Catherine A. Shaghalian

Catherine is a trial attorney and litigator who focuses her practice on business and commercial litigation. She has experience litigating a variety of corporate disputes, including shareholder derivative, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and business tort claims. She has also handled general commercial, employment, copyright and environmental litigation matters. She has expertise in federal practice and procedure. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Catherine enjoys working with clients, learning about their businesses and helping them find strategies and solutions to their disputes in order to achieve the best outcome, whether that be through litigation, a pre-suit resolution or settlement through alternative dispute resolution.

Notable Experience

• Obtained large jury verdict against commercial real estate developer for conversion, unjust enrichment and breach of fiduciary duty related to the sale of an out of state supermarket.
• Achieved successful settlement of suit involving complex and novel theories of corporate liability, including fraudulent transfer, breach of fiduciary duty and alter ego liability.
• Successfully argued motion for summary judgment upholding insurer’s denial of accidental death and dismemberment benefits under ERISA, later affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
• Obtained summary judgment and attorney’s fee award under ERISA for a disabled plaintiff wrongfully denied disability benefits under union pension plan.
• Secured dismissal of royalty claim against performing rights organization due to absence of federal subject matter jurisdiction.

More About Catherine

• Catherine lives in Seekonk, Massachusetts with her husband, two children and cat named Miles.
• She is Vice President of the Lincoln School Alumnae Association Board.
• She also serves as Secretary for the Parent Teacher Organization at St. Margaret School in Rumford, Rhode Island.
• Catherine enjoys reading, traveling and skiing with her family. On most weekends she can be found cheering on her favorite sports teams—the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Reported Decisions

Beaudoin v. Feldman, 196 A.3d 768 (Vt. 2018)

Emrit v. Am. Soc'y of Composers, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114144 (D.R.I. 2013)

Stamp v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., 466 F. Supp. 2d 422 (D.R.I. 2006) aff’d Stamp v. Metro. Life Ins. Co.,531 F.3d 84 (1st Cir. 2008)

Brilmyer v. Univ. of Chicago, 31 F. Supp. 2d 154 (D.Mass. 2006)

Souza v. Rhode Island Carpenters’ Pension Plan, 2206 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 65919 (D.R.I. 2006).

Publications

The Business Calendar: A Deeper Bench, Harmony C. Bodurtha and Catherine A. Shaghalian, The Rhode Island Bar Journal, Vol. 66, No. 5, March/April 2018

Organizations

Rhode Island Bar Association

Federal Bar Association

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