Martha C. Gaythwaite

Martha is an accomplished trial attorney committed to success on behalf of her clients, and an ardent supporter of the civil jury system.

Martha has spent the bulk of her professional career representing clients before juries. At last count, Martha had tried more than 150 civil jury trial cases to verdict. Over the years, Martha has handled a wide variety of complex commercial matters throughout the country, including product liability cases arising from aviation, agricultural and workplace accidents, and medical devices.

In addition to handling jury trials, Martha has decades of experience handling non-jury and administrative matters. Although the focus of her trial work has involved product liability and commercial litigation, Martha has developed a dedicated interest in environmental law, which started when she worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before becoming a lawyer.

Services/Industries

• Litigation & Trial
• Environmental & Land Use
• Business & Commercial Disputes
• Product Liability, Toxic Torts, & Personal Injury Defense
• Appellate

Education

• Suffolk University Law School (J.D., cum laude)
  • Member, Suffolk University Law Review
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst (B.A., cum laude)

Public Service

• Lawyer’s Fund for Client Protection, Chair (2023-Present), Trustee and Secretary (2011-2014); Trustee (2017-Present)
• Grievance Commission Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar (2007-2009); Panel Chair (2009-2012)
• Fee Arbitration Commission, Panel Member (1997-2011); Panel Chair (2001-2003)
• Board Member, My Place Teen Center (2014-Present)
• Board Member, Volunteer Lawyers Project (2024-present)

Bar Admissions

• Massachusetts
• Maine
• Connecticut

Court and Other Admissions

• U.S. District Court for the District of Maine
• U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Memberships

• Defense Research Institute
• Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC)
• Maine State Bar Association
• Maine Trial Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association
• American Board of Trial Advocates

Honors

• Recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business under Litigation: General Commercial
• Named The Best Lawyers in America^® Litigation – Insurance “Lawyer of the Year” in Portland, Maine (2021, 2024, 2026)
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® for Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Health Care, Litigation – Insurance, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, and Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants in Portland, Maine
• Named The Best Lawyers in America^® Product Liability Litigation – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in Portland, Maine (2023)
• Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
• Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
• AV^® rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Named a Local Litigation Star for Aviation, Environmental, Mass Tort/Product Liability, Product Liability, and Shipping & Maritime by Benchmark Litigation
• Named as one of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” by Benchmark Litigation (2014-2021)
• Named The Best Lawyers in America^® Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in Portland, Maine (2019)
• Named The Best Lawyers in America^® Product Liability Litigation – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” in Portland, Maine (2018)
• Selected by peers for inclusion in New England Super Lawyers under Personal Injury – Products: Defense, Professional Liability: Defense, Personal Injury – General: Defense
• Katahdin Counsel Recognition for pro bono efforts

Learn more about the third-party ratings, rankings, and selection processes used for inclusion.

Clerkships

• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Hon. George Carr
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Hon. Thomas G. Wilson
• Massachusetts Superior Court, Middlesex County, Hon. James J. Nixon