Overview
Stephen D. Lapatin is a litigator with a track record of success in high-profile and complex matters. He represents clients in Rhode Island and Massachusetts state and federal courts in cases involving complex commercial and business litigation, employment and contract disputes, torts, and intellectual property litigation. He also regularly appears before municipal zoning and planning boards throughout Rhode Island in land use matters at all stages of permitting and development.
Stephen also spearheads the firm’s government relations practice. Drawing from his extensive legislative experience and relationships across state government, Stephen is a tireless advocate for his clients at the State House. He works directly with lawmakers and government officials and regularly testifies before House and Senate committees on pending legislation impacting his clients’ interests. As both an attorney and lobbyist, Stephen offers clients a dual perspective that helps uncover creative solutions to complex problems—whether through litigation, legislation, or a combination of both.
Before joining AP&S, Stephen served as a Law Clerk to Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. He graduated summa cum laude from Roger Williams University School of Law. During law school, he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and Chair of the Honor Board and interned for Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island and Justice Francis X. Flaherty of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. He was a student-athlete at the University of Rhode Island, where he earned his undergraduate degree in political science.
Experience
- Secured one of the only successful constitutional challenges to a short-term rental ordinance in the country. On behalf of an organization composed of hundreds of landlords and property owners, Stephen filed a lawsuit in the R.I. Superior Court challenging the constitutionality of a short-term rental ordinance enacted by the Town of Narragansett. After extensive briefing and argument, the court issued an injunction enjoining the Town from implementing or enforcing the short-term rental ordinance.
- Represented the Governor of the State of Rhode Island as co-counsel in a case involving constitutional challenges arising under the First Amendment, achieving dismissal of all claims following a bench trial in the Rhode Island Superior Court.
- Secured dismissal of claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, and violation of the Rhode Island Minimum Wage Act at the motion to dismiss stage after extensive briefing and argument in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
- Represented a Rhode Island small business in a trademark infringement action in the Rhode Island Superior Court; successfully obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction following briefing, oral argument, and presentation of evidence and witness testimony, preventing and enjoining any further infringement of the client’s intellectual property rights.
- Represented, as co-counsel, a world-renowned medical and healthcare institution in a trademark infringement action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Successfully enjoined further trademark infringement and coordinated with internet service providers to remove existing infringing materials and information from various websites and social media platforms.
- Represented multiple commonly owned childcare providers subject to a government investigation and audit by the R.I. Attorney General’s Office and various state agencies, and successfully navigated the process to avoid any civil penalties or criminal charges.
- Successfully briefed and defeated a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and subsequent motion for reconsideration in a shareholder dispute in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
- Served as co-counsel in a regulatory takings case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and successfully defeated a motion to dismiss after extensive briefing and oral argument.
- Served as trial counsel on behalf of an auto service and tire company in a case involving tort and products liability claims, achieving a favorable judgment on all claims following a bench trial in Massachusetts state court.
- Initiated post-judgment proceedings in the Superior Court of Massachusetts in a breach of contract case brought by a commercial fishing company against a commercial fishing broker and successfully identified and attached the defendant’s assets through post-judgment discovery, securing payment of the judgment.
Credentials
- Roger Williams University School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2019)
- University of Rhode Island (B.A., 2015)
- Rhode Island
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
- Selected as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2026 in the field of Commercial Litigation and Government Relations Practice.
- Named a Rhode Island Rising Star by Super Lawyers, 2023 – 2025 (Business Litigation and Government Relations).
- Recipient of the William J. Coffey Excellence in Maritime Writing Award, 2019.
- Awarded “Best Brief” in the 26th Annual Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot Court Competition
- Public Service Award, Roger Williams University School of Law
- Co-Author, Lobbying, PACs and Campaign Finance: 50 State Handbook, Rhode Island Chapter, Thomson Reuters (updated annually) 2023-2025.
- Author, “Rhode Island’s Prescription Drug Database: Warrantless Access by Law Enforcement Pass Constitutional Muster,” 23 Roger Williams U. L. Rev. 526 (2018).
- Member, Rhode Island Bar Association
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
- Member, Board of Directors, Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, 2025-present.
