Founding Partner, Assalone Lombardi, LLC | Municipal Court Judge
Veronica Assalone is the founding partner of Assalone Lombardi, LLC, Rhode Island’s largest female-owned and operated family law firm, formerly known as Assalone & Associates, LLC. Since entering the bar in 1997, she has built a reputation for litigating complex, high-conflict, high-asset divorce and family law matters, combining fierce advocacy with strategic insight and empathy.
Beyond her firm, Veronica serves as the Municipal Court Judge for the Town of West Warwick. She has served as an Adjunct Professor of Family Law at Roger Williams University School of Law and is the current President of the Edward P. Gallogly Family Court Inn of Court (American Inns of Court, Rhode Island Chapter).
Veronica has been involved in numerous Rhode Island Supreme Court cases addressing civil rights and constitutional law. Most notably, she played a role in Heath v. Vose, 747 A.2d 475 (R.I. 2000), the leading precedent on a litigant’s right to effective assistance of counsel in post-conviction relief. Her involvement underscores her commitment to constitutional protections and her influence beyond family law.
Earlier in her career, Veronica spent about ten years as a Public Defender in Rhode Island, and today her criminal defense practice is focused on domestic-violence related criminal matters that intersect with ongoing family court cases.
She has also begun to engage in Hague Convention matters, presently representing applicants referred by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues in cases concerning the civil aspects of international child abduction.
Her service to municipalities includes prior roles as Assistant Solicitor for the Towns of Coventry and Hopkinton, where she assisted in local government legal matters.
Featured Case: Nationally Recognized Grandparents' Rights Defense (2026)
In April 2026, Attorney Veronica Assalone secured a landmark trial victory in a high-profile grandparents' rights case that drew national and international media attention. Representing Scott Naso — a widowed father fighting to protect his parental rights over his young daughter — Attorney Assalone successfully defended his constitutional right to direct the upbringing of his child against a court-ordered grandparent visitation claim.
The case, covered daily by The Boston Globe throughout trial, was featured in People magazine in a four-page spread and has been recognized as a defining case in the debate over the constitutionality of grandparent visitation statutes. During the litigation, Attorney Assalone filed an emergency petition with the Rhode Island Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the state's grandparent visitation law — arguing that Rhode Island's statute fails to require any showing of harm before overriding a fit parent's fundamental constitutional rights.
"This case raises a question that affects every parent in Rhode Island: whether the State may subject a concededly fit parent to years of litigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend a right the Constitution guarantees, without any showing that his child is being harmed." — Veronica Assalone
This victory underscores Attorney Veronica Assalone's commitment to protecting parental rights and her willingness to take on complex, high-stakes constitutional litigation on behalf of her clients.
Key Achievements & Recognition
- Appointed the Municipal Court Judge for the Town of West Warwick
- Recognized by Rhode Island Super Lawyers
- Named among America’s Top 100 Attorneys
- Recipient of the Client’s Choice Award
- Nearly three decades of litigation experience across family law, constitutional law, and criminal defense
- Leadership as President of the Edward P. Gallogly Family Court Inn of Court
Philosophy & Approach
Veronica is respected not only for her formidable courtroom skills but also for her mentorship of younger attorneys, commitment to ethics in practice, and advocacy for fairness in the justice system. She believes in balancing vigorous representation with compassion, guiding clients through some of life’s most difficult disputes with both strength and understanding.
Client Voices
“Smart, strong, confident and compassionate … Manages conflict gracefully and holds her ground.” — Client Review
“The entire team was extremely professional, polite, and understanding … we are so grateful …” — Client Review
