Steve is an experienced business litigator and one of the founding partners of Torres, Scammon, Hincks & Day, LLP. With a 20-year track record for delivering outstanding results in complex business disputes, he brings a no-nonsense and results-oriented approach to litigation. Steve helps his clients achieve successful outcomes that meet their objectives and provides cost-efficient litigation results. Drawing upon his extensive experience in the litigation trenches, Steve has achieved excellent outcomes for clients through all phases of the litigation process whether by jury trial, appellate practice, arbitration, mediation or administrative proceedings.
Business Litigation
Steve possesses expertise in a number of subjects and industries while also maintaining general litigation skills that are valued in business disputes. He has represented clients in different types of complex commercial disputes including those involving:
- Breach of Contract
- Breaches of Fiduciary Duty
- Shareholder Disputes
- Unfair Business Practices
- Employment Litigation
- Licensing Agreements
- Professional Service Fee Disputes
- The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
Insurance
Drawing upon his unique qualifications within the insurance industry and 27 years of experience addressing complex insurance issues, Steve advises clients with respect to all facets of insurance and reinsurance matters. He has litigated and arbitrated scores of disputes implicating insurance, reinsurance and regulatory matters and participated in several statutory reference proceedings as both counsel and as a referee. Steve advises insurers, reinsurers, policyholders, agents/brokers and others engaged in the insurance industry concerning:
- GL, D&O, EPLI and Professional Policies
- First Party Property Coverages
- Regulatory Matters
- Bad Faith Claims
Steve obtained the insurance industry’s prestigious Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 2008 after successfully completing the eight exams and other requirements for the designation and also obtained his Associate in Claims (AIC) designation in 1994. He is currently active in the CPCU Society, having served as the President of the CPCU Society Boston Chapter in 2016 and previously as President-Elect and Vice President (2014-2016). Steve was a member of the Boston Chapter board of directors from 2010 through 2017.
A small sample of Steve’s successful litigation results include:
- Early Dismissal: Obtained dismissal through motions to dismiss on behalf of a client in state superior court in 2019 in Cichocki v. JJ Manning Auctioneers and for three clients in federal court actions: R&B Splicer Systems, Inc. Woodland Industries, Inc. (breach of contract); Thomen-Brown v. Wilder (wage act claim); and Progressive Insurance v. Colvin’s Inc. (products liability).
- Summary Judgment: Secured summary judgment for clients in state superior court in 2019 in Shephard v. Lizak (landowner’s liability); in 2018 in Auciello Iron Works, Inc. v. Travelers (bad faith claims) and in 2017 in Mooney v. Sky Zone (products liability).
- Appeals: Preserved a trial victory before the Massachusetts Court of Appeals in May 2019 in Transwestern RBJ v. American Pride Seafoods and in September of 2019 was awarded all appellate legal fees; secured appellate victories before the First Circuit Court of Appeals obtaining the reversal of the district court’s dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction in C.W. Downer & Co. v. Bioriginal (breach of contract); and obtained the reversal of the Bankruptcy Court’s dismissal of client’s claims in Strachan et al v. Eastern Towers, LLC (breach of fiduciary duty case).
- Arbitrations: Obtained a favorable judgment, including being awarded attorney’s fees and the costs of the arbitration, on behalf of the defendant in a claim by a vendor for payment under a web-services contract; obtained a favorable settlement payment for professional service fees for a consultant in an arbitration proceeding.
- Trials: As lead counsel in a jury trial in Massachusetts state superior court in Transwestern RBJ v. American Pride Seafoods, Steve procured a verdict for plaintiffs in October 2017 of 100% of the clients’ claimed damages of $440,000. As the jury also found in Steve’s clients’ favor on their Chapter 93A claim, the damages were doubled and attorneys’ fees were awarded. After Steve successfully defended the judgment on appeal, the final judgment amount exceeded $1.6 million.
Education
- B.S., cum laude, from Providence College (1992)
- J.D., magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School (2000)
Bar and Court Admissions
- Massachusetts Bar
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- First Circuit Court of Appeals
Prior Experience
- Associate and Of Counsel, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C. (2000-2012)
- Special Assistant District Attorney, Middlesex County
- St. Paul Fire & Marine (1992-1999)
Awards, Publications, and Presentations
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers, Business Litigation 2014 – 2021; Rising Star 2009
