Significant Matters

• Katy second-chaired at trial, working with Todd D. White, in a construction accident case where AP&S’s client sustained severe personal injuries. Katy examined and cross-examined several witnesses and prepared and argued numerous motions in limine and trial motions.  After more than three-week trial, the jury returned a verdict of $1.98 million in favor of our client and the verdict was paid in full.
• Katy helped secure summary judgment, affirmed on appeal, in a U.S. Court of Appeals case that received national attention. The matter involved defending a university against defamation and breach of contract claims from a student who was expelled as a result of an assault, but who was later acquitted in a Superior Court trial. Both the federal district court and the First Circuit ruled in the university’s favor, noting that it had a qualified privilege under the Clery Act, which requires universities receiving federal money to notify students, faculty and community when certain crimes take place on or around campus.
• Katy assisted John Tarantino in successfully defending the mayor of the Town of North Providence in an ethics investigation concerning the alleged awarding of no-bid construction contracts to a business associate.  Subsequent to an investigation by the Ethics Commission, Katy assisted in the preparation of a motion to dismiss.  Following a hearing, the Ethics Commission determined that there was no probable cause to conclude that a violation of the Code of Ethics occurred.
• Katy assisted in the defense of a national utility company on federal charges of violation of environmental laws relating to the storage of liquid mercury and mercury sealed regulators.
• In a case of first impression, Katy assisted in the defense of a Chinese pharmaceutical company in a multi-jurisdictional criminal case, “Operation Raw Deal”, which focused on charges that the Chinese pharmaceutical company had engaged in a variety of criminal actions, including the illegal importation and distribution of human growth hormone.  The Chinese pharmaceutical company was named in the Major League Baseball investigative Mitchell Report as the alleged supplier of hGH products that had been used improperly by a variety of present and former Major League Baseball players.
• Katy assisted in a defense of a major toy-manufacturer in a breach of contract suit.  She led the AP&S team in completing a document production that involved several hundred thousand documents, which were produced through the use of various technologies and systems, including the Summation database.
• Katy assisted in two white collar criminal trials in the federal district courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts defending a gaming establishment on charges of mail fraud and bribery.
• She worked on the defense of a national utility company on claims that its power lines failed causing a fire and substantial property damage.

Honors & Distinctions

• Valedictorian, Roger Williams University School of Law
• Named "40 Under Forty" by Providence Business News, 2011
• National Association of Women Trial Lawyers Outstanding Graduate Award
• Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
• Golden Key National Honor Society
• Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
• Order of Omega National Honor Society

Professional Affiliations

• Board Member, Defense Counsel of Rhode Island (DCRI); and Liaison to the DRI Judicial Task Force; Chair of its Young Lawyers Committee and Chair of its 10th Anniversary Celebration Committee.
• Board Member, Federal Bar Association, Rhode Island Chapter, 2007-2009.
• Member, House of Delegates, Rhode Island Bar Association.
• Founder and Chair of the Animal Law Committee of the Rhode Island Bar Association.
• Member, Defense Research Institute (DRI) and its Professionalism and Ethics Committee.
• Member, Federal Bar Association.
• Member, Rhode Island Bar Association.
• Member, Criminal Law Bench/Bar Committee of the Rhode Island Bar Association.
• Member, Federal Bench/Bar Committee of the Rhode Island Bar Association.
• Member, Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Community & Civic Activity

• Member, Leadership Rhode Island, Eta II Class.
• Board Member and Vice President, Animal Rescue League of Southern Rhode Island.
• Board Member and Vice-President, The Blessing Way; and Chair of its Internal and Governance Committees.
• Advisory Board Member, Phi Sigma International, for the Zeta Lambda chapter at Johnson & Wales University; and Founding Sister and Alumnae Member of Gamma Zeta chapter at University of Rhode Island.
• Alumnae Advisory Council Member, St. Mary Academy Bay View.
• Docent and Special Events Volunteer, Roger Williams Park Zoo.
• First Responders Team Member, Mystic Aquarium Stranding Program.
• Special Events Volunteer, Audubon Society of Rhode Island.
• Volunteer, The Potter League.
• Member, Roger Williams University Alumni Association.
• Member, Defenders of Animals.
• Member, Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
• Member, National Resources Defense Council.

News

• Benchmark Litigation Names AP&S One of Most Highly Recommended Litigation Firms in R.I. and Appellate Firms in the First Circuit.
• Katy Hynes Named 40 Under Forty by Providence Business News
• Katy Hynes Selected for Leadership Rhode Island

Publications & Seminars

• Ms. Hynes has co-authored articles in national journals on various aspects of constitutional law and on recent changes to the law on federal sentencing guidelines.