Blog Posts

        Category: Workers' Compensation
        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on April 8, 2022

        I just read a wonderful resource for anyone who has dealings with any aspect of workers’ compensation law. “Workers’ Compensation Emerging...

        by Elizabeth T. Johnston on January 5, 2022

        On Monday, Portland City Councilors took two significant actions that affect employers in Portland, Maine. First, the Council repealed an emergency...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on December 9, 2021

          In 2021, due to the ongoing pandemic, the Employment & Labor Group hosted their monthly Annual Update seminars virtually this...

        August 7, 2021

        On Saturday, August 7, Tawny Alvarez, Verrill attorney and co-host of HR Power Hour, interviewed fellow Verrill attorney Elizabeth Smith for this...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on November 9, 2020

        Join the National Workers' Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN) and the WorkersCompensation.com Center for Education Excellence for a live virtual...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on March 12, 2020

        While we know that everyone is being bombarded with COVID-19 recommendations, advice, news and data, one area that appears to have been overlooked is...

        June 24, 2019

        Governor Mills has signed into law amendments to the existing Workers' Compensation Act that are the product of a bipartisan effort to avoid a series...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on June 11, 2019

        On June 26, 8:00-9:30 AM, we are hosting 'What Maine Employers Need To Know About Changes In Personnel Practices Following This Legislative Session'...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on January 22, 2019

        After a year full of changes for employers paired with a new governor in Maine, Verrill Dana will reflect on recent legal developments in labor and...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on December 10, 2018

        As every New Englander knows, during this time of year the roads get frosty and even short trips become trickier. Even the most responsible employer...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on June 26, 2018

        This time last year, Verrill Dana Labor & Employment Attorney Elizabeth Connellan Smith discussed the anticipated decision in the Bourgoin v....

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on March 23, 2018

        On Thursday, March 22, 2018, Attorney Beth Smith attended the morning session of the National Council of Compensation Insurance (NCCI) State Advisory...

        December 29, 2017

        In case you missed it, labor and employment attorneys Benjamin Ford and Tawny Alvarez were live on air in the Newsradio WGAN studio on the morning of...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on December 14, 2017

        Anyone who is even half-paying attention to the news has been reminded that, despite years of open discussion and training around the issue of...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on June 21, 2017

        Verrill Dana Labor & Employment attorney Beth Smith discusses the anticipated decision in Bourgoin v. Twin Rivers Paper Company that should...

        May 24, 2017

        The so-called "blue economy" is evolving at a rapid pace. As a result, innovative marine-based businesses are finding themselves exposed to risks...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on May 12, 2017

        On Monday, May 8, a Jefferson County (Birmingham) Circuit Court Judge found two specific provisions of the Alabama Workers' Compensation Act...

        We have just learned that the State of Maine Supreme Judicial Court, sitting as the Law Court, has accepted Bourgoin v. Twin Rivers Paper Co.,...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on March 1, 2017

        In a decision issued on February 17, 2017 (Fuller v. Hannaford Brothers Company, App. Div. 7-17), the Maine Workers' Compensation Board Appellate...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on October 12, 2016

        On Wednesday, October 5, 2016, a much-anticipated report generated by the NASI (National Academy of Social Insurance) was released. The report had...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on September 30, 2016

        I am just back from an invigorating seminar put on by the national group to which we belong as the sole Maine member, the National Workers'...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on September 19, 2016

        Stories of the horrors of opiate over-prescription and abuse are abundant, and Maine has not been spared the ravages of that epidemic. In response to...

        September 19, 2016

        As the sole Maine representative to the National Workers' Compensation Defense Network, Beth Smith, will be attending the NWCDN Annual Conference in...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on August 22, 2016

        In Massachusetts, as in many states, when an employee is injured in the course of work, but the injury is caused by a third party, the employee is...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on August 17, 2016

        The issue of Independent Contractor versus Employee has reared its ugly head once again, this time in the context of professional wrestling. A...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on July 15, 2016

        This is reality. This is not a test. There are Pokémon in your office. Well, maybe; it's more like there are not real Pokémon chilling outside your...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on March 23, 2016

        On March 18, the CDC finally issued much-anticipated guidelines for the prescription of opioids in chronic pain management "outside of active cancer...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on February 25, 2016

        Many of you are aware of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, or MSP. It was enacted to stop cost-shifting from a third party who is responsible for...

        by Elizabeth Connellan Smith on December 15, 2015

        We're all familiar with the holiday tune that recounts Grandma's unfortunate encounter with Santa and his reindeer. She's found the next day with...

        by Tawny L. Alvarez on August 24, 2015

        While we often remind employers that complaints about on-the-job stress could be a reportable event to a workers' compensation carrier, we do not...

        Firm Highlights

        Alerts and Newsletters

        Maine’s New Employer Surveillance Law, 26 M.R.S. § 620-A

        Effective July 14, 2026 Maine employers that electronically monitor employees must comply with a new disclosure law effective July 14, 2026. Under...
        Press Releases

        Verrill Recognized by U.S. News as One of the Best Law Firms to Work for in 2026

        BOSTON, Mass., BANGOR and PORTLAND, Maine, GREENWICH and WESTPORT, Conn., – Verrill has been featured on U.S. News’ 2026 Best Companies to Work...
        Blog

        SECURE 2.0 Roth Catch-Up Rules and the 403(b) 15-Year Catch-Up: What Tax-Exempt Employers Need to Know

        Tax-exempt employers whose 403(b) plans offer catch-up contributions for participants age 50 and above should be well on their way to compliance with...
        Media Mentions

        Robert Keach Quoted in Law360 on SIMAD Summer Camp Bankruptcy Sale

        Verrill attorney Robert Keach was recently quoted in a Law360 article examining the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings involving SIMAD Holdings and...
        Media Mentions

        Chris Tsouros Featured in Law360’s Coverage of Sports Real Estate Deals

        Verrill Partner Chris Tsouros was recently recognized in a Law360 article highlighting law firms involved in significant sports real estate projects...
        Blog

        What Maine’s New Employer Surveillance Law Means for Maine Employers

        Maine employers who monitor their workforce, whether through productivity software, GPS, call recording, or cameras, have a new compliance obligation...
        Blog

        Run Don’t Walk: The Implication of “While Supplies Last” Prize Promotions

        This month a big-chain grocery store has been offering daily mystery boxes during specific timed drops on a first-come, first-served basis, to users...
        Blog

        Maine’s Noncompete Statute is Reshaped for Health Care Workers: What You Need to Know

        Employers of individuals who are licensed under state law to perform, or provide, health care services in the State of Maine should be prepared for...
        Media Mentions

        Steven Davis Featured in the Environmental Business Journal

        Steven Davis, President of Verrill Strategic Consulting, was recently interviewed and featured in the Environmental Business Journal, Volume 39...
        Blog

        What is a Bonus for Purposes of ERISA?

        An ongoing dispute about a Department of Labor advisory opinion published last September raises a basic but unanswered question under the ERISA: What...
        Media Mentions

        Verrill Recognized by WMTW for Partnership Supporting Hunger Relief in Maine

        Verrill was recently featured in coverage by WMTW News 8 for its role in a collaborative effort to combat food insecurity across southern...
        Press Releases

        33 Verrill Attorneys, Across Four Offices, Recognized in the 2026 Chambers USA Guide

        BOSTON, Massachusetts, PORTLAND, Maine, WESTPORT, Connecticut, and WASHINGTON, D.C. – Verrill has been recognized as a Leading Firm in 14...