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 First, the Council repealed an emergency...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

        Published Works

        Four Verrill Attorneys Co-Author Massachusetts Trends and Developments Chapter for Chambers and Partners Child Relocation 2026 Guide

        Verrill attorneys Mary H. Schmidt, Rachel A. Deering, Hannah R. Zukoff, and Mariah G. Tappan co-authored the “Trends and Developments” chapter...
        Blog

        A New Protected Class in Maine: Holders of Final Protection Orders

        In the lead-up to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, employers may be taking a closer look at how their policies and practices respond to...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        Verrill Secures SJC Victory for Boston Legacy FC in White Stadium Litigation

        Verrill has secured a significant appellate victory for Boston Legacy FC in the litigation challenging the redevelopment of White Stadium in...
        Blog

        Hurry Up and Wait

        This is the third in a series of Verrill blog posts on Maine’s packaging extended producer responsibility (“EPR”) law[1]. In July we reported...
        Media Mentions

        Robert Keach Discusses First Brands Chapter 11 Case in Law360

        Verrill attorney Robert Keach was recently quoted in a Law360 article examining the rejection of First Brands Group's Chapter 11 plan and the...
        Media Mentions

        Cybersecurity and AI Governance: Scott Anderson Featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly

        Verrill Managing Partner Scott Anderson was recently featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly discussing how law firms can build attorney buy-in for...
        Blog

        Section 530A Account Update: ERISA Status of Trump Accounts

        The Department of Labor has issued important guidance addressing whether employer programs that permit contributions to Section 530A accounts (and...
        Press Releases

        97 Verrill Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® 2027, Including Four Named Lawyers of the Year

        AUGUSTA, Maine, BANGOR, Maine, BOSTON, Mass., PORTLAND, Maine, and WESTPORT, Conn., (August 20, 2026) – Verrill is proud to announce that 97...
        Alerts and Newsletters

        SEC’s Proposed “Reg Crypto”: What Founders Need to Know

        Startup founders and emerging-growth companies have a number of options for raising capital under the federal securities laws, including Regulation D...
        Blog

        After 45 Years, the IRS Speaks on DCAP Nondiscrimination Testing – And It’s Good News

        Employers that provide a Dependent Care Assistance Program will be pleased to learn that for the first time in 45 years, the IRS has issued guidance...
        Media Mentions

        U.S. Courts Highlights Annabel Rodriguez’s Journey from Fellow to Mentor

        Verrill attorney Annabel Rodriguez was featured in a recent U.S. Courts article titled “From Fellows to Mentors: Alumni Share Lasting Lessons from...
        Media Mentions

        Robert Keach Discusses Bankruptcy Auction Strategy in Law360

        Verrill attorney Robert Keach spoke with Law360 article examining the complex bankruptcy auction process that resulted in the sale of 23 summer...