Berman & Simmons News Articles

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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The family of Cassidy Charette, the central Maine teenager killed in a haunted hayride crash in October 2014, has settled its lawsuit against the farm owner. Attorney Jodi Nofsinger of Berman & Simmons said the wrongful death lawsuit against Harvest Hill Farm, former farm owner Peter Bolduc Jr., hayride driver David Brown, and mechanic Philip Theberge has been settled....

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Maine Rule of Civil Procedure 77(c) has been changed effective May 30, 2017.  The change is minor, but reflects the move towards unifying the civil and criminal courts.  Previously, chiefs of the respective trial courts set hours for the court clerks in each branch.  Now, the Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court sets all the clerks’ hours, by administrative order.There are also a few changes proposed for the Maine federal district court local rules. ...

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Michael Bigos, an attorney at Berman & Simmons, gave a presentation to students today at the University of Maine School of Law in Portland. Bigos is a 2003 graduate of the law school.His presentation, titled “Jury Presentations: Planning to Win,” explained the importance of framing a case, trial choreography, storytelling, exhibits, and focus groups for winning a case....

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The public statement issued this week by Berman & Simmons on behalf of Kellie Foley, the mother of the 13-year-old boy who was killed last fall while walking to school in Lewiston, was covered by media outlets across Maine.Berman & Simmons attorney Steven Silin will represent Foley in any civil actions resulting from the Nov. 3, 2016, death of Jayden Cho-Sargent....

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