NEW HIRES
Alison Tozier joined Taylor, McCormack and Frame LLC to practice in the areas of civil and criminal litigation, labor and business law, landlord/tenant disputes and family law.
Tozier, a Falmouth High School graduate, graduated from the University of Maine School of Law. She is licensed to practice in Maine and Massachusetts.

Portland law firm Murray Plumb & Murray has hired attorney Amy Phalon to focus on special education matters.
Phalon, of York, previously worked as an attorney at Gibbons Stevens Law Office in Kittery, specializing in special education law, estate planning, family member guardianship, and real estate and land use law.

Pierce Atwood added two people to its government relations team: Elizabeth Frazier, a recent graduate of the UMaine School of Law, is the firm’s newest associate, and Megan Sanborn, who has worked in Maine politics for eight years, joins the firm as a government relations specialist.

Frazier will be advocating on behalf of Pierce Atwood clients in Maine’s Legislature and regulatory agencies. She previously she served as Rep. Chellie Pingree’s scheduler and executive assistant until 2012 when she returned to Maine to pursue her law degree.

 

PROMOTIONS

John Aromando, a firm litigation partner at Pierce Atwood, was named litigation practice group chair.
Aromando succeeds David Barry, who will become the firm’s managing partner. He has been a partner since 1993 and a trial lawyer for more than 30 years. His practice focuses on defending businesses and individuals in complex litigation, for clients in industries as diverse as financial services, energy, pulp and paper, manufacturing, insurance and professional services.

 

AWARDS and RECOGNITION
The Berman & Simmons law firm was recently selected as a Tier 1 law firm for its core practice areas, the highest possible achievement, in rankings announced by U.S. News – Best Lawyers.
The firm received Tier 1 rankings in commercial litigation, medical malpractice law for plaintiffs, and personal injury litigation for plaintiffs. Berman & Simmons has been featured in the directory since 2010.

New England Super Lawyers also selected 11 Berman & Simmons attorneys for its 2015 directory.
Attorneys Craig Bramley, Benjamin Gideon, Daniel Kagan, Jodi Nofsinger, Steven Silin, Jack Simmons and Julian Sweet were recognized for excellence in representing clients in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Attorneys Travis Brennan, Alicia Curtis, Susan Faunce, and Timothy Kenlan were recognized as Rising Stars.

The firm of Skelton Taintor & Abbott received a Tier 1 ranking for the Portland metropolitan region in the U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers 2016 “Best Law Firms” rankings.
The practice areas are insurance law, labor law/union, litigation/tax, product liability litigation/defendants, tax law and trusts and estates.
Eight lawyers from the firm were also named to The Best Lawyers in America: Jill Checkoway, Bryan Dench, Ronald Lebel, Michael Poulin, Norman Rattey, Alan Stone, Stephen Wade and Rebecca Webber.

Jacqueline Moss and Beth Valentine were named fellows at the first legal incubator in the state of Maine, the Maine Community Law Center, founded by Elizabeth Stout, an established family law practitioner.

Moss will focus her efforts on family, elder and education law. Valentine will focus on food, environmental, estate planning and elder law.
For more information about the program, go to www.mainecommunitylaw.org.

Attorneys Tom Douglas and Anne Schools, partners at Douglas McDaniel Campo and Schools, were recognized by New England Super Lawyers as top attorneys in Maine.
Douglas was selected as a Super Lawyer for business litigation. Schools was named Rising Star for family law by the industry publication.

The Westbrook law firm also hired Kristen Dorion, a 2015 Maine Law School graduate. During school, Dorion worked for the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project as a family law advocate and for the Cumberland County District Attorney as a student prosecutor. She will practice personal injury law, family law and criminal law.

Attorney Ben Leoni, of Curtis Thaxter, was named a 2015 Rising Star in the area of general litigation by New England Super Lawyers, and Stephanie Albert was recognized as a Rising Star in the area of Real Estate. Attorney John Gleason of Curtis Thaxter was once again recognized by New England Super Lawyers in the area of Health Care.

The Maine State Bar Association Board of Governors named the second annual class of its Leadership Academy.
Members of the class of 2016 include: Alexander Chaiken of Portland; Katherine Griffin of Portland; Robert Hayes of Portland; Scott Lever of Augusta; Matthew Libby of Portland; Andrew Mason of Augusta; Shannon Merrill of Portland; James Mundy of South Berwick; Tina Nadeau of Portland; Taylor Neff of Portland; and Joshua Randlett of Bangor.

Michael Poulin, a shareholder at Skelton Taintor & Abbott, was recognized by U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers.
Poulin’s practice focuses on corporate and business, healthcare and hospital law, employment law and labor law.

 

Shareholder Norman Rattey also made the 2016 Best Lawyers in America list.
Rattey’s practice areas include a diverse range of transactional and litigation services. He represents buyers, sellers and lenders in commercial and residential real estate transactions.

 

Alan Stone, a shareholder and former trial practice group leader, made the list again. Stone’s practice areas include energy and public utility law, administrative law, personal injury and general civil and criminal litigation.

Peter Schroeter was named president of the Maine Association of Mediators.
Schroeter, of Shaheen & Gordon, has an AV pre-eminent peer review rating in ADR from Martindale-Hubbell. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in America in Mediation since 2009 and selected to the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Eileen M.L. Epstein and Dennis J. O’Donovan, partners at Epstein and O’Donovan LLP, were named to the 2016 Lawyers of the Year list. They were recognized for trusts and estates law. O’Donovan was also listed for litigation in trusts and estates.