Three attorneys at the northern New England law firm Downs Rachlin Martin (DRM) PLLC have been selected for the first time for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America and Managing Partner Paul H Ode Jr was named Lawyer of the Year in Corporate Law for the Burlington market area. The new listings, which are based primarily on peer review, include 22 attorneys from across the firm. They were announced today.
Attorneys William C Dodge, R Prescott Jaunich and Christopher D Roy were selected for the first time. All of them practice in the Burlington Office. Dodge was recognized in the area of real estate law. Jaunich was chosen in land use and zoning and real estate law, and Roy was recognized as a litigator in land use, zoning and real estate law.
Three DRM attorneys have been repeatedly recognized by Best Lawyers for more than 25 years. They are Robert D Rachlin, a litigator in Burlington, James G “Jake” Wheeler, who practices corporate law, real estate law and trusts and estates in St Johnsbury, and John H Marshall, who works in energy law and environmental law in St Johnsbury.
Other Burlington-based DRM lawyers and the practice areas for which they are recognized in Best Lawyers are Andre D Bouffard, bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights / insolvency and reorganization law, commercial litigation, and litigation – bankruptcy; Marc B Heath, commercial litigation, and litigation – construction; Peter B Kunin, copyright law, intellectual property litigation and trademark law; Robert B Luce, commercial litigation and personal injury litigation – plaintiffs; Johan W E Maitland, employment law – management and labor law – management; Lawrence H Meier, litigation – patent, patent law, copyright law and trademark law; Thomas H Moody, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions law, and venture capital law; Paul H Ode, Jr, corporate law and mergers and acquisitions law; and Wm Roger Prescott, litigation and controversy – tax, and tax law.
Best Lawyers also recognized Brattleboro attorneys Timothy E Copeland, employment law – management, labor law – management and litigation – labor and employment; and Peter B Robb, employment law – management, and labor law – management. Since the research was conducted, Robb has left the firm to join the National Labor Relations Board.
In the Lebanon area the peer review organization recognized Thomas C Csatari, litigation – trusts and estates, and trust and estate law; Willemien Dingemans Miller, trusts and estates law, and Peter D VanOot, environmental, land use and zoning law.
Montpelier-based lawyer John H Hollar was recognized for administrative/regulatory law and for his government relations practice.
Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer review evaluation. More than 83,000 leading attorneys globally are eligible to vote, and the organization received more than 13 million votes to date on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. For the 2018 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, 7.3 million votes were analyzed, which resulted in almost 55,000 leading lawyers being included in the new edition. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."
Operating on the fundamental belief that anything is possible when imagination and pragmatism live side by side, the 60-plus attorneys of Downs Rachlin Martin apply creativity, connections and experience to solve the toughest legal problems. DRM represents regional, national and international entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, technology businesses and Fortune 100 companies. The legal services provided by the firm include bankruptcy and business restructuring, general business, captive insurance, renewable energy and telecommunications, health law, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, real estate and land use, environmental, tax, and trusts and estates, plus legislative and regulatory services through the firm’s Government and Public Affairs group. DRM is the exclusive member firm in Vermont for Lex Mundi – the world’s leading network of independent law firms with in-depth experience in more than 100 countries worldwide.