Joseph A. Merlino

Joseph A. Merlino

Associate

Phone: 617.723.7700
Fax: 617.227.0313
Email: jmerlino@rflawyers.com

Bar Admissions:

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• State of New York
• United States District Court – Massachusetts
• United States Court of Appeals – First Circuit

Education:

• New England School of Law
  Boston, Massachusetts
  Juris Doctorate, 2000
• Washington and Lee University
  Lexington, Virginia
  B.A. History, 1997

An associate in the litigation department, Joe joined Rudolph Friedmann LLP in 2014. Prior to joining the firm, he specialized in insurance defense, criminal defense and general and commercial litigation. After graduating law school, Joe was an assistant district attorney at the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office where he served as the supervisor of the Newton District Court. Joe was also an associate at a large Boston law firm, which specialized in insurance defense and construction litigation.

Joe represents a variety of clients in the construction business, as well as the restaurant, hospitality and entertainment industries, in various legal matters. He has tried numerous cases in the district and superior courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and successfully argued motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment. Joe has also represented clients at mediations and arbitrations, including the American Arbitration Association and the Financial Industry Regulatory Association (FINRA). His experience as a prosecutor has been valuable to his clients, both companies and individuals, when they become involved in a criminal investigation. Joe has also assisted small businesses in contract disputes arising from franchise agreements.

His experience includes:

• Successfully representing a large restaurant chain in the United States District Court on a diversity action alleging damages in excess of $1 million.
• Obtaining summary judgment and the dismissal of a case for a restaurant in a lawsuit alleging that one of its patrons sustained significant injuries resulting from the restaurant’s negligence.
• Representing a tavern and its owner in a negligence action where a patron sustained significant and disabling injuries. After extensive investigation and discovery, the patron dropped all claims.
• Obtaining a judgment in a negligence case for a landscaping company that resulted in the dismissal of all claims.
• Representing a small business owner in a wrongful termination claim before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. After conducting extensive discovery, the former employee withdrew his complaint.
• Obtaining a defense verdict in the Superior Court for a homeowner in a lawsuit alleging personal injury.
  
  When Joe is not practicing law, he enjoys running, playing soccer and spending time with his family.

 Honors and Awards:

• 2015 Rising Star, Massachusetts Super Lawyers

Associations and Memberships:

• Defense Research Institute