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Kas DeCarvalho

Kas DeCarvalho

Trusted Business Counsel - New England and Beyond
  • Business Law, Employment Law, Intellectual Property ...
  • Rhode Island
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Biography

Kas R. DeCarvalho is a Partner with Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara LLC and a member of the firm's Corporate & Business Team. He has more than 15 years of experience as a corporate attorney and business leader. His practice focuses on corporate and transactional law, financing and mergers and acquisitions, commercial real estate, intellectual property, international transactions, business ethics and compliance, arts and entertainment law and education law. His clients include individuals, and for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Attorney DeCarvalho is a co-founder of Original Innovative Concepts LLC, a product development and licensing venture, and Rhode Island Martial Arts, Inc.Mr. DeCarvalho is an active community volunteer and has served on the boards of multiple nonprofit and business development organizations, including the Quonset Development Corporation, the Providence Economic Development Partnership, Thurgood Marshall Law Society, United Way of Rhode Island, the Greater Providence YMCA, Providence Athenaeum, the Providence Public Library, Community Works RI, Engage RI, the International Institute and Progresso Latino. He is also a member of the Rhode Island Commission on Judicial Tenure and Discipline, the Rhode Island Commodores and is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island. Attorney DeCarvalho was a founding board member of the International Charter School, Inc., and is on the Board of Directors of The Metropolitan Career and Technical Center (The MET School).Mr. DeCarvalho earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been named in the New England Super Lawyers publication and was twice named to Providence Business News' "40 Under Forty."

Practice Areas
Business Law
Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
Employment Law
Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, ERISA, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
Intellectual Property
Entertainment & Sports Law
International Law
Human Rights, Imports & Exports
Trademarks
Trademark Litigation, Trademark Registration
Education Law
Gov & Administrative Law
Administrative Law, Election Law, Government Contracts, Government Finance, Legislative & Government Affairs
Energy, Oil & Gas Law
Utilities
Arbitration & Mediation
Business - Arbitration/Mediation, Consumer - Arbitration/Mediation, Family - Arbitration/Mediation
Fees
  • Free Consultation
  • Credit Cards Accepted
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Rhode Island
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Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
  • French: Spoken
  • Portuguese: Spoken
  • Spanish: Spoken
Professional Experience
Partner
Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara LLC
Current
Partner
Fontaine, DeCarvalho & Bell, LLC
Partner
Kaslaw, LLC
Attorney
Reavis & Haskell, LLC
Associate
Hinckley Allen & Snyder LLP
Education
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
B.A. | English
Activities: UNC Crew, The Daily Tar Heel, Chi Psi, Pi Alpha Delta
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Logo
University of North Carolina School of Law
J.D. | Law
University of North Carolina School of Law Logo
Phillips Exeter Academy
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Harvard Law School
Executive Training & Management Seminar
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Harvard Law School Logo
Awards
Top Rated Business & Corporate Attorney
Superlawyers
Rising Stars
Forty Under Forty
Providence Business News
Forty Under Forty
Providence Business News
Professional Associations
Rhode Island Bar Association
Member
Current
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Thurgood Marshall Law Society
Treasurer, Past Chair
Current
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American Bar Association
Member
Current
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Publications
Articles & Publications
"The Best Insurance Policy in Business is a No-Risk Culture"
Rhode Island Small Business Journal
Home-birth Blogging Battle Leads to Copyright Suit - "Fair Use"
Rhode Island Lawyers' Weekly
Sustainability Assessments and Action Planning Gains Traction as a Business Value-Driver
RI Small Business Journal
Speaking Engagements
"Averting a Busines Crisis", Bryant University
XPX New England
When “that will never happen to me” happens to you, an immediate, integrated, transparent and strategic response is essential. Companies can be caught flat-footed by a serious challenge to reputation that tarnishes the company brand and impacts the enterprise value – from vehicle accidents to employee mistakes or misconduct, or product issues – any of which can spread across the internet in an instant. Addressing--or better, avoiding--the adverse publicity is the topic of conversation with several experienced professionals who have dealt with these issues first hand.
Certifications
RI Bar Certified
Rhode Island Bar Association
American Bar Association
American Bar Association
Websites & Blogs
Website
Website
Legal Answers
14 Questions Answered
Q. Can I be removed from a Mass LLC without consent?
A: Short answer: No, probably not.

You're response: "But my partner did--now what?!"

...and that's a longer answer.

So, unless your LLC's Operating Agreement provides for some mechanism for a single 50% Member to remover the other (which is possible, but highly unlikely), then what your partner has done is technically a breach of the statutory rules and contractual agreement that define the LLC...and you probably have a valid legal claim against them. At least in theory, the purpose of that claim would essentially be to invalidate any action that your partner took without due and proper authority.

A better question is, "...and then what?" You and your partner do have a problem--when two 50/50 Members of an LLC (or a corporation, for that matter) can't agree on how to move forward, that's referred to as a deadlock...and ultimately, either the Members come to some agreement, or no action takes place...or either Member has the authority to appeal to the Courts for review and (potentially) a judicial dissolution of the entity.

This now opens a whole can of discussion worms that is bigger than this forum merits...but my (informal) advice would be to seek counsel ASAP, because of the significant potential exposure you may be facing while your (ex?)-partner goes forward with operating and making decisions unilaterally for the company.
... Read More
Q. What is a Social Enterprise Characterized under, an LLC or Non-Profit Status?
A: The answer partially depends on what you're trying to accomplish: If the proposed purpose is solely benefit-related, without the desire or need to assign profits or owners/shareholders/members, then you're probably in (traditional) non-profit corporation territory. Alternately, you may be referring to any one of several, relatively new types of for-profit vehicles with an attached social benefit purpose or leaning...in which case your options depend partially on the State law where you proposed to form the entity, but may include options fitting into either the corporation or the LLC structure types, such as Social Benefit Corporations (B-Corps) or Low-Profit Limited Liability Companies (L3C). Short answer: "You have options." ... Read More
Q. I have moved from one my apartment bldg into a smaller one that's was cheaper, same landlord. Since we asked for the 200
A: Well...if you don't have a written agreement, then what you technically have is a month-to-month lease...and what the rent is supposed to be is admittedly a bit of a mystery, but at worst, it's the rent from your old/other apartment. Typically that would be decided by the history of what you had been doing before...but since you actually moved to a smaller apartment, it seems reasonable to argue that you would pay a reasonable amount less. But assuming that you and the Landlord agreed that you could pay $200 less for the new (smaller) apartment...then you should send that to the landlord every month, whether they come to pick it up or not--that's the most defensible way to make sure that you are best protected by the legal rights that Tenants have under the Statutes. However, if you have no idea how to otherwise deliver the rent, keep that money in the bank and don't spend it--if and/or when the Landlord comes to collect, you can then pay however many months' rent at the agreed-upon (lower) price. I would caution you not to think, "Yay! Free apartment!!" because a) nothing is free, and b) you could inadvertently set yourself up to be sued for back rent--and rightly so! The landlord "not picking up the rent" is not a legally viable reason for you to suggest that they're not entitled to it anyway--it's *their* property, right? But if the landlord showed up in 6 months and said, "I would like the rent," and you said, "no problem, we wondered when you'd show up" (and proceeded to write a valid check for the entire amount)...well, I'd have to tell that Landlord they were very lucky indeed, and should keep you as tenants! One downside...without a written lease, you are almost certainly in a month-to-month verbal agreement...so the landlord can't just kick your out on the street, but they're only required to give you 30 days' notice before evicting you...even if you DO pay all of the rent. ... Read More
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Contact & Map
Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara LLC (RI)
1301 Atwood Avenue, Ste. 215 N
Johnston, RI 02919
Toll-Free: (866) 353-3310
Telephone: (401) 824-5100
Fax: (401) 824-5123
Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara (MA)
75 Arlington Street, Ste. 500
Boston, MA 02116
Toll-Free: (866) 353-3310
Telephone: (401) 824-5100
Fax: (401) 824-5123
Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara (Fla)
925 South Federal Highway, Ste. 715
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Toll-Free: (866) 353-5020
Telephone: (561) 362-2030
Fax: (866) 353-5020