Area residents visiting attorney Tom Berry’s practice will notice some changes. Since the first of the year, attorney Meegan Burbank has joined Berry and the two have formed the new firm of “Berry and Burbank.”

“We each have our strengths and our areas of law overlap, so we are able to broaden the scope of our practice,” explained Burbank, who has lived in Lincoln County since the age of 3. She is a graduate of William and Mary Law School and was in private practice in Jefferson for 16 years. In addition to helping Mainers as an attorney with Legal Services for the Elderly, she has also served the public through the courthouse assistance project in West Bath.

Her work has also included creating programs for fourth and seventh graders in Jefferson. The programs help explain the law through mock trials and understanding the Constitution.  

Berry has provided legal services to Mainers for more than 40 years and served in the Maine Attorney General’s Office, as an assistant district attorney in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties, and most recently as Lincoln County’s probate court judge from 1988 to 2016.

Berry and Burbank believe this combination of public service commitment and social consciousness serves their clients well. “Taking care of folks in our community is taking care of the community,” said Berry.

The practice now offers a range of assistance including elder law, landlord/tenant and criminal representation, probate matters, civil litigation, and corporate and personal injury law. The firm also offers mediation as a service to other attorneys.

The firm has a paralegal, Liisa Hamilton, dedicated to real estate matters, and another paralegal, Valery Curtis. “All personalities click well together,” Berry said.!“We have a team approach and the staff is very capable.”

When asked about elder law, the new team of Berry and Burbank point out their strengths. “Real estate, guardianships and conservatorships are all involved,” Burbank said. “And we provide a unique combination of people who can serve the community’s elder law needs.”  Burbank also pointed out that her strength in litigation means that if needed, matters would be taken to court by the same attorney who originally assisted the client.

The practice’s technology has been upgraded and the firm now has a dedicated website:  http://berryandburbank.com/ Also new is what is jokingly called, “The Berry & Burbank Cafe,” which offers lunches for the team. The lunches are prepared by culinary enthusiast Berry.