Sheehey Attorney Celebrates 35 Years

Sheehey Furlong & Behm is proud to honor firm principal Diane M. McCarthy on her 35th anniversary with the firm. Diane joined Sheehey as a paralegal in 1989. She then completed the Vermont Law Office Study Program, including a four-year clerkship under the tutelage of former firm principal Michael G. Furlong. Remembering his time as Diane’s mentor and beyond, Furlong commented, “It was my great privilege to work with Diane McCarthy for so many years — her start as a Sheehey paralegal, becoming a lawyer following the great Vermont tradition of reading law, and her growth into one of the most respected business lawyers in the State. Throughout, Diane has been a star and I could not be more pleased to recognize her many accomplishments.”

Diane passed the bar and joined the firm’s Real Estate team in 1997, becoming a principal of the firm in 2007. Over the course of her storied career at Sheehey, Diane has counseled clients in hundreds if not thousands of complex real estate, development, financing, and corporate transactions. Diane is always available to her clients, and is known for being extremely thorough, with an unparalleled focus and dedication to protecting her clients’ interests. In addition to growing a diverse practice, Diane served as the firm’s managing partner from 2011 until 2014 and leads the firm’s Transactional Team, encompassing both real estate and corporate services. Diane has been acknowledged for her work by The Best Lawyers In America, including being recognized as the 2024 Burlington Lawyer of the Year for Banking and Finance Law. She has also been recognized by New England Super Lawyers since 2020. In addition to her work with clients, Diane is a member of the Vermont Business Roundtable.

Firm principal Arline Duffy said of her colleague and friend, “I have known Diane McCarthy for over forty-five years, and she is the reason I joined this firm 15 years ago. She has been a tremendous mentor in all areas of transactional law and a role model in her dedication to providing our clients the highest quality legal work. Her leadership and commitment to the firm along with her creative problem-solving skills and deep legal knowledge exemplify what it means to be a lawyer at Sheehey. All of us at the firm are deeply grateful to have a colleague like Diane, and wish her the very best on this special anniversary.”

Sheehey Attorney Celebrates 15 Years

Sheehey Furlong & Behm would like to thank and celebrate firm principal Arline P. Duffy on her 15-year anniversary with the firm. Arline joined Sheehey in January 2009, and became a principal of the firm in 2016. Arline has curated a diverse practice serving business and non-profit clients in corporate, intellectual property, and employment matters, financial institutions on regulatory compliance, and homeowners’ associations on governance, collection and other matters. She is also a member of the firm’s estate planning team.
Firm principal Diane McCarthy praised Arline on this occasion, stating: “It has been a pleasure to work with Arline all of these 15 years. Her intellect, sense of fairness, and problem-solving skills have served our clients well. As a colleague and friend, I continue to be grateful that Arline joined Sheehey after relocating back to Vermont many years ago and appreciate all that she has done and continues to do for her clients, colleagues and community.”
In addition to Arline’s practice serving outside clients of the firm, she was recently elected as Sheehey’s in-house General Counsel. Sheehey Managing Partner Renee Mobbs commented: “I rely on Arline’s ability to issue-spot and identify and navigate risk, as I’m sure her clients do as well. I look forward to many more years working with Arline.” Arline has been recognized by the Best Lawyers in America for her work in Business Organizations Law and is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Mercy Connections, Inc. Sheehey would like to extend its gratitude to Arline for her 15 years of service, and congratulations on this noteworthy milestone.

 

Sheehey Elects New Managing Partner and General Counsel

Renee L. Mobbs, Managing Partner

Effective January 1, 2024, Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C. has elected Renee Mobbs as Managing Partner and Arline Duffy as General Counsel of the firm. Renee will replace Ian Carleton, who will continue leading the firm’s robust litigation team.

Carleton noted, “It is with pleasure and gratitude that I pass the management baton over to my colleague and friend, Renee Mobbs.  Running a firm our size is not an easy task.  Given her background in business and organizational law, not to mention her excellent judgment and steady hand, I have no doubt Renee will do a superb job.  We are very lucky to have her at the helm.”

Mobbs joined the firm in January 2016, working primarily in Sheehey’s transactional practice group, and was elected as a director and shareholder of the firm in 2018. Renee’s practice includes counseling financial institutions, business and property owners, developers and homeowners’ associations in their daily operational concerns, as well as in commercial litigation and transactional matters. She is a past President of the Vermont Bar Foundation.

“I am honored by my partners’ trust and support in electing me to this role. With the help of our highly skilled operations and management team, including our new General Counsel, I am committed to building on Sheehey’s reputation as the best business law firm in the state, and to serving and supporting each and every person in our firm as we strive to exceed our clients’ expectations. I also want to thank Ian Carleton for his service in this role in 2023—but as one of the best (and busiest) litigators in the state, I am happy to see him return to his thriving practice full-time, much to the benefit of our clients and the firm.

Arline P. Duffy, General Counsel

Arline Duffy, the firm’s new General Counsel, joined the firm in 2009. Arline’s diverse practice includes assisting business and non-profit clients in corporate and employment matters, counseling financial institutions on regulatory compliance, and advising many homeowners’ associations. She is also a member of the firm’s estate planning team. Arline is currently the Chair of the Board of Mercy Connections, Inc.

Please join Sheehey in congratulating Renee and Arline on their new roles.