About Us

Firm History

While the practice of law has certainly changed since our founding in 1862, the values upon which the firm was built — mutual respect and camaraderie; commitment to public service, the community, and the legal profession — remain at the heart of Verrill today.

Byron D. Verrill 1862
1862

Byron Decreny (B.D.) Verrill (b. 1835), a teacher from Oxford County, is admitted to the Maine Bar.

1867

B.D. Verrill moves his law practice to Portland, representing clients in civil cases, reorganizations, and banking law.

Thomas Brackett Reed Statue
1876

B.D. Verrill partners with Thomas Brackett Reed, although the partnership lasts only a year. With B.D.’s support, Reed goes on to serve in Congress, becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives.

1891

The firm hires its first woman, a stenographer named Miss Moore.

John F. Dana
1917

John Fessenden Dana, a trusts and estates attorney, joins the firm. His name is associated with the firm for the next 100+ years.

1958

Roger A. Putnam joins the firm. There are 13 partners at the time. Roger dedicated 63 years to the firm until his passing in February 2022.

Judith Coburn
1980

Judith M. Coburn becomes the firm's first female partner and goes on to become Maine's first female Managing Partner in 1992.

1987

To commemorate its 125th anniversary, the firm moves to new offices at One Portland Square. At the time, there are 51 attorneys; six are women.

Boston skyline
2004

A new Boston office expands the firm's ability to serve clients throughout and beyond New England. The Boston office continues to ascend the list of the Boston Business Journal's "Area's 100 Largest Law Firms."

2012

One hundred five attorneys and 85 staff members in five offices honor the firm's sesquicentennial with the 150 Project, a broad-reaching community service initiative in which donations of time, money, or property — in increments of 150 — are facilitated and recognized by attorneys and staff for causes ranging from combating hunger to improving the environment.

2013

The firm combines with Friedman Gaythwaite Wolf, a litigation and trial boutique law firm, deepening its trial experience and broadening its national client base.

2015

The Connecticut law firm Levett Rockwood joins Verrill Dana, expanding the firm's reach into southern New England and the New York City tristate area.

Verrill Logo
2019

The firm unveils its new brand and logo, reflecting an evolution of the brand and a renewed commitment to timeless values.

2021

The Firm is gifted the two volume Bouvier Law Dictionary, with title pages signed by none other than Byron Verrill in 1862, Harry Verrill in 1891, Robinson Verrill in 1919, and Eric Verrill in 1957.

2022

Verrill combines with Boston-based firm Rackemann, Sawyer, & Brewster on January 1, 2022 as Verrill. With the combination, the number of lawyers in Verrill's Boston office nearly doubled.

Firm Highlights

Matter

Successful Representation of Insurer before U.S. District Court for the District of Maine

Verrill successfully represented an insurer before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine in an insurance coverage matter alleging that the insurer improperly denied a defense and indemnification to a landlord under...

News

Gratitude for Anya Endsley

Event

Annual Update: The Legal Year in Review

More details coming soon!

Blog

Catch-Up Contributions: IRS Provides Relief from Roth Requirements of SECURE 2.0

On August 25, 2023, the IRS issued IRS Notice 2023-62 , providing much needed relief for employers who have been struggling to implement Section 603 of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0&rdquo...

Blog

How AI Can Alter Skill Contests

AI could very well be today’s “Modern Prometheus” in the world of skill contests. Earlier this year, the AI-generated photograph “The Electrician” was a finalist in the World Photograph Organization’s Sony World Photograph Awards...

Publication/Podcast

No Longer a Walk In The Park -- Entity Formation Under the U.S. Corporate Transparency Act

Presently, forming a corporation, LLC, or other entity in the U.S. can be done on a largely anonymous basis, without naming its owners and with only limited disclosures about managers, officers, and directors. Under...

News

82 Verrill Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® 2024, Including 10 Named Lawyers of the Year

Publication/Podcast

Corporate Transparency Act regulations will go into effect soon and will affect almost all startup companies

On August 18, the Maine Venture Fund published an article by Verrill Partner Gregory Fryer, “Corporate Transparency Act regulations will go into effect soon and will affect almost all startup companies.” In the article...

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

Conducting Workplace Investigations

Join Verrill’s Erik Peters and Elizabeth Johnston on Wednesday, October 18, for Conducting Workplace Investigations. When and why should you open an investigation? Who is the best person to conduct it? Should you handle...

Contact Verrill at (855) 307 0700