Best Lawyers in America 2026® Recognizes 83 Pierce Atwood Attorneys in 50 Practices Firmwide
Pierce Atwood is pleased to announce that 83 lawyers firmwide have been recognized by Best Lawyers in America 2026® — 67 were named a “Best Lawyer," 16 were recognized in the “Ones to Watch” category, and 8 were named a "Lawyer of the Year" in their practice(s) and jurisdiction. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as a definitive guide to legal excellence.
New “Best Lawyers” recognitions this year include:
- Ann Marie Maccarone, counsel in the firm’s Providence office, recognized for Real Estate Law
- Daniel Strader, a Portland-based partner, recognized for Employment Law/Management; Labor & Employment Litigation
- Griff Leschefske, a Portland-based partner, recognized for Trusts & Estates; Litigation-Trusts and Estates
- Katherine Porter, counsel in the Portland office, recognized for Employment Law/Management; Labor & Employment Litigation
- Matthew O’Connor, a partner in the Portland office, recognized for Commercial Litigation
- Sara Murphy, a Portland-based partner, recognized for Commercial Litigation
- Stanley Pupecki, counsel in Providence, recognized for Insurance Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation/Defendants
In addition, eight firm attorneys were recognized as a “Lawyer of the Year," a recognition presented annually to individual attorneys with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one attorney is recognized as a "Lawyer of the Year" for each specialty and location. The partners receiving this notable peer recognition are:
- Andrew Kaplan: Energy Regulatory Law – Boston
- Barbara Wheaton: Trusts & Estates – Portland, Maine
- Dave Barry: Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Litigation: Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) – Portland, Maine
- Gavin McCarthy: Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants – Portland, Maine
- Jan Myskowski: Elder Law – Concord, New Hampshire
- Jared des Rosiers: Energy Law; Energy Regulatory Law– Portland, Maine
- John Bulman: Arbitration; Construction Law – Providence, Rhode Island
- Nolan Reichl: Appellate Practice – Portland, Maine
Finally, we are also pleased to note that 16 firm attorneys were included in the category, “Ones to Watch.” These recognitions are given to private practice attorneys who have been in practice for 5-9 years. Like the Best Lawyers recognitions, these awards are also based on peer review. This year’s honorees are:
- Allen Braddock: Tax Law
- Ariel Pardee: Privacy and Data Security Law
- Bonnie Ball Wahrer: Trusts & Estates (NEW in 2026)
- Cameron Goodwin: Commercial Litigation (NEW in 2026)
- Elizabeth Frazier: Government Relations Practice
- Georgia Bolduc: Environmental Law (NEW in 2026)
- Jack Bjorn: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Labor and Employment Law/Management
- Kasey Boucher Pierter: Intellectual Property Law
- Katherine Hyland: Real Estate Law
- Kellie E. MacDonald: Immigration Law
- Mason Carr: Patent Law (NEW in 2026)
- Nick Salalayko: Energy Law (NEW in 2026)
- Peter H. Kenlan: Real Estate Law
- Sarah Remes: Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Sheya Rivard: Commercial Litigation; Construction Litigation (NEW in 2026)
- Tess Edwards: Land Use & Zoning Law; Real Estate Law (NEW in 2026)
A complete listing of Pierce Atwood’s attorney recognitions is available at Best Lawyers.