In Memoriam
Of Counsel to PSRB, Attorney Ryan is one of the most successful medical malpractice attorneys in Massachusetts.
During the last 30 years, Attorney Ryan has focused in the area of medical malpractice. Phyllis obtained the largest settlement ever in a western MA medical malpractice case.
Her nursing background gives her an invaluable ability to understand complicated issues in medical diagnosis and treatment. This expertise and experience allows attorney Ryan to identify aspects of care or failure of care that may have caused a client’s personal injury or medical malpractice.
In 1999, Attorney Ryan obtained a $5 million settlement on a medical malpractice case, the largest settlement ever in Western Massachusetts medical malpractice litigation.
In addition to medical malpractice, Attorney Ryan also handles personal injury cases in Massachusetts. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Hampden County Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, and the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Lawyers. Attorney Ryan has served as Trustee for Western New England College.
Of Counsel to PSRB, Ronald Kidd is recognized as a pioneer and leading expert in the area of defibrillator law.
Ron’s impassioned advocacy for injured people has led to many awards and recognitions, including being named Lawyer of the Year by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
Ron concentrates his practice in the areas of workers’ compensation, professional malpractice law, and personal injury law. He is also known for his activism on defibrillator-related issues.
Ron was named as a Lawyer of the Year in 2000 by the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for his advocacy efforts to deploy defibrillators on commercial aircraft. He has also been awarded the “Golden Heart” award by the American Heart Association for his work on Public Access Defibrillation.
Ron graduated from Williams College with B.A., cum laude. He served two years in the Peace Corps in Venezuela, then went on to attend law school at Boston University. He was awarded a J.D., cum laude. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and in the U.S. District Court.
Ron has served the YMCA of Greater Springfield as a member of the Board of Directors for over thirty years, including a term as chair. He has taught at Western New England College School of Law. He is fluent in Spanish.
Ron was a member of the Boston University Law Review and served as projects editor. He is a member of the Hampden County and Massachusetts Bar Associations. He writes and lectures on medical issues for legal and medical groups.
Attorney Kidd is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Massachusetts Super Lawyers in all three of his practice areas.
Of Counsel to PSRB, Attorney Chieco has a vast and successful career helping injured people.
Since joining the firm in 1989, Michael J. Chieco has continued to pursue litigation on behalf of individuals seriously injured by defective products, as the result of medical malpractice, on construction sites, and in motor vehicle accidents. In addition to his extensive experience in personal injury litigation, Attorney Chieco provides representation to individuals who have been charged with criminal offenses.
Attorney Chieco’s trial experience began as an Assistant District Attorney in Springfield, Massachusetts where he managed and tried numerous criminal cases at the trial and appellate level. Mike is proud to have won an award of more than $3 million for the surviving family members of a victim of the September 11th World Trade Center attacks.
Mike attended the College of the Holy Cross and Western New England College School of Law. He co-authored a treatise entitled Establishing Liability in Vehicular Accidents and has been a presenter at numerous legal seminars. Attorney Chieco is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Of Counsel to PSRB, Mary is a former District Court Judge for 19 years and a two term mayor of Springfield.
Attorney Hurley has one of the most distinguished legal careers in Massachusetts. A former member of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council helping to select judges, Mary also handles personal injury cases for PSRB.
After serving two terms as of Mayor of Springfield, she was a principal of the law firm Cooley Shrair before accepting an appointment as a District Court Justice. A lifelong resident of the Pioneer Valley, Councilor Hurley has been Of Counsel at PSRB since retiring from the bench. She was initially a founding partner of Hurley, Melikian and Sousa, P.C.
Mary is a recipient of the Massachusetts Bar Association Public Service Award and was named an Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1980 by the U.S. Jaycees. She has served as a member of the cabinet for the Sisters of Saint Joseph fundraising campaign College Club of Greater Springfield, Criminal Justice Advisory Board at Elms College.
She is a member of the Hampden County Bar Association, Hampshire County Bar Association and Massachusetts Bar Association. Mary earned her Juris Doctor from the Western New England University School of Law, where she also taught as an adjunct professor of law. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Elms College, where she also received an honorary doctorate degree.
Dedicated to the law and public service, Councilor Hurley’s accomplished career includes former memberships and associations on many charitable and legal institutions.
Concentrating on civil trial practice, Donald W. Blakesley was one of the most distinguished lawyers in Massachusetts. Don was an exceptional attorney, mentor, and friend to the PSRB family and the entire legal community. Don’s leadership, knowledge, and passion for the law continue to be an inspiration to each of us at the firm every day.
A member of the firm since 1978, Attorney Blakesley was recognized as one of the top practitioners of workers’ compensation law in Massachusetts history and was listed in the publication, The Best Lawyer’s in America.
Attorney Blakesley graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and cum laude from Western New England College School of Law, where he was on the Law Review. He held the position of Adjunct Professor of Law at Western New England College School of Law for 10 years, teaching that school’s only course in workers’ compensation law.
Don was admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts and before the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents and the Social Security Administration. Attorney Blakesley was a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Hampden County Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys. Attorney Blakesley was named by a vote of attorneys across the state for inclusion in the publication “Massachusetts Super Lawyers.” Don also carried the AV rating, the highest rank awarded, in the peer review publication Martindale-Hubbell.
Remembering Our Founder: Attorney Gerard L. Pellegrini (1923–2015)
Attorney Gerard L. Pellegrini founded our firm in 1957 with a singular mission: to fight for those who have been injured and to ensure they receive the justice they deserve. His deep sense of duty, compassion, and work ethic shaped the foundation of Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley and continues to inspire everything we do today.
Born in Brighton, Massachusetts, to Italian immigrant parents, Gerry’s life was defined by perseverance and service. He was a standout athlete at Brighton High School and went on to play football at Syracuse University, earning honorable mention All-American honors as a freshman. But like many of his generation, Gerry put his education and athletic career on hold to serve his country. As a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, he served with distinction in Italy during World War II and later retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of Captain.
Following the war, Gerry returned home to build a life with his wife Cornelia, whom he married in 1945. After a brief stint in professional football and a successful start in the insurance industry, he enrolled in night classes at what is now Western New England University School of Law, thanks to the G.I. Bill. Upon graduating in 1957, Gerry opened a solo law practice in Springfield, Massachusetts — the first step in what would become one of the most respected personal injury firms in the state.
Known for his courtroom skill, relentless advocacy, and deep empathy, Gerry earned a reputation as one of Western Massachusetts’ premier trial attorneys. Though he represented a wide range of clients over the years, his true passion was fighting for injured workers — a calling rooted in his own working-class upbringing. He believed that every person, regardless of background, deserved dignity and fairness in the justice system.
Pellegrini, Seeley, Ryan & Blakesley
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