Biography

Mike joined Verrill following his service as Speaker of the House in the 120th Maine Legislature (2000-2002). While representing his Portland district, Mike pursued a variety of initiatives, from seeking increased access to affordable health care to championing tax credits aimed at creating new educational opportunities.

Prior to serving as Speaker, Mike served as Majority Leader (1998-2000) and Majority Whip (1996-1998). As a legislator, he worked on diverse issues ranging from health care and higher education to tax reform and domestic violence. When Maine's term limit law precluded him from returning to the State House, it was only natural for Mike to seek out new avenues to continue to pursue his passion for public policy and politics.

At Verrill, Mike is using his public policy experience to provide a cutting-edge combination of services to clients under the aegis of Maine Street Solutions, the firm's strategic consulting group. This venture provides the firm with a variety of capabilities including traditional legislative advocacy, public relations, grass-tops and grassroots advocacy, and campaign management. Mike helps numerous clients navigate the public arena through his ability to provide multilateral strategic advice and planning.

This mix of services has been largely unavailable from a single firm in the state of Maine. Mike believes that clients can utilize Maine's relatively small size to their advantage—a concept he calls the "small state phenomenon." According to Mike, anything is possible in a small state because of the ease with which messages can be disseminated among critical audiences.

Mike has particular interest in the ways in which citizens can inform the public debate on issues and make a difference in fashioning policy. Grassroots efforts, of course, can often be used to great advantage in moving an initiative forward. However, Mike also relies on the use of what he terms "grasstops" advocacy, in which influential members of the community are called upon to shape opinion through peer-to-peer communications.

By combining advocacy, strategic communications, and campaign management services with a full-service law firm, Mike provides a more holistic, multilateral approach to resolving his clients' problems. By merging public policy experience with traditional legal practice, Maine Street Solutions provides clients with the best chance to achieve their goals.

Services/Industries

Education

  • University of Maine School of Law  (J.D., cum laude)
  • Bowdoin College  (A.B.)

Public Service

  • Holocaust Human Rights Center, Board Member
  • Western Mountain Foundation, Board Member
  • Maine Equal Justice Partners, Board Member

Bar Admissions

  • Maine

Memberships

  • ABA President's Commission on Loan Repayment (2001-2003)

Honors

  • Received Katahdin Counsel Recognition for pro bono efforts (2019)
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2013 and 2020 Augusta, Maine, Government Relations Practice Lawyer of the Year
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© Government Relations Practice

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

Firm Highlights

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...

News

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

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...

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...

Blog

HR Power Hour with Sabine Gedeon

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...

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...

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 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