Exhibit 5.2

[Goodwin Procter LLP Letterhead]

October 1, 2020

Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.

23 Broad Street

Westerly, RI 02891

Re: Securities Being Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-3

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”) filed as of the date hereof with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration of (i) common stock, par value $0.0625 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a Rhode Island corporation (the “Company”), (ii) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”), (iii) warrants to purchase Common Stock, Debt Securities, or Units (the “Warrants”), and (iv) units representing a combination of any of the foregoing (the “Units”). The Common Stock, Debt Securities, Warrants, and Units are sometimes referred to collectively herein as the “Securities.” Securities may be issued in an unspecified number (with respect to Common Stock, Warrants, and Units) or in an unspecified principal amount (with respect to Debt Securities). The Registration Statement provides that the Securities may be offered separately, together or as units, in separate classes or series, in amounts, at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more prospectus supplements to the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement.

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions set forth below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinions set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

The opinions set forth below are limited to the law of New York and the federal law of the United States. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, we express no opinion with respect to (i) state securities or “blue sky” laws, or (ii) state or federal antitrust laws.

For purposes of the opinions set forth below, without limiting any other exceptions or qualifications set forth herein, we have assumed that each of the Debt Securities, Warrants, and Units, and the indentures, warrant agreements, unit agreements and other agreements governing Securities offered pursuant to the Registration Statement will be governed by the internal law of New York.

For purposes of the opinions set forth below, we refer to the following as the “Future Authorization and Issuance” of the Debt Securities, Warrants, and Units:

•with respect to any of the Debt Securities, Warrants, and Units, (a) the authorization by the Company of the amount, terms and issuance of such securities (the “Authorization”) and (b) the issuance of such securities in accordance with the Authorization therefor upon the receipt by the Company of the consideration to be paid therefor in accordance with the Authorization;

•with respect to the Debt Securities, (a) the authorization, execution and delivery of the indenture or a supplemental indenture relating to such securities by each of the Company and the trustee thereunder and/or (b) the establishment of the terms of such securities by the Company in conformity with the applicable indenture or supplemental indenture and applicable law, and (c)

the execution, authentication and issuance of such securities in accordance with the applicable indenture or supplemental indenture and applicable law; and

•with respect to the Warrants, or Units, (a) the authorization, execution and delivery by the Company and the other parties thereto of any agreement under which such securities are to be issued and (b) the establishment of the terms of such securities, and (c) the issuance of such securities, in conformity with those terms, the terms of any applicable agreement and applicable law.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the additional qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:

1.Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of Debt Securities, such Debt Securities will be valid and binding obligations of the Company.

2.Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of Warrants, such Warrants will be valid and binding obligations of the Company.

3.Upon the Future Authorization and Issuance of Units, such Units will be valid and binding obligations of the Company.

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following additional qualifications:

(i) The opinions expressed above are subject to and limited by the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and to general principles of equity.

(ii) We express no opinion with respect to any provision of any documents setting forth terms relating to the Debt Securities, Warrants, or Units (collectively, the “Subject Documents”) relating to: (a) non-reliance, exculpation, disclaimer, limitation of liability, indemnification, contribution, waiver, limitation or exclusion of remedies; (b) liquidated damages, forfeitures, default interest, late charges, make-whole premiums, payment of attorneys’ fees, collection upon acceleration of amounts that might be determined to constitute unearned interest thereon, or other economic remedies, in each case to the extent it constitutes a penalty or is prohibited by law; (c) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith, fair dealing or unconscionability; (d) governing law (except for the enforceability of any provision choosing New York law as a Subject Document’s governing law pursuant to the statutes referred to in paragraph (iii) below); (e) the waiver of the right to trial by jury or of usury, stay, extension and similar laws; (f) rights or remedies not being exclusive, not preventing the concurrent assertion of any other right or remedy, being cumulative and exercisable in addition to any other right and remedy, or any delay or omission to exercise any right or remedy not impairing any right or remedy or not constituting a waiver thereof; (g) any obligation or agreement to use best efforts, reasonable best efforts or commercially reasonable efforts; (h) any requirement that a party take further action or enter into further agreements or instruments or provide further assurances; (i) any requirement that amendments or waivers be in writing insofar as they suggest that oral or other modifications, amendments or waivers could not be effectively agreed upon by the parties or that the doctrine of promissory estoppel might not apply; (j) service of process by any method not provided for under applicable statute or court rule; and (k) the severability of any provisions to the foregoing effect to the extent such provisions are unenforceable.

(iii) To the extent that the opinions set forth above relate to the enforceability of the choice of New York law, selection of a New York forum or exclusive jurisdiction provisions in any of the Subject Documents, such opinion is rendered solely in reliance upon N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §§ 5-1401, 5-1402 (McKinney 2010) and N.Y. CPLR 327(b) (McKinney 2010) and is subject to the qualifications that such enforceability may be limited by public policy or other considerations of any jurisdiction, other than the State of New York, in which enforcement of such provisions, or of a judgment upon an agreement containing such provisions, is sought and by constitutional limitations. With respect to waiving any objection to venue, our opinion is qualified in its entirety by N.Y. CPLR 510 (McKinney 2010). We call to your attention that courts of the State of New York, or federal courts of the United States of America located in New York, could decline to hear a case on grounds of forum non conveniens or similar doctrines limiting the availability of such courts as a forum for the resolution of disputes, irrespective of any agreement between the parties concerning jurisdiction. We express no opinion as to (a) any waiver of objections based on inconvenient forum or (b) venue or the subject matter jurisdiction of the federal courts of the United States.

(iv) Our opinions set forth above do not cover, without limitation, the following: the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, and the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, including all implementing regulations thereunder; banking, tax, antitrust, trade regulation, anti-fraud or unfair competition laws; any laws, rules, regulations or orders concerning declared emergencies in connection with COVID-19; insolvency or fraudulent transfer; compliance with fiduciary duty requirements; pension or employee benefits; environmental or energy laws; Financial Industry Regulatory rules; stock exchange rules; consumer protection laws; utilities laws; foreign trade, national security, anti-terrorism, anti-money laundering laws; laws regulating derivatives, investment and brokerage services; or other laws customarily understood to be excluded even though they are not expressly stated to be excluded, except to the extent expressly covered.

This opinion letter and the opinions it contains shall be interpreted in accordance with the Core Opinion Principles as published in 74 Business Lawyer 815 (Summer 2019).

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Goodwin Procter LLP

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP