Steven Richard is a highly experienced trial and appellate lawyer who handles complex commercial, higher education, privacy and employment cases throughout the federal and state courts of New England. He is especially active in the Rhode Island Federal District Court, where he has served as the chair of its Local Rules Committee. Steve is also a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. He is the co-editor of Nixon Peabody’s Privacy Partner Blog.
I handle a broad array of commercial, higher education, privacy and civil rights cases, using more than 20 years of pretrial and courtroom experience to help clients achieve practical and cost-effective solutions. I also have extensive experience in higher education law, handling a wide array of matters for colleges and universities.
I represent diverse institutional clients, including financial service organizations and governmental bodies, in trials, arbitration, appeals and other dispute resolution procedures. With my Masters in Business Education, I understand clients’ business needs and operations and use such knowledge to develop comprehensive litigation strategies. Also, I have a deep understanding of cybersecurity and electronic discovery, and I frequently write and present on the topics.
I represent institutions of higher education in matters relating to student discipline, civil rights claims, tenure issues and copyright matters. My practice has included both the development of proper policies on campuses and litigation of cases on behalf of colleges and universities.
I represent employers in matters involving claims under federal and state employment statutes, as well as constitutional and contract claims. I have successfully defended employers before juries in cases raising claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
I also devote my practice to the pro bono representation of our veterans, including successfully presenting claims for benefits relating to PTSD claims and exposure to Agent Orange.
Title IX compliance issues will remain a subject of national concern and debate in Higher Education Law. In judicial and administrative proceedings, complaints are increasingly challenging institutional policies and procedures to prevent and remediate alleged sexual discrimination in education. Educational institutions will face vexing issues as they apply evolving interpretations of the law to the particular realities of their campuses.
Law360 | September 13, 2018
Providence Complex Commercial Disputes partner Steven Richard wrote this article analyzing a 6th Circuit court ruling that found a student accused of sexual assault on a college campus was deprived of his due process rights.
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly | September 13, 2018
Providence Complex Commercial Disputes partner Steven Richard is mentioned in this article for his representation of Brown University in a Title IX case.
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly | August 16, 2018
Providence Complex Commercial Disputes partner Steven Richard is quoted in this article about a District Court ruling that affirms the Kelvey rules of conduct for depositions, which are already standard among many attorneys in federal court.
Providence Business News | May 24, 2018
Providence commercial litigation partner-elect Steven Richard wrote this column on how biometric data are replacing time cards and passwords as ways for employers to monitor their employees’ activities on the clock.
Law360 | May 07, 2018
In this roundup of promotions to partner and firm management positions, 14 attorneys from Nixon Peabody are highlighted. The 11 attorneys promoted to partner are Ellie Altshuler, Mark Beaudoin, Erik Birkeneder, Hannah Bornstein, Chris Browning, Barry Carrigan, Keri McWilliams, Matt Mullen, Steven Richard, Charles Tamuleviz and Alison Torbitt. In addition, Kenneth C. Lind was promoted to leader of the firms’ public finance practice group, Justin Thompson was promoted to office managing partner in LA, and Aaron Yowell was promoted to chief innovation officer.
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly | October 05, 2017
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard provides commentary in this article about the Trump administration’s Title IX guidance document.
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly | September 14, 2017
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard is quoted in this article for representing Providence College in a Title IX lawsuit.
Rochester Business Journal | July 28, 2017
Rochester private equity and investment funds partner Jeremy Wolk and Providence commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard contributed this column about a Title IX lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleged deliberate indifference to her complaint by the university.
WJAR-TV (Providence NBC affiliate) | July 13, 2017
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard is interviewed in this television segment about what steps companies can take to better secure their data and be less vulnerable to hacking.
Providence Business News | June 23, 2017
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steve Richard contributed this article on how businesses can leverage the Internet of Things.
SHRM | March 28, 2017
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steve Richard contributed this article about a company’s efforts to remove a former employee’s anonymous online post which the company believed revealed company trade secrets.
Providence Business News | March 17, 2017
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard authored this column about the types of evolving cyber threats facing businesses and consumers.
Health Information Compliance Alert | June 01, 2016
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard is quoted in this article focused on the results of a new study highlighting a new trend toward specialized data breach insurance policies.
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly | March 24, 2016
Commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard is quoted throughout this article about how two Providence lawyers paved the way for plaintiffs’ attorneys across the country to keep consumer lawsuits relating to the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal in state court and out of federal multidistrict litigation in California, by suing local dealerships rather than the manufacturer.
WJAR-TV (Providence NBC affiliate) | February 26, 2016
Providence commercial litigation counsel Steven Richard is interviewed in a segment about the battle between Apple and the FBI about the potential access to user data.
Providence Business News | February 08, 2016
Providence Commercial Litigation counsel Steven Richard authored this column discussing steps organizations can take to promote a data secure environment.
Read more about Steven Richard as part of our monthly series
profiling members of our 2018 partner class.
Notre Dame Law School, J.D., magna cum laude
Bryant College, M.B.A., with honors
Boston University, B.A., summa cum laude
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
Connecticut
U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
Steven was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2019 in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Privacy and Data Security Law. Steven has been listed in Best Lawyers since 2016. He has also been recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2018 for Litigation: General Commercial (Rhode Island).
Steven has also been recognized as a “Rhode Island Super Lawyer” in Business Litigation based on a peer-review survey by Thomson Reuters (2008-2017).
Steven is a member of the American Bar Association and the Local Rules Committee of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, where he has served as chair. He is active in the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Federal Court Bench/Bar Committee and Superior Court Bench/Bar Committee.
