Patrick C. Barry is an accomplished trial lawyer and patient safety advocate, known for handling catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and medical negligence cases. He began his legal career in 1997 with Decof & Decof, P.C., which later became Decof, Decof & Barry, P.C. in 2013, and Decof, Barry, Mega & Quinn, P.C. in 2018.
Patrick's interest in law was sparked by a childhood realization that life can change in an instant due to the carelessness of others. He credits his mother's phrase, "They shouldn't be able to get away with that," for inspiring his pursuit of justice.
Leonard Decof, the firm’s founder, hired Patrick to be part of the team that pursued civil claims against financial institutions, accountants, and law firms responsible for Rhode Island’s credit union crisis of the 1990s. Under Leonard's mentorship, Patrick honed his legal skills and helped recover over $180,000,000 for the state government, which had bailed out the depositors when the credit unions failed.
Patrick has handled many trials that have resulted in numerous seven-figure verdicts or settlements, including a $32 million jury verdict in favor of a client with a severe spinal cord injury. Patrick’s success in handling jury trials led him to become active in many areas of the legal landscape, including leadership positions in various professional groups, mentoring law students and younger attorneys, engaging in legislative issues, and teaching legal seminars. He constantly strives to keep his practice innovative and creative.
Despite growing up in a blue-collar community in central Massachusetts, Patrick's hard work and determination have led him to a successful legal career. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, ice hockey, and hiking with his wife, attorney Jennifer Barry, and their two teenage boys.
Education
Boston University, B.A. Political Science (1990)
Delaware Law School of Widener University, J.D, cum laude (1996)
Admissions
State of Rhode Island
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Honors and Recognitions
Voted Best Lawyers in America, 2020-2022
Named Lawdragon Top 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers (nationally), 2022
Selected as Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly’s “Lawyer of the Year” in 2018, following a $32,000,000 jury verdict in favor of a client with a spinal cord injury
Selected for “Super Lawyers,” a national peer-nominated and independent review service with results published in Rhode Island Monthly, in the areas of Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury, 2010 - present
Finished among the Top 10 “Super Lawyers” in Rhode Island, across all areas of practice, in 2014 and 2016
Obtained an “AV” rating bestowed by Martindale-Hubbell in response to legal surveys of his peers and colleagues (the highest “peer review” rating available), 2010-present
RI Monthly, Professional Excellence Law Award 2019-2023
Appointed to the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (the licensing board for all physicians in the state) by Governor Carcieri, 2005-2013
Appointed by Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell to the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee (the committee that handles investigations and actions against people practicing law without a license), in 2018
Elected as the local President of the Rhode Island ABOTA chapter in 2022, and member of ABOTA since 2019. The American Board of Trial Advocates is a highly respected and exclusive organization of both plaintiff and defense lawyers. To become an ABOTA member, a lawyer must have significant trial experience and results as the lead attorney in a large number of trials, making it one of the more prestigious and exclusive legal associations in the world.
Memberships and Affiliations
Current President of the Rhode Island “ABOTA” Chapter
Member, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 2016 - present
Rhode Island Association for Justice, Former President, Member of Board of Governors, and Member, 2003 - present
American Association for Justice, Former Governor (2010 - 2011), Member, 2003 - present
Rhode Island Bar Association, Member, 1996 - present
Rhode Island Bar Foundation Fellow, 2010 - present
Publications
Chapter Author, “Deposing Medical and Technical Experts” in a 2010 MCLE/New England publication, “A Practical Guide to Discovery & Depositions in Rhode Island,” 2010 – present with updates.
Writer and Lecturer for seminars provided to various professional groups including the Rhode Island Bar Association, Rhode Island Association for Justice, New Jersey Association for Justice, Rhode Island Medical Society, Care New England Corporation and others, 2001-present.
While in law school, Patrick was the Articles Editor of one of the school’s law review publications, and was also selected for publication of his own scholarly article about the use of scientific opinion testimony.