Skip to Main Content

Professionals The Team Behind the Results

Zabbo_Tim

Timothy M. Zabbo

Counsel Providence

Tim is a trusted and experienced attorney in Hinckley Allen’s Litigation Group. He has a diverse and dynamic practice, handling a variety of civil litigation matters in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut in both state and federal courts. He has extensive experience litigating commercial, product liability, toxic tort, and negligence cases. He represents manufacturers, distributors, and premises defendants in asbestos claims throughout New England. He is national coordinating counsel and regional trial counsel to an electrical products manufacturer. He defends developers, architects, engineers, and contractors in cases alleging negligent construction in addition to property and business owners in premise liability claims.

Tim also provides strategic guidance to his clients on business disputes, risk management,  insurance coverage, and other issues. He advises on federal and state regulations, privacy, and confidentially laws, including quashing subpoenas and filing for protective orders on client’s behalf regarding protected information. He also reviews and drafts contracts for non-compete/solicitation and indemnity clauses.

In addition to overseeing litigation through trial for clients, Tim’s substantive experience includes successfully getting cases dismissed, obtaining summary judgment, and arguing appeals before the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

Experience

  • Hinckley Allen obtained dismissal of a complaint in the Superior Court of Massachusetts for lack of personal jurisdiction that was filed against their clients who own and operate a bulk liquid storage facility in New York. This case was brought by a Massachusetts truck driver alleging he developed Aplastic Anemia due to his alleged benzene exposures from loading gasoline and diesel fuel at the client’s terminal. Our client filed a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, which the judge granted. Read more.
  • HTX Helicopters, LLC v. Rhode Island Airport Corporation – On behalf of the airport, Tim successfully persuaded Judge Mary S. McElroy of the United States District Court, District of Rhode Island to dismiss a Complaint pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) on the grounds that neither the federal question statute nor the Declaratory Judgment Act give the Court jurisdiction over alleged violations of federal grant assurances made by one of the airport’s operators.
  • In a chemical exposure case against the defendant mechanical contractor, Tim convinced the trial court to exclude plaintiff’s expert affidavit in granting summary judgment because it failed to set forth the applicable standard of care, did not establish that the expert was competent to opine on the issues in the case, and consisted of nothing more than a conclusory repetition of plaintiff’s allegations.

Credentials

Work Experience

  • Hinckley Allen
    • Counsel (2016-Present)
  • Adler Cohen Harvey Wakeman & Guekguezian, LLP
    • Attorney (2006-2016)
  • Rhode Island Superior Court, Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson
    • Clerk (2005-2006)

Honors & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America® (2024)
    • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Super Lawyers, Rhode Island, Rising Stars (2013-2020)

Charitable & Civic Involvement

  • It's My Heart New England, Volunteer

Professional Affiliations

  • American Mock Trial Association
    • Judge, 2020 Providence Regional Tournament
  • Defense Counsel of Rhode Island/Defense Research Institute
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Rhode Island Bankruptcy Court
  • Rhode Island Bar Association
    • Superior Court Bench/Bar Committee
    • Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee

Bar Memberships

  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island
  • United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
  • United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island

Newsroom

Publication

3D Printing: New Frontier in Potential Product Liability Claims

Litigation Partner Mitchell Edwards, Counsel Timothy Zabbo and Associate Mark Hochberg were recently featured in Massachusetts/Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly to explore the new frontier in potential product liability claims resulting from the rise in 3D print…

Publication

Initial Civil Appeals: Rhode Island

David A. Wollin and Timothy M. Zabbo provide a Q&A guide to appeal from an intermediate appellate court the the court of last resort in Rhode Island. This Q&A addresses starting an appeal (as of right or by permission), obtaining a stay pending app…

Show More Publications
Firm News

Hinckley Allen Attorneys Named in Best Lawyers in America® 2024

A multitude of Hinckley Allen attorneys are recognized in their respective practice areas in Best Lawyers® 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. In addition, 11 Hinckley Allen attorneys were named in the “Lawyers of the Year” category, as wel…

Firm News

29 Hinckley Allen Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Hinckley Allen is pleased to announce that Super Lawyers has selected 29 Hinckley Allen attorneys as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Each year, no more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to re…

Show More Firm News
Case Study

Hinckley Allen Achieves Dismissal in Superior Court Based on Lack of Personal Jurisdiction

Hinckley Allen obtained dismissal of a complaint in the Superior Court of Massachusetts for lack of personal jurisdiction that was filed against their clients who own and operate a bulk liquid storage facility in New York. This case was brought by a Massac…