New Hires

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew is pleased to announce that Jess Phelps, Sara Huddleston and Michael Thomas have joined the firm as associate attorneys.

Jess is a member of the firm’s real estate group.  Prior to joining the firm, he was an attorney at the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of General Counsel, Natural Resources and Environment Division in Washington, D.C., where he primarily worked on land conservation transactions involving the Natural Resources Conservation Service (“NRCS”) and Forest Service. He graduated from Drake University School of Law where he served Editor in Chief of the Drake Law Review.

Sara is a member of the firm’s business group and her practice involves a variety of corporate and nonprofit transactions, including drafting agreements and advising clients on corporate governance. She graduated from Boston College Law School where she served as a research assistant to Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Luís Roberto Barroso and Professor Paulo Barrozo. Sara also helped Professor Sharon Beckman, Director of the Boston College Innocence Program, establish a program to address the re-entry needs of exonerees.

Michael is a member of the firm’s business group and provides legal support to start-ups and established companies in all aspects of their business operations. Prior to joining the firm, he assisted startup companies in the Boston area by drafting licensing and operating agreements while working in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Clinic at Boston College Law School. Michael graduated from Boston College Law School where he served as Managing Editor for the Boston College Intellectual Property and Technology Forum Journal.

Dinse, is pleased to announce that Daniel R. Sharpe joined the firm as Of Counsel in May. Mr. Sharpe will be working with the firm’s employment practice group, advising clients on employee benefit plan design, administration, and compliance, ERISA, and executive compensation.

Mr. Sharpe has considerable experience in all aspects of employee benefits law. Much of his recent work has been focused on fiduciary performance and risk management. He has advised management and administrative committees as well as union plans. Mr. Sharpe has provided advice and guidance in the adoption of investment policies and in reviewing fees for retirement plans, foundations and endowment funds. His employee benefit work covers executive compensation, qualified retirement plans, welfare benefit plans, federal and state income taxation of retirement benefits and ESOP plan design and administration. Mr. Sharpe has represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the US Tax Court and other Federal courts.

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew is pleased to announce that Kienan D. Christianson, Malory S. Lea and Lauren Sampson joined the firm in September as associate attorneys.

Mr. Christianson is a member of the firm’s litigation group. Prior to joining the firm, he clerked for the Honorable Justice Robinson of the Vermont Supreme Court and the Honorable Joan M. Azrack of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He graduated from New York Law School where he served as an Articles Editor for the New York Law School Law Review and was a member of the law school’s Justice Action Center.

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew announces that Jeff McMahan has been elected as its President and Managing Partner to succeed Brian Murphy. Regarding the transition, Brian said, “The firm is fortunate to have many outstanding leaders and the unanimous selection of Jeff as our new President is a superb choice. His leadership skills are excellent, his keen business sense is a valuable asset, and his vision for the firm’s future is very exciting.”

Mr. McMahan is a corporate and intellectual property lawyer, advising businesses on issues related to formation, mergers and acquisitions, raising capital, technology licensing, trademarks and copyrights. Mr. McMahan’s clients range from entrepreneurial start-ups to publicly-held companies. He has particular experience representing software vendors and purchasers in the negotiation of computer system implementation, license and support agreements. Mr. McMahan also advises clients on the selection of trademarks and assists with the registration of their trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Mr. McMahan’s practice also focuses on securities matters. He has assisted both privately-held and publicly traded companies with the private placement of stock and works extensively with higher education and healthcare clients in connection with their tax-exempt bonds.

Mr. McMahan said, “During his five years as Managing Partner, Brian has done a great job nurturing our firm’s collaborative culture – which results in a high level of services to our clients. As I look at the future of the firm, with its deep roots in Vermont, I am excited to work with the Dinse team to keep elevating our service.”

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew is pleased to announce that James P. Langan and Kelli Rockandel joined the firm in September as associate attorneys.

Mr. Langan is a member of the firm’s business group. He came to the firm from The University of Vermont, where he served as a contract analyst in the Division of Finance. Prior to returning to his home state of Vermont, he worked in Boston as an associate attorney in the administrative law department of Foley Hoag LLP and the real estate department of Sullivan & Worcester LLP. Mr. Langan is a graduate of William and Mary Law School and Harvard College.

Ms. Rockandel is a member of the firm’s litigation group, with a focus on civil litigation, as well as the firm’s business group. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Rockandel worked as an extern at the law firm BakerHostetler in its Los Angeles office. While there, she aided the litigation group in a variety of state and federal environmental matters, including a CERCLA cost-recovery action. In 2013, she was a Summer Law Clerk for the Burlington law firm Dunkiel Saunders Elliott Raubvogel & Hand. Ms. Rockandel is a graduate of Vermont Law School and The University of Arizona.

Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew is one of the largest and most respected law firms in Vermont and northern New York. At Dinse, client service is our highest priority.