Code).
Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications
· "School board lawyer: DATTCO fees legitimate," quoted, The Valley Breeze, April 11, 2012.
· "State and Federal Laws Governing Education," speaker, National Business Institute's Seminar on School Defenses to Common Lawsuits, October 18, 2011.
· "Struggling Readers and the Law: What Every Parent Should Know," speaker, The Highlander Dunn Institute's 2011 Learning Differences Awareness Conference, October 1, 2011.
· "Rhode Island Special Education Law," speaker, National Business Institute, May 12, 2011.
· "After Due Process," speaker, Rhode Island Bar Association's 2010 CLE "Building A Practice In Special Education Law - Due Process," October 26, 2010.
· "The Health Care Debate: If Lack of Tort Reform Is Part of the Problem, Federalized Protection for Peer Review Needs to Be Part of the Solution," co-author, Roger Williams University Law Review, June 2010.
· "Lawfully Managing Student Records Without Violating Privacy Rights," presenter, NBI Seminar, March 11, 2010.
· "Antitrust Law of Rhode Island," chapter co-author, State Antitrust Practice and Statutes fourth edition,American Bar Association.
· "Employer Computer Use," speaker, National Business Institute's E-Technology at School: Preventing Lawsuits, Warwick, Rhode Island, October 23, 2009.
· Rhode Island Special Education Law program, speaker, Warwick, Rhode Island, October 23, 2008.
· "Businesses That Sell to Resellers May Be Free To Control Resale Prices - Supreme Court Overrules 96-Year-Old Ban on Resale Price Maintenance," co-author, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Client Advisory, June 29, 2007.
· "Court Raises Bar on Antitrust Complaints," co-author, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Client Advisory, May 23, 2007.
· "Taking a Closer Look at How Student Records are Defined," "The Family Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)," and "State and Federal Laws Impacting FERPA and PPRA," speaker, Lawfully Managing Student Records Without Violating Privacy Rights, National Business Institute, Providence, Rhode Island, January 10, 2007.
· "Interpreting the Rules: State Court Decision Illustrates Conflicting Opinions on Eminent Domain,"Commercial Investment Real Estate, November/December 2006.
· Responding to Reports of Hazing, Sexual Assault, or Inappropriate Sexual Activity Involving Students program, speaker, Providence, Rhode Island, November 2, 2006.
· "Antitrust Basics for the Corporate Practitioner," speaker, Rhode Island Bar Association, October 17, 2006.
· "Rhode Island Special Education Law," speaker, National Business Institute, Rhode Island October 16, 2006.
· "Two New Challenges for the Supreme Court and a Question Deferred--Predatory Purchasing, the Question of Conspiracy, and Settlement Agreements in Drug Patent Cases," Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, July 17, 2006.
· "Lawfully Managing Student Records," speaker, National Business Institute, Rhode Island, January 23, 2006.
· "Avoiding the Collision Between The Confidentiality of Student Records And Grand Jury Subpoenas,"Andrews Litigation Reporter, November 2005.
· "Torts in the School Setting," speaker, National Business Institute Forum on "School Issues in Rhode Island," Rhode Island, October 6, 2005.
· "Connecticut Supreme Court Enforces Arbitration Clause Calling For Partners To Act As Arbitrators in Disputes Involving Their Own Partnership," Edwards & Angell, Spring, 2004.
· "My Child Did What?!: The Legal Implications of Public School Discipline," moderator, RI Bar Association/Annual Meeting 2002.
· "Evaluation, Eligibility Determination & IEP," speaker, Special Education Law in Rhode Island, 2001.
· "Evaluation and Re-Evaluation," speaker, Special Education Law in Rhode Island, 2000.
· "Procedural Safeguards," speaker, Special Education Law in Rhode Island, 1999.
· Comment, Politics and Purpose: Hide and Seek in the Gerrymandering Thicket after Davis v. Bandemer,University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 1987.
News & Publications
September 18, 2009, State Antitrust Practice and Statutes
American Bar Association
July 7, 2008, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge Recognized in the American Lawyer
April 10, 2008, EAPD Represents Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in $8.8 Billion Acquisition of Millennium Pharmaceuticals
June 29, 2007, Client Advisory - Businesses That Sell to Resellers May Be Free To Control Resale Prices - Supreme Court Overrules 96-Year-Old Ban on Resale Price Maintenance
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge
May 23, 2007, Client Advisory - Court Raises Bar for Antitrust Complaints
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP
November 17, 2006, Interpreting the Rules
State Court Decision Illustrates Conflicting Opinions on Eminent Domain
Commercial Investment Real Estate
July 17, 2006, Client Advisory - Two New Challenges for the Supreme Court and a Question Deferred--Predatory Purchasing, the Question of Conspiracy, and Settlement Agreements in Drug Patent Cases
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP
November 30, 2005, Avoiding the Collision Between The Confidentiality of Student Records And Grand Jury Subpoenas
Andrews Litigation Reporter
April 5, 2004, Responding to the Grand Jury Subpoena: The Role of Counsel
Andrews Litigation Reporter, Corporate Corruption
2004, Connecticut Supreme Court Enforces Arbitration Clause Calling for Partners to Act as Arbitrators in Disputes Involving Their Own Partnership
Edwards & Angell, LLP
Before Edwards Wildman
Prior to joining the Firm, Jon was a law clerk to the Honorable James Hunter, III, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. During law school Jon was an Executive Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.
Besides Edwards Wildman
For eleven years Jon served as an elected member of the Pawtucket School Committee. In addition, Jon was the 1999 Recipient of the Rhode Island Bar Association's Pro Bono Publico Award.
Events
October 18, 2011, Warwick, RI, School Defenses To Common Lawsuits
October 1, 2011, Providence, RI, 2011 Learning Differences Awareness Conference
May 12, 2011, Providence, RI, National Business Institute's Rhode Island Special Education Law: Comply with the Latest Special Education Laws to Avoid Liability
October 23, 2009, Warwick, RI, E-Technology at School: Preventing Lawsuits
October 23, 2008, Warwick, Rhode Island Special Education Law
November 30, 2007, Warwick, RI, National Business Institute's (NBI) Introduction to Antitrust Law and Practice
January 10, 2007, Providence, RI, Lawfully Managing Student Records Without Violating Privacy Rights
November 2, 2006, Providence, RI, Responding to Reports of Hazing, Sexual Assault, or Inappropriate Sexual Activity Involving Students
October 17, 2006 - October 17, 2006, Providence, RI, Antitrust Basics for the Corporate Practitioner
October 16, 2006, Providence, RI, Rhode Island Special Education Law
Industries
· Education
· Banking & Financial Institutions
· Healthcare
Memberships
· Rhode Island Bar Association