Recognized for his landmark victory in Roth v. Rhode Island and leadership in the legal community.
Hinckley Allen is proud to announce that Partner Gerald J. Petros has been named one of the 2024 Lawyers of the Year by Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly. This prestigious honor recognizes Petros’ outstanding achievements in law throughout 2024, most notably his involvement in Hinckley Allen’s recent victory in the landmark case of Roth v. Rhode Island.
In Roth v. Rhode Island, Petros successfully challenged the constitutionality of newly enacted state legislation that significantly diminished the rights of property owners along the Rhode Island shoreline. For centuries, Rhode Island law recognized that the boundary between private property rights and public trust rights was the mean high tide line (MHT). In 2023, however, the General Assembly passed a law that authorized the public to access and use previously private property as much as 70 feet above the MHT line.
The Roths, owners of beachfront property in Westerly, RI, retained Hinckley Allen to defend their right to control their property and challenge the new law’s constitutionality. The Rhode Island Superior Court found that the law violates the Rhode Island Constitution’s Separation of Powers provision and constitutes an unconstitutional taking of private property, affirming the status quo in the Roth’s property line.
Petros’s legal career spans decades, during which he has focused on commercial litigation with an emphasis on complex commercial litigation, energy related matters, and environmental litigation. He is the Chair of Hinckley Allen’s Litigation Law Group and the Environmental Law Group.
Petros’s recognition comes at a time of growth and momentum for Hinckley Allen. In December, the firm announced its expansion in St. Louis Metro / Madison County, Illinois, extending its footprint into the Midwest to better serve clients nationwide. This strategic growth reflects the firm’s dedication to delivering exceptional legal services across diverse practice areas.
Read Petros’s Q&A with Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly here (subscription required).
