Biography
Rachel is a trial and appellate attorney representing businesses of all stripes in resolving their complex, bet-the-company commercial disputes. Rachel also has significant experience representing companies and individuals in administrative proceedings and appeals, white collar criminal matters, government investigations, and antitrust disputes. Rachel represents businesses in the industries of finance, health care, insurance, real estate lending and developing, and manufacturing, among many others.
Since joining Verrill in 2012, Rachel has represented some of the region's most significant businesses in their most complex disputes. For example, she represented the Maine Montreal & Atlantic Railway with respect to potential criminal charges stemming from the historic accident in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, and Canada's largest utility company in an appeal to the Maine Supreme Court regarding administrative agency approval of a $500 million transaction. She represented one of Maine's largest health care administrators in a dispute relating to a joint venture to create a new commercial insurance product for Maine employers. She also represented a Massachusetts hospital system in seeking antitrust approval for a highly publicized merger with another large Boston-based hospital system.
Rachel developed her litigation skills in the New York office of Morrison & Foerster LLP, an international law firm of more than 1,000 attorneys, where she was an associate and then a litigation partner. At Morrison & Foerster, Rachel represented executives of one of the country's largest financial institutions in an SEC investigation into the company's sale of mortgage-backed securities and another of the country's largest financial institutions in a Department of Justice investigation into their mortgage servicing practices. Rachel has also represented individuals in accounting fraud and insider-trading investigations. On the civil side, Rachel has represented a commercial lender in an inter-lender dispute relating to a $500 million mixed-use development and another commercial lender with respect to a 60-floor hotel and residential tower in Manhattan. Rachel has represented insurance companies in coverage litigation relating to environmental contamination and asbestos, among other claims. Rachel has also handled numerous internal investigations including investigations into accounting practices, anti-money laundering practices, employee misconduct, and the sale of financial products.
Rachel has been committed to pro bono work since her first days of practicing. Rachel has represented numerous asylum applicants, handled impact litigation on behalf of underserved public education students, represented the unemployed in their quest for unemployment insurance, and defended individuals charged with drug crimes in plea negotiations. Rachel was a long-time member of her prior firm's pro bono committee and supervised numerous associates in their pro bono representation.
In her spare time, and when not chauffeuring her son to various practices and games, Rachel enjoys running, reading, and visiting Portland's growing number of restaurants and breweries.
Services/Industries
Education
- University of Michigan Law School (J.D., With Honors)
- University of Michigan (M.A.)
- University of Vermont (B.A., magna cum laude)
- Phi Beta Kappa
Public Service
- Former Member, Legal Advisory Board, Sanctuary for Families
Bar Admissions
Memberships
- Maine State Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
Honors
- Named a Local Litigation Star for Appellate and General Commercial by Benchmark Litigation
- Received Katahdin Counsel Recognition for pro bono efforts (2015, 2017)
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Court and Other Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maine
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont