Verrill Expands National Bankruptcy Practice with Addition of Four Highly Skilled Attorneys

PORTLAND, Maine – Verrill is pleased to welcome four experienced bankruptcy attorneys to the firm’s Portland office. Attorneys Robert Keach, Lindsay Zahradka Milne, Letson Boots, and Jennifer Novo join from a Portland-based law firm, bringing with them three staff members.

“We are excited to welcome this exceptionally skilled group of attorneys to the firm,” said Scott Anderson, Verrill Managing Partner. “These lawyers bring decades of experience involving complex business restructuring matters and insolvency proceedings throughout the country and cross-border.  Their strong track record and strategic insight strengthen and complement our existing bench and position us to deliver even more impactful solutions for our clients in complex financial matters.”

Robert Keach, Counsel, focuses his practice on the representation of various parties in workouts and bankruptcy cases, including debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, lessors and third parties acquiring troubled companies and/or their assets. Keach is a former president of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), the nation’s foremost organization of insolvency professionals, co-chaired the ABI’s Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11, and is the recipient of both the ABI’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Distinguished Service Award. Keach is also a longtime Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, and is one of the co-authors of the Small Business Reorganization Act, also known as Subchapter V. Keach has appeared before the bankruptcy courts in the Districts of New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Delaware, the Northern District of California, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the Southern District of Texas, among others, and is also a member of the Bar of the First, Second, Seventh and Eighth Circuit Courts of Appeal, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States. Keach regularly appears as a panelist on national bankruptcy, lender liability and creditors’ rights programs, and is the author of several articles on bankruptcy and creditors’ rights appearing in the ABI Law Review, Commercial Law Journal and ABI Journal, among other publications. Keach received his law degree from the University of Maine School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont.

Lindsay Zahradka Milne, Partner, focuses her practice on counseling businesses in restructuring their financial obligations and streamlining their operations, both in Chapter 11 proceedings and in out-of-court settings. She also advises lenders and other parties-in-interest in workout negotiations and bankruptcy-related litigation. In addition, she counsels investors in the purchase of distressed assets and other special situations, and advises official committees of unsecured creditors in maximizing the value of Chapter 11 debtors’ assets for the benefit of the debtors’ estates. Milne is a member of the Board of Directors of and thought leader for the ABI, and in 2018, was selected for ABI’s prestigious 40 under 40 Award. Milne has written and spoken nationwide on a variety of insolvency-related topics and is admitted to practice before various federal courts, including the Southern District of New York and the Southern District of Texas, various Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of the United States. Milne received her law degree from Fordham University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.

Letson Boots, Partner, represents both debtors and creditors in Chapter 11 reorganizations, asset sales, and bankruptcy-related litigation. Boots’ approach combines rigorous legal analysis with a deep understanding of her clients’ business objectives, ensuring tailored solutions that address both legal and practical considerations. She provides strategic counsel on Chapter 11 reorganizations—including specialized Subchapter V cases tailored for small businesses—while skillfully assisting with asset sales and acquisitions. In addition to navigating bankruptcy-related and commercial litigation, Boots also serves as counsel to the fee examiner in large Chapter 11 cases, ensuring thorough oversight throughout the restructuring process. Boots received her law degree from Vermont Law School and her undergraduate degree from Colby College.

Jennifer Novo, Associate, represents debtors and creditors in a broad range of bankruptcy-related matters, including Chapter 11 reorganizations, asset sales and acquisitions, and bankruptcy-related litigation. Prior to joining Verrill, Novo practiced at a prominent New England law firm and has held many bankruptcy-related positions, including a two-year clerkship with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts. Novo received her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago.