Schellenberg, Brian D.

John Harwood has been practicing law for 32 years and was a founding partner of the firm of McKinnon & Harwood, LLC.

Mr. Harwood focuses his legal practice in the areas of personal injury, domestic law, products liability and DUI.  He has successfully tried cases in the courts of the State of Rhode Island and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  He has argued on a number of occasions before the Rhode Island Supreme Court.  He has also represented a number of National Hockey League and American Hockey League players, representing their interests both in the negotiations of their contracts and later serving as agent.

Mr. Harwood presently serves on the Big Brothers advisory board and was the recipient of the Big Brothers Robert Cy Killian Humanitarian Award in 2000 and was designated March of Dimes Citizen of the Year in 2000.

Mr. Harwood has been a mainstay within the political borders of the State of Rhode Island.  He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1980 and was Speaker of the House from 1993 until 2003.  As Speaker of the House he was responsible for presiding over the 2.8 billion dollar Rhode Island state budget.   

Mr. Harwood is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School, 1974; from the University of Miami in 1975 receiving an MBA degree; and from Boston College School of Law in 1978.  He is a member of the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bar Association, the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and Massachusetts and the First Circuit Court of Appeals.  While at the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Harwood played both hockey and baseball and in 1999 became a member of the first class of inductees into the University of Pennsylvania athletic hall of fame.