Joe Rockers

Joseph P. Rockers

Partner
Joseph P. Rockers
Boston
+1 617 570 3976
Joe Rockers is co-chair of Goodwin’s Financial Services Litigation & Investigations practice and a member of the firm’s Complex Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Risk Management & Insurance groups. Mr. Rockers focuses his practice on representing major insurance carriers and private entities, including financial services, private equity, and venture capital firms, in complex business disputes, including R&W, D&O, and other complex coverage matters and litigations for insurance carriers, and post-closing, corporate governance, business torts, indemnification, class actions, restrictive covenant, and a wide range of other commercial matters for private entities. Mr. Rockers is a first chair trial attorney who has represented clients in numerous arbitrations and trials at various locations across the country.

Experience

Some of Mr. Rockers’ recent matters include defending and/or representing:

  • Numerous insurance carriers in connection with litigation, arbitration, and other coverage disputes concerning R&W insurance policies, D&O insurance policies, CGL insurance policies, and other insurance policies, including bad faith litigation;
  • Minority shareholders in breach-of-contract and breach-of-fiduciary-duty dispute that culminated in multi-week-long trial in state business court;
  • Majority shareholders in business valuation dispute that resulted in successful ruling for majority partners after two-day arbitration;
  • Public transportation company in real estate dispute that culminated in week-long trial in state land court;
  • Not-for-profit in breach-of-contract, breach-of-fiduciary duty, and 93A dispute that resulted in successful ruling for not-for-profit after week-long jury trial in state court;
  • Asset manager in breach-of-contract and business tort dispute that resulted in successful ruling for asset manager after three-day arbitration;
  • Commercial airline in breach-of-contract dispute that resulted in successful ruling for airline after week-long trial in federal court;
  • Health fitness company with facilities nationwide in partnership dispute involving claims of breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting that culminated in month-long trial in state business court;
  • Public company in theft-of-trade-secrets and breach-of-contract dispute related to the right to do business in 21 states that culminated in week-long arbitration;
  • Insurance aggregator in breach-of-contract dispute that resulted in successful ruling for aggregator after week-long arbitration;
  • Multiple clients in restrictive covenant disputes that resulted in successful rulings or resolutions for clients after preliminary injunction hearings, including clients in the insurance, technology, and healthcare industries;
  • Nuclear power company before state trial and appellate courts in action challenging application of state environmental regulations to nuclear power plant;
  • School district in breach-of-contract, fraud and RICO dispute concerning school-related construction that resulted in multi-million-dollar settlement for client;
  • Public university in investigating matters relating to compliance with Title IX; and
  • Non-profit organization in investigating matters related to allegations of fraud levied against organization’s founder.

Professional Activities

Mr. Rockers is a member of the American Bar Association.

Professional Experience

After law school, Mr. Rockers served as a law clerk to the Honorable J.L. Edmondson, then-Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

While attending law school, Mr. Rockers served as the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Law & Medicine.

Credentials

Education

JD2005

Boston University School of Law

(cum laude)

BA2001

Dartmouth College

Clerkships

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Honorable J.L. Edmondson

Admissions

Bars

  • Georgia
  • Massachusetts

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Recognition & Awards

Mr. Rockers was recognized in Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers 2021.

In 2018 and 2019, Mr. Rockers was named on Benchmark Litigation’s “Under 40 Hot List."

In 2014 and 2015, Mr. Rockers was recognized as a New England “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine.

Publications

Mr. Rockers co-authored the chapter on Joint Ventures in Thomson Reuters’ Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Courts, Fourth Edition, published in February 2017, and updated annually thereafter.

Mr. Rocker’s recent speaking engagements and publications include:

  • “Acquirer Beware: “Material Adverse Effects” in Merger Contracts and How Shifting Reimbursement Rates Impact the Healthcare Sector,” (August 2021) 
  • “Town Hall for Massachusetts Childcare and Early Education Providers,” Webinar Recording (April 2020)
  • “Recent Legal Developments in the U.S. Affecting Insurance Coverage For COVID-19 Related Losses,” (April 2020)
  • “Satisfying “Commercially Reasonable Efforts” / “Best Efforts” Clauses in Today’s Environment,” (March 2020)
  • “COVID-19: Business Interruption and Insurance Amid a Pandemic,” (March 2020)