On March 22, 2019, Sheehey Attorney Ian Carleton received the 2019 Pro Bono Service Award at the Vermont Bar Association’s mid-year meeting at Lake Morey Resort.

Judge Nancy Waples nominated Ian and cited his work as a Guardian Ad Litem as well as his extensive pro bono work representing clients in federal criminal defense cases. 

Ian joined the firm in 2003 and is a principal of the firm.  He regularly represents corporate and individual clients in civil and criminal matters in both state and federal court.  

This is the second time a Sheehey attorney has been received the Pro Bono Service award by the Vermont Bar Association in the past three years.  In 2016, the Vermont Bar Association recognized Kevin A. Lumpkin for his participation in a pro bono clinic sponsored by the civil division of the Chittenden Superior Court.

The firm is pleased to announce that Mary G. Bouchard has been hired as an associate attorney effective January 1, 2019.

Mary was admitted to the Vermont Bar in 2018 after completing Vermont’s Law Office Study Program. Mary has been working at Sheehey since 2010, most recently as a paralegal. She has a wide range of experience within the firm’s energy, litigation, business services and employment practice areas.  Mary was recently named Secretary of the Women’s Division of the Vermont Bar Association.  Prior to joining the firm, Mary worked as a paralegal, a research assistant, and in the Buffalo, New York Court Clerk’s office.

The firm is pleased to announce that Justin A. Brown has become a Principal and Director of the firm effective January 1, 2019.

Justin joined the firm in July of 2016.  His practice focuses on complex civil litigation, serving both businesses and individuals, as well as internal and government investigations.  Prior to joining the firm, Justin worked as an attorney at the Boston office of a global law firm.  In 2018, Super Lawyers magazine named Justin to its list of Rising Stars in New England for his work in Business Litigation. Justin serves on the board of Green Up Vermont and is a graduate of Vermont Law School (J.D. and Master’s of Environmental Law and Policy) and Tufts University (B.A.).

On October 4, 2018 Sheehey attorney’s Arline Duffy, Heather Ross, and Walter McCarthy presented a free Employment Law Seminar designed for business owners and HR professionals at Hotel Vermont.

Topics included an update on recent state legislative changes, with a focus on the impact of marijuana legalization, continuing challenges posed by the paid sick leave law, and limitations on wage and salary discussions in the workplace.  Sexual harassment in the workplace in light of the “me too movement” was also covered as well as practical tips and insights on how to successfully document interactions with employees.

Sheehey attorney Mark E. Melendy will speak at the National Business Institute’s Estate Planning from A to Z seminar.  This 2-day course will be held November 29^th and 30^th at the Hilton Burlington.   This course is designed for attorneys, estate and financial planners, trust officers, paralegals, accountants and tax professionals.

Mark’s practice at the firm focuses on estate planning, business succession planning, estate administration and tax planning.  Mark was a member of the joint bar and banking committee charged with preparing the Vermont Trust Code for legislative approval.

For more information on this seminar click here.

On November 28, 2018, Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C., Estate Planning Attorney, Daphne Moritz, will present a national teleconference on Inherited IRAs and Estate Planning through the National Business Institute. This teleconference is designed for attorneys and also benefits accountants, CPAs, trust officers, and paralegals seeking to increase their knowledge of IRA rules and trusts. The conference will focus on IRA rollovers and minimum distribution rules to help clients maximize the benefits of inherited IRAs after the Supreme Court’s 2014 Clark v. Rameker decision. Topics include clarifying required minimum distribution rules and the best ways to comply; determining whether an IRA trust is a wise choice for your clients; and how to resolve multiple beneficiary challenges.

To register click here: https://www.nbi-sems.com/ProductDetails/81367ER?ctname=SPKEM

Sheehey Furlong & Behm, is pleased to announce that attorneys Lewis K. Sussman and Alexandrea L. Nelson have recently joined the firm.

Lewis K. Sussman brings more than 40 years of experience as a real estate and estate planning attorney.  Prior to joining the firm, Lewie practiced at the law firm of Pierson Wadhams Quinn Yates & Coffrin, LLP for many years. Lewie’s practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions, estate planning and administration, and general corporate work.  He is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Real Estate Law.  Lewie is admitted to practice in Vermont and the United States District Court for the District of Vermont. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law.

Alexandrea L. Nelson has joined the firm as an associate attorney.  Prior to joining the firm, Alex served as a federal court judicial law clerk for three years.  First, she served as a law clerk to District Judge Dee V. Benson in the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Next, she clerked for Magistrate Judge Paul M. Warner, also in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.  Most recently, she clerked for Judge Peter W. Hall in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.  Her practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation. Alex graduated first in her class and Order of the Coif from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law.  She served as the managing editor of the Utah Law Review and a member of the SJQ Corporate Transactional Law Team.

On October 18, 2018, Sheehey attorney Kevin A. Lumpkin moderated a panel at the Vermont Bar Association’s Pro Bono Conference at the Vermont State House in Montpelier called “Landlord Tenant 101.” Kevin presented along with three other Vermont attorneys, addressing common topics that arise in landlord-tenant law with an emphasis on pro bono representation.  In 2016, Kevin won the Vermont Bar Association’s Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award for his work representing clients at a legal clinic at the Chittenden Superior Court.  Since 2016, Kevin has served on the Vermont Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee.

Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C. is pleased to announce that The Best Lawyers in America named five Sheehey attorneys to its 2019 Best Lawyers in America list.

Diane M. McCarthy has been recognized by Best Lawyers® for her work in Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, and Real Estate Law.  Diane has been with the firm since 1997 and is a principal of the firm.  She advises and represents clients in commercial real estate matters, including purchase and sale, leasing, and other real estate-related matters. Diane also advises clients in connection with business matters, including the formation, dissolution, purchase, and sale of Vermont business enterprises.  Diane has been involved in numerous merger and acquisition transactions in Vermont over the past several years.

Craig S. Nolan has been recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in White-Collar Criminal Defense.  Craig is a principal of the firm and focuses on complex civil litigation, white collar and serious felony criminal defense, and internal investigations. As part of his litigation practice, Craig defends health care entities and professionals in malpractice actions and before administrative bodies, and represents businesses in employment actions. Craig has tried more than twenty-five cases to juries in the federal and state courts of Vermont, and he regularly appears before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Vermont Supreme Court.  Prior to joining the firm, Craig served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Burlington and Rutland, Vermont.

R. Jeffrey Behm has been recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in Commercial Litigation, General Practice Criminal Defense, and White-Collar Criminal Defense. Jeff is a principal of the firm and focuses on litigation. He joined the firm in 1990 after serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington, D.C. and Vermont and as a trial attorney in the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition. Jeff has tried more than one hundred jury trials and has handled numerous appeals in both state and federal courts.

Michael G. Furlong has been recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law.  Michael joined the firm in 1983 and is a principal of the firm. His practice focuses on business and transactional matters. He provides general representation to a variety of Vermont-based and regional business enterprises. His clients include financial institutions, health care providers, real estate development firms and technology ventures. He represents and advises clients in connection with business organization, mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, the purchase, sale, development and leasing of commercial real estate, and other business-related matters.

James W. Spink has been recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in Arbitration, Mediation, and Personal Injury Litigation on behalf of both Defendants and Plaintiffs.  Jim joined the firm in 2011 and is a principal of the firm.  Jim is a seasoned trial attorney with 35 years of experience, and he has tried over 125 cases to verdict. Although he maintains an active litigation practice, much of Jim’s current professional activity is devoted to mediations and arbitrations. He has performed over 3,000 mediations, early neutral evaluations, and evidentiary hearings at arbitration over the years.

Best Lawyers is regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence and selections are based solely on peer review. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

About Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C.

With offices in Burlington, VT and Woodstock, VT, Sheehey has been solving complex legal problems for Vermont, regional and national businesses and individuals for over 90 years. Sheehey provides a full range of legal services within a variety of practice areas, including corporate services/mergers and acquisitions, employment, litigation, real estate, banking and financial services, health care, energy, mediation, arbitration and estate planning. For more information about Sheehey Furlong & Behm P.C. visit www.sheeheyvt.com.

The employment practice group at Sheehey Furlong & Behm will host a free employment law seminar for clients and prospective clients on October 4^th beginning at 1:30pm at Hotel Vermont in Burlington.  This three hour seminar is designed for business owners and HR professionals and will include an update on recent state legislative changes, with a focus on the impact of marijuana legalization, continuing challenges posed by the paid sick leave law, and limitations on wage and salary discussions in the workplace.  We will review sexual harassment in the workplace in light of the “me too movement”.  Additionally, we will offer practical tips and insights for dealing with perennial employee relations challenges, such as when to use an employment contract and how to successfully document interactions with employees.  The afternoon will conclude with a cocktail reception.

Formal invitations will be sent the week of September 3^rd and will include additional seminar details.  Contact Jamie Martell at [email protected] to request an invitation.