Former Vermont Legislator Janssen Willhoit of St. Johnsbury joins Allan Sullivan of Dorset in forming a new Vermont-based Civil Litigation and Criminal Defense Law Firm. Sullivan, principal in the Manchester-based law firm Sullivan PLLC and Willhoit, founder of Willhoit Criminal Defense, announced that effective today they are merging their practices to operate under the name Sullivan Willhoit PLLC. Their new law firm will also provide an array of business-related legal services and meet the family law and wills and estate needs of its clients.
Sullivan, 64, is the spouse of Vermont State Representative Linda Joy Sullivan of Dorset. He served from 2015 to 2017 as General Counsel at Vermont’s Agency of Human Services, after having spent over 30 years in the practice of law, to include as a former federal prosecutor for a dozen years and as a white-collar and commercial litigator at two AM LAW 50 law firms.
Willhoit, 42, before returning full time to private practice in 2018, served two-terms in the Vermont General Assembly representing Saint Johnsbury. His prior firm focused primarily of providing criminal defense and family law services in both Windham and Caledonia counties. In 2018, Willhoit was also the Vermont Republican Party nominee for Attorney General.
Having offices in Manchester, Brattleboro and Saint Johnsbury, their new firm will bring together their existing practices so as to better able to serve Vermonters -- as well as their families and businesses -- throughout the State.
Said Sullivan, “Janssen and I bring different legal experiences to the table. We decided to join forces based in part on the friendship we formed while Janssen was serving in the legislature.”
Continued Sullivan, “The real driver, though, was that, after we compared notes this past year about our respective practices, we realized that this merger would allow us to better serve our respective clients around the state and to take advantage of the unique expertise we each have developed over our careers.”
Willhoit noted in particular the shared commitment the two have to public service, “We have both served in leadership positions in government and with not for profit organizations, and we each individually have worked in recent years to help our criminal justice system meet the needs of indigent defendants in both the state and federal courts.”
Willhoit continued, “We both realized that, by this merger, we could expand our reach geographically to provide our clients a wider compliment of skills and legal expertise. Beyond that, we both share a strong commitment to protecting the public well-being of those in need in our communities. That certainly contributed significantly to our decision to join forces.”
Both Sullivan and Willhoit have substantial trial and appellate experience. In addition to handling criminal defense matters and civil litigation, however, the new firm plans to serve businesses around the state providing a level of professional services normally reserved for companies located in Chittenden County. Those services will include facilitating the formation of new businesses, helping with business registrations and licensing as well as providing internal governance assistance to businesses faced with regulatory challenges, audits and investigations. In addition, they are able to assist clients needing help around zoning and Act 250 land use controversies.
Added Sullivan, “In addition to his criminal practice, Janssen practices in family law. Beyond able to handle matrimonial and custody disputes, he has helped families with their wills, trusts and estate planning needs for years. We’re going to be able to bring his expertise to clients I have served on this side of Vermont. Indeed,” said Sullivan, “the recently expanded virtual technologies around our litigation practices that are now largely available to the Vermont judiciary present us an opportunity to serve clients we might not have been able easily to represent before the pandemic.”
The lawyers at the firm are admitted variously in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York and Florida, permitting a regional and cross border practice to those clients needing such help. The firm will maintain existing accommodation offices now maintained in New York City and Miami, Florida.
A more complete description of the firm and of the prior experience of its two founding partners can be found at our website: Our Founders and In the Public Interest