Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman

What Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman does

Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLP is a private boutique law firm headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, with additional offices in Westerly, RI and Boston, MA. Founded in 2003, the firm employs 11-50 people including 19+ listed attorneys across partners, senior counsel, associates, and retired status attorneys. It delivers legal services across 11 defined practice areas: Affordable Housing, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy/Receivership/Insolvency, Business & Civil Litigation, Business/Corporate & Non-Profit, Elder Law, Employment & Workplace, Environmental Law, Health Law, Real Estate, and Trusts/Estate Planning & Administration. Clients span private and public businesses, closely-held entities, non-profits, governmental and municipal agencies, hospitals and healthcare providers, real estate developers, lenders, and high-net-worth families and individuals across Rhode Island and the New England region.

The firm operates a traditional sales-led professional services model where partner-led client relationships and referrals drive acquisition. Its technology stack is limited to legal practice management and case management systems tailored to bankruptcy, receivership, and insolvency proceedings. Revenue is generated through billable legal services using hourly billing by attorney seniority (monthly cadence) for most litigation and advisory matters, supplemented by flat fees for some transactional matters and fiduciary fees from court-appointed receiver, special master, examiner, and mediator engagements. Notable fiduciary mandates include the RISDIC $1.2 billion Rhode Island credit union crisis (where approximately $200 million in recoveries was obtained and all depositors ultimately paid in full) and the 38 Studios receivership involving the sale of intellectual property for the company founded by former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling.

The firm's competitive positioning rests on its 20+ year reputation in Rhode Island, court-appointed fiduciary authority, and a talent roster with multiple Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers honorees, Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated partners, and Fellows of the American College of Bankruptcy and American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Its Bankruptcy, Receivership & Insolvency practice has been involved in more than 400 business insolvency cases, providing a deep institutional knowledge base. Client acquisition depends on professional recognition, bar association leadership, community involvement (boards of Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and Providence Center, among others), referrals, and a content marketing presence through the firm website. The firm is organized as a limited liability partnership owned and controlled by its founding and senior partners, with no external investment, parent company, or public listing.

Name

Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman

Legal name

Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLP

Website

https://crfllp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLP is a private boutique law firm in Providence, RI (with offices in Westerly, RI and Boston, MA) that provides litigation, transactional, and court-appointed fiduciary legal services across 11 practice areas to businesses, governmental entities, healthcare providers, non-profits, and individuals throughout Rhode Island and New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services (Boutique Law Firm)

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Legal advisory services
• Bankruptcy receivership law
• Trusts estate planning
• Health law counsel
• Corporate legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Services: The firm generates revenue through billable legal services including hourly rates for litigation, transactional work, and advisory services. Fee structures include hourly billing for litigation matters, flat fees for certain transactional matters, and potentially contingency or fixed fees for specific case types. The firm serves as court-appointed receivers, generating fees from those appointments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLP is a boutique law firm delivering sophisticated legal services across 11 practice areas to businesses, government entities, non-profits, healthcare providers, and individuals in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and the surrounding New England region. Core engagements include bankruptcy, receivership, and insolvency representation (including serving as court-appointed fiduciary), business and civil litigation, corporate and non-profit counsel, real estate transactions, health law, environmental and employment law, and trusts and estates planning.

Product overview

Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLP is a boutique law firm offering 11 distinct legal service practice areas spanning transactional, litigation, and advisory services. The firm's practice areas include Affordable Housing, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy/Receivership/Insolvency, Business & Civil Litigation, Business/Corporate & Non-Profit, Elder Law, Employment & Workplace, Environmental Law, Health Law, Real Estate, and Trusts/Estate Planning & Administration. The firm serves a diverse client base including businesses of all sizes, government entities, non-profits, and individuals throughout Rhode Island and the surrounding region. The practice operates as a unified legal services firm with attorneys working across multiple practice areas to provide comprehensive counsel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Legal Services Assists developers of affordable housing in structuring acquisition and development, and in maximizing funding sources including federal tax credits, Rhode Island Housing, HUD, and environmental cleanup funds.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Provides mediation and arbitration services to resolve contested matters outside of courtroom proceedings, offering cost-effective and confidential dispute resolution for businesses and individuals.
• Bankruptcy, Receivership & Insolvency Provides representation to creditors, debtors, court-appointed fiduciaries, and bankruptcy trustees; serves as court-appointed receiver in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in insolvency and shareholder dispute matters.
• Business & Civil Litigation Broad litigation practice representing businesses and individuals in shareholder disputes, labor-management conflicts, breach of contract, construction disputes, and commercial matters.
• Business, Corporate & Non-Profit Legal Services Represents businesses of all sizes, closely-held entities, partnerships, and non-profits in daily operations, complex acquisitions and sales, corporate governance, financing, commercial transactions, and real estate matters.
• Elder Law Assists elderly clients and their families with estate planning, Medicaid planning, veteran's benefit planning, and guardianship proceedings.
• Employment & Workplace Legal Services Advises employers on all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including hiring, disciplinary practices, discrimination laws, ADA, FMLA, and sexual harassment matters.
• Environmental Law Assists corporate clients with environmental regulations including air quality, water quality, wetlands, solid and hazardous waste, brownfields development, and regulatory compliance matters.
• Health Law Trusted legal advisor for health care providers, including hospitals, physician groups, community health centers, and managed care organizations, on fraud and abuse compliance, HIPAA, physician recruitment, mergers, affiliations, and regulatory matters.
• Real Estate Legal Services Assists individuals and entities, including developers, landlords, investors, and healthcare organizations, in structuring and closing complicated real estate transactions, including acquisition, financing, leasing, zoning, permitting, and land use matters.
• Trusts, Estate Planning & Administration Serves individuals, families, and fiduciaries with estate planning strategies, foundational documents, advanced planning techniques, and trust administration, including Medicaid planning, guardianships, probate administration, and special needs trusts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Preserved more than 70 jobs in B.A. Ballou, Inc. receivership by selling as going concern
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rhode Island Senate Health and Human Services CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembers of the Health Practice Group have served as counsel to the Rhode Island Senate Health and Human Services Committee, providing guidance on healthcare legislation and policy matters.
• Rhode Island Bar AssociationcoreOthersMultiple attorneys serve in leadership positions including Chair of the Debtor and Creditor Committee and member of various other committees. The firm participates in bar association events and continuing legal education programs.
• Turnaround Management AssociationcoreOthersAttorneys are members of the Turnaround Management Association Steering Committee and have served as Founder and Former Chair. The association provides networking and professional development for turnaround and restructuring professionals.
• Heritage Global PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerServed as conducting partner for the Intellectual Property Rights Auction of 38 Studios and Big Huge Games on behalf of Richard J. Land, Receiver.
• Rhode Island Department of Business RegulationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllan M. Shine served as Special Counsel for the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation in numerous matters, including the liquidation of American Universal Insurance Company.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Holland & Knight LLP: National law firm with a Boston office covering healthcare, real estate, business litigation, and restructuring. Competes with CR&F for healthcare and mid-market regional matters while offering significantly broader geographic reach.
• Nixon Peabody LLP: Large national firm with strong Providence and Boston offices offering business, healthcare, real estate, and bankruptcy/restructuring practices. Represents the larger, broader-portfolio incumbent that CR&F competes against for mid-market regional mandates.
• Foley & Lardner LLP: National law firm with established healthcare, environmental, and business law practices and a Boston presence. Competes with CR&F's Health Law and Environmental Law groups for regional clients that require national counsel.
• Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo P.C. Boston-headquartered national firm with substantial healthcare, real estate, and business practices — competing with CR&F for healthcare and mid-market New England mandates while offering greater scale and geographic reach.
• McDermott Will & Emery LLP: Major international law firm with renowned health law practice (Boston office). CR&F's Health Law Group leader Don E. Wineberg previously practiced at McDermott Will & Emery; the firm represents a large incumbent in CR&F's core healthcare niche.

Direct peers

• Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. Providence-based full-service boutique law firm with overlapping practice areas including business, litigation, real estate, healthcare, and insolvency. Closest comparable in size and regional footprint to Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman.
• Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP: Providence-based boutique firm with comparable size, similar multi-disciplinary practice (business, litigation, real estate, healthcare, trusts), and overlapping regional client base in Rhode Island.
• Cameron & Mittleman LLP: Providence-based multi-practice boutique firm covering business, litigation, real estate, and healthcare law — directly comparable in headcount and Rhode Island market positioning. CR&F's Don E. Wineberg previously practiced at Cameron & Mittleman.
• Hinckley Allen: New England-based law firm with strong Providence and Boston presence covering business, litigation, real estate, healthcare, and trusts & estates — the same multi-disciplinary model as CR&F. Former CR&F partner Joseph Enriquez previously practiced at Hinckley Allen.
• Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara LLC: Rhode Island-based boutique firm with overlapping trusts & estates, business, and litigation practices. CR&F's Katherine B. Dunn previously served as Senior Counsel at Pannone Lopes before joining CR&F.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crfllp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman