Our Firm - Dinse - Burlington, Vermont

Overview

Welcome to Dinse, a law firm based in Burlington, VT, serving businesses, institutions and individuals. Our attorneys’ exemplary work, which is recognized annually by Chambers & Partners and Best Lawyers, is driven by a core set of values that place a premium on integrity, respect, and compassion in our relationships and our work. This dedication to superior legal service sets us apart from other law firms because it extends beyond rhetoric and informs our actions in real life, measurably impacting each clients’ experience.

Our strength is our people. Our firm is comprised of a dynamic group of accomplished individuals who apply their unique passions and deep expertise to client challenges daily. When you hire Dinse, you don’t just hire one lawyer; you hire an integrated team, committed to your success. This is one of the reasons that we have successfully served as a long-term legal advisor to a variety of institutions with complex and varied legal needs; one of these such relationships extends back to the 1950s.

From the emphasis we place on building trusting, collaborative relationships to our pragmatic approach to developing tailored legal solutions to each challenge, we are dedicated to exceeding expectations.

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Kendall Hoechst

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation

"I take a collaborative approach to achieving the best possible outcome for my clients."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Mark A. Langan

CONCENTRATION

Estate Planning and Business Succession, Estate Administration, Trust and Estate Litigation, Tax Planning

"I have been in practice since 1981 and continue to strive for excellence and professionalism in all aspects of my work."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Clara Alley

CONCENTRATION

Estate Planning

"My Approach My goal is to make the estate planning process as smooth and comfortable as possible by providing our clients with the..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Chase Johnson

CONCENTRATION

Corporate Transactions and Governance, Renewable Energy Transactions

"MY APPROACH I grew up in Vermont and am proud to represent clients playing a role in our local economy. I counsel businesses and ..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Sohier Perry

CONCENTRATION

Corporate governance, business formation, nonprofits, mergers and acquisitions, tax issues, and commercial transactions.

"My Approach My goal is to help clients achieve their business goals through practical solutions tailored to their unique needs. I ..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Jeff Kaplan

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation and Appeals

"My Approach I aim to provide a careful, collaborative, and efficient approach when advocating on behalf of clients during the liti..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Joshua Diamond

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation, Government Regulation, Employment and Labor Law, Family Law

"My Approach I am a litigator, advocate, and legal counselor. With a proven ability to understand and distill co..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Nick Erly

CONCENTRATION

Business and Corporate Law

"My Approach I firmly believe that the most effective legal representation begins with a strong attorney-client pa..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Alex Hunter

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation

"My Approach My mission is to provide clients with creative solutions for their legal challenges. As a litigatio..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Noah Greenstein

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation

"Approach As a litigation associate, I assist the firm’s experienced litigators by providing thorough research and thoughtful ana..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Anne Rosenblum

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation

"My Approach I strive to assist my clients in obtaining just and efficient litigation results based on a holistic understanding of ..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Margarita Warren

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation, Healthcare Regulation

"My Approach I like to think creatively in advocating for my clients. I pride myself on being diligent and thorough while communica..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Carol Y. Pfeiffer

CONCENTRATION

Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Administration

"My Approach It is of utmost importance to me to build a trusting relationship with each client based on communication, support, an..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Ritchie E. Berger

CONCENTRATION

Complex Civil Litigation

"Complex, high-stakes, bet-the-company cases are my strength and passion."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Jeffrey J. McMahan

CONCENTRATION

Business Planning, Intellectual Property, Corporate Transactions, Securities, Healthcare

"If I can help my clients get back to running their business, then I feel like I’ve done my job."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Sandra A. Strempel

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation, Family Law, Immigration

"My strength is my ability to provide clarity, quickly breaking down complex situations and providing transparency to the client throughout the process."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Shap Smith

CONCENTRATION

Litigation, Insurance Coverage, Intellectual Property

"I am a litigator, advocate and leader who solves difficult problems with a proven ability to understand and distill complicated issues quickly."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Maggie Platzer

CONCENTRATION

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, Healthcare and Privacy Compliance

"I see myself as a partner to my clients in the effort to understand how complicated regulatory frameworks apply to their business operations."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

James P. Langan

CONCENTRATION

Real Estate, Land Use, Business Transactions

"As a former teacher, administrator and attorney in higher education, I am particularly adept at advising colleges and other institutional clients with their finance and business needs."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Angela R. Clark

CONCENTRATION

Complex Civil Litigation, Medical Malpractice Defense, Professional Licensing Actions

"I approach each case with the goal of supporting the litigation team through the entire litigation process."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Amy M. McLaughlin

CONCENTRATION

Employment Law

"I tailor my approach to accommodate the unique culture, objectives and operations of each client's institution."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Ted Lawrence

CONCENTRATION

Business Transactions, Securities, Financial Services

"My goal is to help clients minimize legal and financial risks. "

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Justin Barnard

CONCENTRATION

Civil Litigation and Appeals

"My Approach In a hard-fought dispute, the path to success begins with a clear-eyed, deliberate strategy to build the record that w..."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Nicole Andreson

CONCENTRATION

Professional Malpractice Defense, Personal Injury Defense, Professional Licensing and Disciplinary Actions

"My goal is to be a champion for my client’s cause by putting my experience to work towards a favorable result."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Leigh Cole

CONCENTRATION

Immigration, Education

"I am passionate about education, business and internationalization. "

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Molly Langan

CONCENTRATION

Commercial Real Estate Transactions

"Relying on over three decades of experience I am able to quickly identify issues, analyze risk and provide potential solutions to clients in an efficient manner."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Afi Ahmadi

CONCENTRATION

Commercial Transactions, Financial Services & Lending Regulation

"I pride myself on responsiveness, consistent communication, and delivering solutions that hold up over time, preventing avoidable and costly misunderstandings."

FEATURED ATTORNEY

Dave Gurtman

CONCENTRATION

Business and Entrepreneurial Transactions, Renewable Energy, Nonprofit Organizations

"As a transactional attorney, I strive to add value for my clients by helping to manage future and present risk in a cost effective manner."

History

In 1917, our office was opened in Burlington, VT, near the shores of Lake Champlain. Warren R. Austin, the firm’s founding attorney, became one of Vermont’s most prominent trial lawyers, a United States Senator, and was the first United States Ambassador to the United Nations. He set a standard for excellence that carried our firm through the following decades as it grew from two attorneys in 1922 to 30 attorneys today. Our rich history includes many of Vermont’s most distinguished lawyers who grew to prominence in their respective practice areas and became meaningful contributors to the Vermont philanthropic, business and higher education communities. We have led the pack in prioritizing the involvement and leadership of women and value diversity highly in our staff and our clients.

Throughout our firm’s history, our reputation for exemplary client service and world-class representation has held true. We look forward to many more years of dedicated practice, service and partnership.

1917-1922
Law Office of Warren R. Austin
1922-1952
Austin & Edmunds
1952-1961
Edmunds, Austin & Wick
1961-1970
Wick, Dinse & Allen
1970-1984
Dinse, Allen & Erdmann
1984-1996
Dinse, Erdmann, & Knapp
1996-1997
Dinse, Erdmann, Knapp, & McAndrew
1997-2018
Dinse, Knapp, & McAndrew
2018
Dinse

Culture

Our commitment to respect and collaboration doesn’t only apply to our client relationships – it’s also an important part of the way we work together as colleagues. Stop by our office during lunchtime and you’ll see partners, paralegals, and everyone in between sitting together at one long table. From what we’ve heard of other firms, this non-hierarchical approach to firm culture makes us unique. We feel that it’s one more thing for us to be proud of.

Here are some attributes that describe our culture:

Thoughtful
Curious
Responsive
Connected
Passionate
Hard-Working
Nimble
Good-Humored
Open

Community Commitment

We believe that our responsibility to do good work extends beyond our office walls, and this value permeates our office culture. Our firm is committed to making a positive environmental and social impact through meaningful community engagement and sustainable business practices. As a result of these efforts, our office is solar powered, composts organic waste, and we support numerous community organizations and initiatives throughout the year. In addition, many of our attorneys hold board leadership positions with organizations across the state. We deeply value the important roles our professionals play outside the office and encourage their participation in broader community conversations.

Pro Bono

As skilled attorneys, we value the opportunity to offer pro bono assistance to those who need it. Each attorney at our firm approaches pro bono work individually, finding and pursuing the causes that are meaningful to them. As a firm, we participate in a pro bono landlord tenant program in which we represent tenants facing eviction, an urgent and important effort we are proud to contribute to.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)

Dinse looks to uphold the same positive values within our firm as we do in the broader community. Our commitment to this goal is exemplified by the work of our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee. Additionally, we support businesses and nonprofit organizations that share our guiding principles. We strive to ensure that our commitment to diversity and inclusion is felt by employees and clients in their interactions at Dinse.

Overview

Kendall Hoechst

Mark A. Langan

Clara Alley

Chase Johnson

Sohier Perry

Jeff Kaplan

Joshua Diamond

Nick Erly

Alex Hunter

Noah Greenstein

Anne Rosenblum

Margarita Warren

Carol Y. Pfeiffer

Ritchie E. Berger

Jeffrey J. McMahan

Sandra A. Strempel

Shap Smith

Maggie Platzer

James P. Langan

Angela R. Clark

Amy M. McLaughlin

Ted Lawrence

Justin Barnard

Nicole Andreson

Leigh Cole

Molly Langan

Afi Ahmadi

Dave Gurtman

History

Culture

Community Commitment

Pro Bono

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)

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