Michael Whipple

As a shareholder in Bernstein Shur’s Real Estate Practice Group, Eliza represents timberland investment companies and wind energy developers on real estate-based projects in Maine and around the country. Her acute knowledge of all aspects of real estate transactions and financings, robust organizational and drafting skills, and calm demeanor under pressure are a boon to companies whose complex projects often involve multiple parties and many moving parts. Eliza’s previous experien...

Tudor Goldsmith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates and Trusts and Estates. Tudor, who practices law in Portland, Maine, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tudor is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sara Murphy focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and class action defense, representing clients from a number of different industries, including financial services, energy, pulp and paper, insurance, and professional services. Sara’s litigation practice includes disputes related to breach of contract, unfair trade practices, claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and other business-related torts. She also handles cases involving claims for ...

Brian Rayback focuses his practice on environmental and land use law, with expertise in all aspects of water, air, natural resources, solid waste, and zoning regulation. Brian provides cost-effective, strategic advice on project permitting, enforcement matters, appeals of agency decisions, regulatory compliance, and legislative issues for property developers and owners, trade associations, utilities, construction companies, and industrial and manufacturing facilities. He regularly appears bef...

Maybe it started with his knack for math, but Kelly has always loved solving problems. And he’s good at it. He is a powerful analytical thinker and revels in solving highly technical challenges. As a lawyer, Kelly puts those skills to work on behalf of his clients to help resolve a wide range of disputes. Kelly’s practice focuses on litigation involving commercial, bankruptcy, boundary and construction issues. He works directly with clients and in-house counsel and has represented...

Alyssa C. Tibbetts is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Municipal Law. Alyssa C., who practices law in Scarborough, Maine, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Alyssa C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Justin attended Portland schools through high school, graduating from Cheverus in 1989. He then graduated from the University of Vermont in 1993 and the University of Georgia School of Law, magna cum laude, in 1999. Justin served as Clerk for the Honorable Leigh I. Saufley of the Maine Judicial Court as his first job after law school. After working briefly at a general practice firm in Portland, he moved in 2001 to a smaller firm which limited its practice to estate planning and related matte...

After clerking for Maine Supreme Court Justice Robert Clifford for a year after law school, Mike dove straight into construction law, defending architects and engineers in construction cases at a small Portland insurance defense firm. Since joining Bernstein Shur a decade and a half ago, Mike has had the pleasure of representing the full panoply of participants on a construction project: developers, owners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, lenders, and sureties in everything fr...

Mark Franco is a seasoned litigator with more than 35 years of experience in state and federal courts, advocacy before government agencies, and alternative dispute resolution. He represents clients in a broad range of civil disputes and has specific expertise litigating in the fields of employment, municipal, construction, transportation, maritime, civil rights, defamation/slander, commercial disputes, real property, professional malpractice, personal injury, premises liability, auto liabilit...

Bob is an experienced, widely respected bankruptcy practitioner practicing in the area of bankruptcy, reorganization, and workouts. Bob’s practice focuses on the representation of various parties in workouts and bankruptcy cases, including debtors, creditors, creditors committees, lessors and third parties acquiring troubled companies and/or their assets. Bob has appeared before the bankruptcy courts in the Districts of New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Delaware, the Nort...