Burlington, VT: The northern New England law firm Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC (DRM) has received top rankings from Chambers USA 2021, a leading independent evaluator of U.S. lawyers.

Chambers named each of DRM’s Corporate/Commercial, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, and Commercial Litigation practices as the highest ranked practices in Vermont. DRM’s Real Estate practice also received accolades for its broad range of expertise.    

In the Corporate/Commercial practice, Chambers singled out Paul H. Ode, Jr. for top honors for his corporate and commercial work. Roger Prescott was noted for excellence in tax matters, and Kathleen H. Davis was recognized for her captive insurance work. Collectively, they are “well known for their expertise in a diverse range of corporate law matters including tax planning, equity financing and M&A.” Chambers praised DRM’s “distinguished practice” and ability to provide “a holistic service to a wide range of regional and national clients including companies in the healthcare and hospitality sectors.”

Managing Partner and intellectual property attorney Peter B. Kunin also received the highest ranking. According to client interviews, DRM is “widely considered to be the market-leading practice for IP work in Vermont.”

Labor and employment attorneys Elizabeth K. Rattigan, Johan W. E. Maitland and Timothy E. Copeland, Jr. are also highly ranked. Chambers concludes that DRM has a “prominent labor and employment team with a deep bench of talented practitioners.”

Commercial litigation attorneys Marc B. Heath, Walter E. Judge, Jr. and Robert B. Luce have also achieved high ranking with Chambers. Sources for Chambers comment that DRM is “a highly regarded firm with recognized trial expertise across a broad range of contentious commercial matters.”

R. Prescott Jaunich is recognized in Chambers for his real estate, zoning and land use work. He and his colleagues are regarded as a “notable team with a broad range of expertise, including acquisitions, dispositions, commercial leasing and land use law.”

Chambers and Partners is a global organization that has been researching and ranking U.S. law firms on criteria that include technical expertise, business acumen, prompt delivery and value since 1999. The listings, which are revised each year, are based on direct attorney interviews, competitor and client evaluations, and overall effectiveness of attorneys and their departments.