Gerald C. DeMaria

Of Counsel
Gerald C. DeMaria is a former partner in the Providence law firm of Higgins, Cavanagh & Cooney, LLP and now continues his practice as Of Counsel. His practice is in civil litigation, with an emphasis on complex commercial and products liability litigation.

During his decades of practice, Mr. DeMaria has represented scores of business and individual clients, including manufacturers of industrial tools, medical equipment and automobiles, owners and developers of commercial and residential real property, as well as engineers, architects, industry associations, software companies, insurance companies, insurance agencies and adjusters, advertising agencies, banks and credit unions. He has testified as an expert witness and has written on topical matters.

Mr. DeMaria has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America over multiple years for his expertise in personal injury defense and product liability defense. In the publication’s 2020 edition, he received “Lawyer of the Year” recognition for his outstanding professional accomplishments in the field of product liability defense. In the 2022 edition he received a similar honor in the area of premises liability. A single “Lawyer of the Year” is only awarded in any given location and in any particular practice area.

In addition, Mr. DeMaria was a Captain in the United States Army and served tours of duty in the United States and Thailand from 1968 to 1970.


Education

  • J.D., Suffolk University Law School
  • B.A., Providence College

Court Admissions

  • Supreme Court of the United States (1987)
  • United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1983)
  • United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (1972)
  • Supreme Court of the State of Rhode Island (1967)
  • Supreme Court of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1967)
  • Superior Court for The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Rhode Island Superior Courts
  • Rhode Island District Courts
  • Rhode Island Family Courts

Distinctions

  • AV-Preeminent Martindale Hubbell
  • AV-Preeminent Martindale Hubbell – Judicial Edition
  • Best Lawyers – Product Liability – Lawyer of the Year
  • Best Lawyers – Premises Liability – Lawyer of the Year
  • America’s Top 100 Attorneys® in Rhode Island
  • Professional Excellence | Law – Rhode Island Monthly

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association (1967)
  • Massachusetts Bar Association (1967)
  • Rhode Island Bar Association (1967)
  • Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation (1996)
  • American Judicature Society (1970-Present)
  • Defense Research Institute (1970-Present)
  • American Association for Automotive Medicine (1975-Present)
  • International Association of Defense Counsel (1975-Present)
  • National Business Institute, Faculty Member (1986-Present)
  • Practicing Law Institute, Faculty Member (1986-Present)
  • Product Liability Advisory Council (1988-Present)
  • Trial Attorneys of America (1995-Present)
  • Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (1995-Present)
  • Defense Counsel of Rhode Island

Publications

  • Automotive Product Liability Newsletter@, Defense Research Institute, Editor-in-Chief, 1996-Present
  • Capitalizing on the Use of Manufacturers= Compliance With Regulations in the Defense of a Crashworthiness Case@, Defense Research Institute, 1993
  • Crashworthiness C Second Impact Litigation: Crashworthiness and Injury Enhancement Litigation@, Practising Law Institute, 1985
  • Damages in Rhode Island@, National Business Institute, Inc., 1990
  • Defending and Defeating Expert Testimony: From Daubert to DiPetrillo and Beyond, Rhode Island Bar Association and Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association Program, 2000
  • Disproving Vehicle Responsibility While Spinning-Off Liability@, Practising Law Institute, 1996
  • Guiding Principals for the Civil Litigator in Rhode Island@, National Business Institute, Inc., 1994, 1996
  • Law in the First Circuit@, Product Liability Advisory Council, 1995-1999
  • Limiting Damages in Rhode Island, For the Defense: Overview of Anatomy of a Complex Motor Vehicle Case@, National Business Institute, Inc., 1990
  • Litigating the Complex Motor Vehicle Case@, Practising Law Institute, 1987
  • Litigating the Complex Motor Vehicle Case: Accident Reconstruction, Biomechanical Analysis, and the Seat Belt Defense, Practising Law Institute, 1992
  • Litigating the Complex Motor Vehicle Case: Accident Reconstruction and the Seat Belt Defense, Practising Law Institute, 1987
  • Litigating the Complex Motor Vehicle ACrashworthiness@ Case@,Practising Law Institute, 1989
  • Litigating the Seat Belt Case: Defense Perspective@, Practising Law Institute, 1987
  • Sexual Harassment Claims, Liability and Coverage, Eighth Annual Society of Claim Law Associates Conference and Seminar, 1999
  • Taking and Defending Effective Depositions in Rhode Island@, Lorman Education Services, 1999
  • Trying the Automobile Injury Case in Rhode Island: The Defense Perspective, National Business Institute, Inc., 1991
  • Trying the Wrongful Death Case in Rhode Island: Strategies in Preparation and Valuation@, National Business Institute, Inc., 1996, 1998