Paul M. Kessimian

Co-Managing Partner

Paul is the Co-Managing Partner of the Firm.

Paul also serves as Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Practice group and represents corporate clients and individuals in nearly every type of complex litigation, including breach of contract, commercial, insurance, intellectual property, environmental, and real estate disputes. He represents clients in all phases of litigation in state and federal courts and has tried both bench and jury trials. Applying a business-minded approach to every dispute, Paul has a proven track record advising clients across a broad range of industries in high-stakes, big-dollar disputes often alongside or against some of the country’s largest and most established firms. He is skilled at resolving cases before litigation – but when litigation is necessary, he represents his clients effectively, proficiently, and creatively.

Before joining Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, Paul was a litigator at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Practice Areas

Litigation & Disputes

Education

Columbia University School of Law

J.D.,Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar

Articles Editor

Columbia Business Law Review Providence College

B.A. Political Science and Economics

summa cum laude.

Bar Memberships

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

U.S. Federal District Court, Massachusetts

U.S. Federal District Court, Rhode Island

U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit

Professional Affiliations

Defense Counsel of Rhode Island
- President
American Bar Association
- Litigation Section’s Commercial & Business Litigation Committee
- Web and Practice Point Editor of Commercial & Business Litigation Committee
- Co-Chair, Programs & CLE Subcommittee of Commercial & Business Litigation Committee
Massachusetts Bar Association
Rhode Island Bar Association
Federal Bar Association, Rhode Island Chapter
- Treasurer
- Executive Committee Member
Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
- Membership Recruitment Committee Member

Boards

Providence College
- Vice Chair, Liberal Arts Honors Leadership Council
- Member, President’s Council

Representative Cases

Advise client with regard to scope and applicability of insurance regulation in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Co-chaired six week federal jury trial on behalf of client seeking to recover costs associated with cleaning up environmental contaminants under Massachusetts law (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 21E) to verdict and through appeal to the First Circuit.
Defended publicly traded pharmaceutical company in qui tam suits brought in Federal Court in Rhode Island and Boston.
Represented one of the nation’s largest insurance companies in litigation involving life insurance sales practices.
Successfully briefed and argued before the Massachusetts Appeals Court on behalf of a municipality concerning the scope of its power to revoke building permits, issue cease and desist orders, and control the application of its bylaws.
Successfully defended a publicly traded chemical manufacturing and biotechnology firm against a multi-million dollar suit brought by a former landlord.
Obtained a judgment, on behalf of mechanics’ lienholders, subordinating over $20 million in mortgages held by an international bank to the clients’ liens.
Successfully represented financial institution on reopened Chapter 11 bankruptcy adversary proceeding upholding the validity of the financial instruments it had obtained pursuant to that bankruptcy.

Honors

Paul Kessimian Appointed as Defense Counsel of Rhode Island (DCRI) President July 24, 2023
Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation, June 23, 2022
Chambers USA – Consistently ranked as leading attorney in Commercial Litigation
Recognized for commercial litigation by Best Lawyers in America
Selected as a “Local Litigation Star” and 40 & Under Hot List 2019 by Benchmark: Litigation
Recognized as a “Rising Star” in business litigation by Rhode Island Super Lawyers
Selected by Providence Business News as a 2012 40 Under Forty Honoree
Recognized by the New England Business Bulletin as a 2011 Top Young Professional Under Forty