NEW HIRES

• Julia Greenleaf Pitney joined Drummond Woodsum’s bankruptcy, restructuring and creditors’ rights practice group.

Pitney will be based in the firm’s Portland office. Her practice will focus on bankruptcy matters and debtor and creditor litigation. She previously spent 10 years practicing in Lewiston and Portland.

• Douglas Britton joined Verrill Dana’s real estate group in Portland.

He was previously a partner at Drummond & Drummond, LLP, where he started his practice in 1998.

• Bernstein Shur has hired John Moran to the firm’s business law practice group in Portland.

Moran was previously a business associate at a Portland law firm. He also served as a legal extern with both the Maine District Courts and the Appellate Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maine.

PROMOTIONS

• Curtis Thaxter LLC has admitted Amy Devin as a member of the firm.

Devin practices in the areas of real estate, commercial and corporate law, with a particular focus on affordable housing and community redevelopment.

• John Aromando, an attorney at Pierce Atwood, was named chair of its litigation practice group. Aromando succeeds David Barry, who will become the firm’s managing partner.

Aromando has been a partner since 1993 and a trial lawyer for more than 30 years. His practice focuses on defending businesses and individuals in complex litigation, for clients in industries as diverse as financial services, energy, pulp and paper, manufacturing, insurance, and professional services. He has tried cases in both state and federal court, and argued appeals before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

• Bernstein Shur recently elected Eben Albert and Steven Gerlach as shareholders.

Albert is a member of the firm’s business, litigation and dispute resolution and technology, outsourcing and data security practice groups.

Gerlach is a member of the firm’s labor and employment and business law practice groups.

AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS

• Gerald Petruccelli, Michael Martin, James Haddow and Bruce McGlauflin, partners at Petruccelli, Martin & Haddow, LLP in Portland were named for inclusion in the 2016 Edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Petruccelli was recognized in several areas of practice, including appellate practice, arbitration, commercial litigation, litigation – construction, litigation – mergers and acquisitions, litigation – regulatory enforcement, mediation and personal injury litigation.

Martin was recognized for his work in commercial litigation and insurance law; Haddow for litigation – municipal and municipal law; and McGlauflin for corporate law.

• The American Camp Association recognized Jack Erler of Portland with its Special Recognition Award

Erler is an attorney at Curtis Thaxter LLC. He was recognized for his efforts to promote camp on a national level.

• The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys recently published its list of nationally ranked criminal defense attorneys.

The following attorneys from Maine made the list: Edmund Folsom, of Biddeford; Jay McCloskey, of Bangor; Leonard Sharon, of Auburn; Richard Hartley, of Bangor; Sarah Churchill, of Saco; Scott Gardner, of Biddeford; Wayne Foote, of Bangor; and William Bly, of Biddeford.

• Skelton Taintor & Abbott announced that attorney Stephen Wade was named to the 2016 Best Lawyers in America list.

Wade was also singled out to receive the “Lawyer of the Year” award in the area of product liability litigation.

• Maine Equal Justice Partners honored Augusta attorney Charles Dingman with its Pro Bono Equal Justice Hero Award.

Dingman, of Leeds, is a partner at PretiFlaherty in Augusta. He serves on MEJP’s Board of Directors and is a past chair of the Campaign for Justice. He also is a member of the board of the Justice Action Group and frequently serves as moderator of town meetings in Androscoggin County.

GENERAL

• The European Union Office in Kosovo extended the appointment of Michael Cunniff as a senior short term expert in a mission supporting the Kosovo Judicial Council and the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council.

Cunniff is a trial lawyer at the law firm of McCloskey, Mina & Cunniff, LLC in Portland and a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland. He has been involved since 2011 in international rule of law missions sponsored by the United States and the European Union in the Balkans. Currently, he is advising the councils on strategic planning and operational matters, as well as their efforts to evaluate and discipline judges and prosecutors.