Richard H. Gregory III

Richard H. Gregory III was born in Bronxville, New York in 1947. A Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude graduate of Amherst College, he subsequently earned a Doctor of Laws (JD) degree with honors from the University of Southern California Law Center in Los Angeles and a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in Taxation from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC.

For six years, Mr. Gregory served as a trial attorney for the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, DC. In this position he represented the United States in tax controversies pending in various United States District Courts.

After moving to Rhode Island, Mr. Gregory became a partner and chairman of the Tax Department of Tillinghast Collins & Graham. In 1994 he opened his own office for the practice of law to serve clients in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. He concentrates his practice in estate, tax, business, charitable and protective planning and administration for successful individuals and families.

Mr. Gregory has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States District Court for the Districts of Rhode Island and Vermont, the United States Tax Court, the United States Claims Court, the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the Vermont Supreme Court and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Mr. Gregory is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Rhode Island and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Rhode Island. He is also a member of the Rhode Island (Taxation Committee and Probate and Trust Committee), Massachusetts and American (Taxation Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust sections) Bar Associations.

Mr. Gregory has been awarded the highest professional rating for ethical standards and legal ability by the Martindale-Hubbell® Law Directory, a leading directory of lawyers and law firms since 1868. He is also listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers™ in the areas of Trusts and Estates and Wills and Probate.

Richard H. Gregory Interviewed by Tony Nunes
Featured in the Westerly Sun

How did you get started?
My dad was a wonderful father and a fine lawyer. I admired him tremendously and decided to follow him into the law.

How long have you been in business?
My first job after law school was clerking for a United States District Court Judge, and that led to a position as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the US Department of Justice. In 1983 my wife and I moved to Providence, and I became a partner in a large law firm. After a number of years I found I was no longer enjoying this type of practice. In 1994 I decided to open my own office for the practice of law, concentrating in estate, tax, business, charitable and protective planning and administration for successful individuals and families.

How many people do you employ?
I have a wonderful paralegal, Barbara Reis, who has been with me for 10 years. She does great work, and my clients love her. I also employ two other very talented professionals on a project basis.

What makes you unique?
Two things: First is expertise. We have a ’boutique’ law practice, not Walmart. The law grows more complex every year, and this means that no lawyer can do everything for everybody. Concentrating in a particular area has allowed us to develop a depth of knowledge and experience. Second, but by no means any less important, is the personal attention we give our clients. All of us will one day have to work through some difficult times. We try hard to brighten the darkest days in a friendly, caring manner.

What is your favorite part of your business?
Hands down, it is working with our clients. And when people are your focus, the law sometimes takes a back seat. We took birthday cakes to Marion, an older woman with no family who was slipping into dementia. We were well paid for the time and effort – just not in money!

Who is your typical client?
That’s hard to say. Some are very wealthy, some are of modest means. Some are single, some have large families. The one characteristic they all share is a serious attitude in planning for themselves and the people they love.

Who/what has inspired you to get better at what you do?
Knowing that my clients rely on me, and knowing that little details sometimes turn out to have big consequences, is all the inspiration I need. Years
ago one of my favorite clients received a bad diagnosis. As I studied his retirement package I discovered an election that enabled him to turn what he thought would be a modest retirement annuity into a multi-million dollar life insurance benefit. Finding that election has made a huge difference in the lives of his wife, children and grandchildren, and for me it has hammered home the importance of “sweating the small stuff."

Do you have a website?
Yes, we do: www.richardhgregory.com. The site gives an overview of our practice, contact information and other helpful data.

How much time on site, etc.?
There is an old saying about the law being like a jealous mistress. Practicing law takes a lot of time. We work until the job is done and our clients are pleased with what they have been able to accomplish with our help.

Have you changed anything about how you run your business?
Yes, we have. Since we moved to Shelter Harbor last summer I have had the opportunity to work with more clients in the Westerly and South County
area.

What’s the best piece of business advice you ever received, and who was it from?
That’s easy: My Dad told me to find something I loved to do, and then to do it, full speed ahead. It has worked for me because my practice is both
work and fun.

For an outline summary of Attorney Gregory's background and qualifications, click on his name below:

Richard H. Gregory, III

We invite you to contact us by telephone (401-331-5050) or email.