Berman & Simmons News Articles

Berman & Simmons has successfully applied their expert knowledge of maritime law to achieve a significant settlement on behalf of their client who was severely injured while working at sea. Berman & Simmons represented a maritime worker who was hurt while working for a fishery when his dominant hand was pulled into an unguarded winch....

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Attorney Christopher Boots joined the Berman & Simmons law firm in June 2018, where he will represent clients in personal injury cases from the firm’s Lewiston office. A native of North Yarmouth, Maine, Boots graduated from the University of Chicago in 2010 and earned his law degree in 2014 from Stanford Law School, where he...

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Attorney Michael Bigos was recently named President of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association.  As an accomplished trial attorney and former legislative staffer, Michael is excited to promote the cause of civil justice in capitols and courtrooms during his term. “2018 is an important election year for pro-civil justice candidates in Maine and the U.S.,” says Michael.  He will also prioritize civility in legal practice, and the highest quality legal education to meet the mission of the organization....

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The Local Rules Advisory Committee proposes a few minor changes to the Maine federal district court’s Local Rules.  The changes primarily affect the procedure under Local Rule 26 to request a hearing when parties are unable to resolve a discovery dispute themselves.  Under the new rule, parties must confer about the exact discovery materials to be submitted with the request for a hearing.  The request itself would be submitted electronically using a form provided by the court, rather than by letter as attorneys currently do.  The discovery hearing would be conducte...

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Appellate Rule 2A(d) now allows parties to order transcripts for an appeal through an online order form.  Previously, the online order form could only be used to order transcripts for a party’s own reference.  The online order form can be found at http://www.courts.maine.gov/maine_courts/transcription/ordering_transcripts.html.  The Advisory Note to the revised Rule 2A(d) makes it clear that the...

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Effective February 14, Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b) has been amended to clarify that any party may record a deposition by any means, provided the recording does not disrupt or impede the deposition process.  A party may record the deposition by videotape, after giving written notice to every other party.  The rule does not specify how much notice should be given, for instance a day or a week. ...

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Attorney Robert Furbish of Berman & Simmons has been added as a co-author of the 2018 edition of Maine Tort Law, the definitive reference guide for civil litigators statewide, published by LexisNexis and released in late December.This new edition marks the 25th anniversary of Maine Tort Law as an essential resource for attorneys, summarizing the legal requirements of tort causes of action recognized in Maine courts....

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On Sept. 26, a jury in Rockland, Maine, awarded $200,000 to a man from Knox County whose hand was seriously injured during a hit-and-run incident. The verdict in favor of 22-year-old Adam Feener concluded a three-day civil trial at Knox County Superior Court, before Justice Joyce Wheeler. Attorney Michael Bigos of Berman & Simmons represented...

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On Sept. 26, a jury in Rockland, Maine, awarded $200,000 to a man from Knox County whose hand was seriously injured during a hit-and-run incident.The verdict in favor of 22-year-old Adam Feener concluded a three-day civil trial at Knox County Superior Court, before Justice Joyce Wheeler.Attorney Michael Bigos of Berman & Simmons represented Feener, of Hope, Maine, in the trial against Concord Insurance Group, The Main Street America Group, and Progressive Insurance Company....

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The federal district court has announced a few changes to the local rules, effective December 1, 2017. A number of these rule changes were announced in June, and the proposed changes were summarized on this website at that time. These changes affect attorney discipline, and prevent attorneys admitted only conditionally to the Maine bar, from admission to the federal bar....

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Berman & Simmons attorney Daniel Kagan will give a presentation at the Fall Trial Lawyers Seminar held by the Maine Trial Lawyers Association. Kagan is one of Maine’s leading trial lawyers, with a record of jury verdicts and settlements in complex and difficult personal injury cases. Since joining Berman & Simmons in 1989, Kagan has often taken on controversial cases that play out in the public spotlight....

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On September 1, 2017, new, re-styled Appellate Rules of Procedure went into effect.  The changes are intended to modernize the language of the rules, and make them easier for judges, lawyers, and the general public to understand and apply.  Long paragraphs addressing multiple topics have been broken up into separate sub-paragraphs, with each sub-paragraph addressing a discrete rule, direction, or order.Relevant substantive changes to the Appellate Rules are summarized below:...

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