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Joseph J. Rodio, Sr. (In Memoriam)

It is with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to our founding partner and beloved friend, Joseph J. Rodio Sr., who passed away on October 14, 2015. He was 67 years old.

Joseph J. Rodio, Sr. was a founding member of Rodio & Ursillo, Ltd., and will forever be remembered as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, nephew, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend.

After five years in private practice, Joe founded the firm in 1980 with David R. Ursillo, Sr.

Shortly after founding Rodio & Ursillo, Ltd., Joe began establishing his reputation as one of Rhode Island’s top labor attorneys. Joe’s reputation and experience led to the firm’s representation of numerous public safety, along with private labor organizations.

Many years of practice in labor law gave Joe extensive knowledge and experience in both ERISA/Taft Hartley and public pension plans. This allowed Joe to grow his practice to many management-side clients such as State of Rhode Island agencies and municipal governments. Once retained for pension-related work, many of these organizations asked Joe to expand his representation into all aspects of employment and municipal law.

After representing a local professional sports franchise, Joe quickly came to be respected in the field of sports law. He was asked to serve as general counsel to a professional hockey league, where he served proudly until his passing. Throughout the years, other professional sports leagues have sought his counsel in a variety of sports matters. Joe also represented health and welfare trusts that exist to oversee health care coverage of professional athletes.

Bar Admissions

  • State of Rhode Island — 1975
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island — 1975
  • U.S. Tax Court — 1978
  • Supreme Court of the United States of America — 1982
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit — 1984
  • U.S. Court of Military Appeals — 1984

Practice Areas

  • Labor/Employment Law
  • Municipal Law
  • Sports Law
  • ERISA/Taft Hartley

Education

  • Suffolk University School of Law, J.D., 1975.
  • Boston University, B.A. in History and Theology, 1970.

In Memoriam

Friends and clients are invited to honor the memory of Joe by contributing to some of his favorite charitable organizations, including:

The Newman Congregational Church Food Pantry
100 Newman Ave.
Rumford, RI 02916

Mothers Out Front
Attn: Vicky Peterson
30 Bow St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

The Lenny Zakim Fund
C/0 DLA Piper
33 Arch St., 26th Floor
Boston, MA 02110.