The late Laura Roberts of Putney was posthumously awarded Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC’s Diane R. Lynch Distinguished Service Award at the law firm’s holiday party. Roberts, who passed away in May, was an administrative assistant in DRM’s Brattleboro office for seven years.
Established in 2000 to honor the memory of Lynch, a long time and highly valued employee, the award is given each year to a former or current employee who has demonstrated loyalty, dedication, energy, drive, selflessness, good nature, humor and commitment. The award recognized Roberts for her knowledge and guidance through complex legal matters, along with her organization, dedication and pride in supporting the DRM Labor and Employment Group.
“Laura gave 110 percent to everything she did, whether during regular business hours, on the weekends, or even postponing family vacations to help her group in a crunch,” said Peter Robb, a director at the firm. “ At DRM, she guided her attorneys through hundreds of pages of briefs, and constant challenges. Keeping Tim Copeland, Jim Walker and me on track was a feat worthy of only the greatest magician. She is sorely missed.”
Roberts graduated from the Katharine Gibbs School in Norwalk, Conn., American University in Washington, D.C. and Kennesaw State College in Georgia. She began her career at Melzer & Livolsi in Stamford as an administrative assistant and gained more than fifteen years of administrative experience working with senior executives in Fortune 500 companies, including HJ Heinz and General Electric Capital Services. She joined DRM in 2006.
To further honor her memory, DRM has established a college savings trust fund for the future educational needs of Roberts’ daughter, Jessica, who is now 12. For others in the community who would like to contribute, donations can be made out to College America, reference the Roberts Trust and sent to attorney Tom Csatari, at P.O. Box 191 in Lebanon, NH 03766-0191.
Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC is a full-service law firm with more than 60 attorneys and six offices in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. DRM provides legal services to local, national and international clients in practice areas that include bankruptcy and business restructuring, business law, captive insurance, energy and telecommunications, health law, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, real estate and land use, environmental law, tax law and trusts and estates. The firm represents clients in legislative, regulatory and public affairs through the 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 throughout the United States and in more than 100 countries worldwide.