Biography

Chris is counselor to a wide variety of both corporate and individual clients. Chris represents domestic and international business and nonprofit clients (both tax-exempt and taxable) and others in a broad mix of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures; entity choice, organization, and restructuring; equity and debt financing; contracts; board governance and policies; shareholder relations; compliance and regulatory matters; and more.

Chris is outside corporate counsel to a range of enterprises including early-stage ventures and other businesses and NGOs with regional, national, and global operations. An avid traveler, Chris has presented internationally on cross-border investment issues including related government reporting requirements.

Chris is a leading provider of business and corporate legal services on behalf of clients of the firm's Private Clients & Fiduciary Services Group. He advises individuals and families in connection with their business interests, coordinating efforts with members of the firm's trusts and estates and real estate practices as needed to help these individuals and families achieve their broader objectives. Chris believes that he can serve his clients best by taking the time to get to know them, their businesses, and their interests and values.

Chris provides a broad spectrum of services to tax-exempt organizations in matters from simple to highly complex including guidance through the exemption process, management of ongoing charitable solicitations compliance, and counsel with respect to numerous additional regulatory and other matters.

Public service is important to Chris, and, in keeping with one of Verrill's best traditions, he relishes working with clients and others to make a difference in the community and beyond. Chris currently serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations in the Portland area. Viewed as a "rising star" and a "detail-oriented, thorough lawyer—someone who gets it done and gets it done right," Chris is a driven advocate for his clients and, through his policy and volunteer work, is committed to being a true ally and voice for business.

Services/Industries

Education

  • Emory University School of Law  (J.D.)
    • Managing Editor, Bankruptcy Developments Journal
  • Harvard University  (A.B., cum laude)

Public Service

  • Boards of directors, Institute for Family-Owned Business, Waynflete School (immediate past President), and Sandpiper II Condominium (immediate past President)
  • Governing committees, Charles E. Thomas Memorial Library and St. James Episcopal Church
  • Harvard College Schools and Scholarships Committee
  • Phillips Academy (Andover), Alumni Council (2006-2010)
  • Former member, boards of directors, Portland Harbor Museum, Breakwater at Spring Point Condominium Association; Prouts Neck Community Organization; Prouts Neck Country Club; Victoria Mansion; and Maine Historical Society

Bar Admissions

  • Maine
  • Massachusetts

Memberships

  • Immediate past chairman, Business Law Section, Maine State Bar Association
  • Drafting Committee, Maine Business Corporation Act, Maine Limited Liability Company Act, Maine Model Registered Agents Act, Maine Revised Uniform Partnership Act, and Maine Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act

Honors

  • Recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business under Corporate/M&A (2010-2012)
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2020 Portland, Maine Business Organizations (including LLCs and partnerships) Lawyer of the Year
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© under Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in New England Rising Stars© under Business/Corporate Law (2010-2013)

To learn more about third-party ratings and rankings, and the selection processes used for inclusion, click here.

Clerkships

  • U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, Chief Judge Howard D. McKibben

Firm Highlights

Matter

Advised Fortune 500 Company on Group Health and Welfare Benefit Plans

We were engaged by a Fortune 500 manufacturing company to provide legal and compliance services regarding its group health and welfare benefit plans. During the course of our representation, we have advised the company...

Publication/Podcast

Whole Foods Win Shows Workplace Rules Can Shield Cos.

Verrill attorney Liz Johnston was recently published in Law360 for her article “Whole Foods Win Shows Workplace Rules Can Shield Cos.” In the article, Johnston discusses the recent decision in Kinzer v. Whole Foods...

Publication/Podcast

Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say…Gorelick v. Star Markets: A Study in Indemnity

Indemnity clauses in contracts are a valuable tool for allocating risk among the contracting parties, most often risk attendant to personal injury and property damage, and their effect can be far-reaching. Despite their significance...

Blog

HR Power Hour with Sabine Gedeon

News

David Lazarus Quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Article Regarding Cryptocurrency Whistleblowing.

Matter

Elections and Constitutional Law: Successfully Challenged Certification of Initiative Petition

In a victory for consumers and the ride-hailing public, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently barred the Secretary of State from placing on the November ballot initiative petitions proposed by companies such as Uber...

Event

Maine HR Convention: Workshop C: What Every Plan Sponsor Needs to Know-Your Fiduciary Duties in 2023

Join Verrill's Christopher S. Lockman at the 2023 Maine HR Convention where he will be presenting Workshop C: What Every Plan Sponsor Needs to Know-Your Fiduciary Duties in 2023 . This workshop will review...

News

Verrill's Norman Belanger and Betts Gorsky Featured in Mainebiz Article

Blog

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Proposes National Drinking Water Standard for Six PFAS Compounds

On March 14, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced a proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”). PFAS are a category of manufactured chemicals that...

Event

Maine HR Convention: Workshop A: Out of Sight, Out of Mind-Legal Implications of Proximity Bias

Join Verrill's Tawny L. Alvarez at the 2023 Maine HR Convention where she will be presenting Workshop A:Out of Sight, Out of Mind-Legal Implications of Proximity Bias. Proximity bias can raise discrimination issues for...

Contact Verrill at (855) 307 0700