Boston Trial Lawyers

Maz has been at Melick & Porter his entire legal career. He began as a Law Clerk in the summer of 1988 and joined the firm as an Associate in the fall of 1989. Maz has extensive experience in complex civil litigation matters, representing clients in both federal and state courts for over 30 years. A significant portion of his practice involves employment law and includes providing major national corporations with oversight and defense of their employment litigation.

Bob joined the firm in 1984 after graduating from law school and has made it his professional home. In the years since, he has tried numerous jury cases in both federal and state courts involving a variety of civil matters, including professional malpractice, insurance coverage, and general liability claims. Bob oversees our firm's appellate practice and has successfully argued cases before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Having begun his career at Melick & Porter over twenty-five years ago, Mike rejoined the firm in 2015 after several years at a national firm specializing in civil litigation defense and insurance coverage matters. Mike has experience in a variety of areas, from professional liability and premises liability claims to business disputes, housing discrimination, and environmental claims.

Brian is a partner in Melick & Porter's Boston office. He focuses his practice on defending individual and corporate clients in complex civil litigation matters including general liability, hospitality and restaurant litigation, entertainment and sports litigation, construction litigation, and transportation litigation. He is admitted to the state and federal court of Massachusetts.

Matt is a Partner in the General Liability and Professional Liability practice groups. He is admitted to practice in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and regularly represents insurance carriers, their policy holders and self-insureds in state and federal court. Matt is a skilled litigator who has successfully represented clients on a wide range of insurance defense matters.

Prior to joining Melick & Porter, Shannon spent two years working as a Law Clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Shannon’s experience includes counseling and defending clients in all facets of recreational, products, construction, and general liability litigation in both federal and state courts. 

Chris joined the firm in 2010 and concentrates his practice on the defense of complex liability matters in the areas of construction, dram shop, premises, automobile, and catastrophic tort. Prior to joining Melick & Porter, Chris worked at a civil litigation defense firm outside of Boston where he specialized in construction and automobile matters.

Bob rejoined the firm in 2021 after several years at firms similarly specializing in complex civil litigation. He has extensive experience handling general liability, construction, liquor liability, premises liability, products liability, transportation, and toxic torts.

Rick Heifetz is entering his fortieth year of practicing law. He is a 1972 graduate of the University of New Hampshire (B.A., cum laude) and a 1978 graduate of the New England School of Law (J.D., cum laude). He began his legal career as an associate in the firm of Darling & McLaughlin in Burlington and was a founding partner in the Boston firm of Roche, Heifetz, Murphy & Wholley.

Christian has extensive experience in complex litigation matters, including bench and jury trials, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and mediations. His corporate counseling includes risk assessment and contract review. He is admitted to the state and federal courts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Christian's practice has earned him selections as a “Massachusetts Super Lawyer.”

Carolyn is a partner at Melick & Porter's Boston office. Carolyn joined the firm in 2014, after having worked at another Boston insurance defense firm for over five years. Carolyn has extensive experience in defending individual and corporate clients in a wide variety of complex multi-party construction-related matters, including personal injury, wrongful death and breach of contract claims in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts.

Syd is a cum laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and a cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School. During law school, he was the recipient of the Goodwin Scholarship for Best Trial Advocacy. Syd previously practiced at Regan & Kiely LLP and Tucker, Heifetz & Saltzman in Boston.

Rob concentrates his practice on premises liability, professional liability, explosion, construction injury and worker’s compensation matters. Rob’s most notable defense verdicts in civil jury trials include: a negligent product distribution claim by a waitress whose face was burned by flaming brandy flambé spilled on her by a chef performing a “Strawberry Flambe” on stage.

Lauren is a Partner in the firm’s Boston office. Her practices focus on defending employment practices liability matters involving a variety of issues, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. She also handles professional liability, general liability, and insurance coverage matters. Lauren represents clients in both state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies.

Mike is an associate in the firm's Boston office. Mike's practice focuses primarily on the defense of complex general liability, product liability, premises liability, personal injury, construction, and recreational liability cases.

Lauren is an associate in the firm’s Boston office. Lauren’s practice focuses primarily on the defense of complex general liability, premises liability, liquor liability, sexual abuse litigation, personal injury, construction, and employment law matters.

Erin’s extensive experience includes the defense of employment practices, insurance coverage, premises liability, and professional malpractice matters. She recently obtained a favorable finding before a New Hampshire medical malpractice screening panel in a negligent EMT case. She has also obtained summary judgment on behalf of numerous clients, including a pre-fabricated building company in a negligent construction matter.

Doug provides counseling and trial advocacy for the sports and entertainment industry and counts among his clients some of the premier sports and entertainment franchises in Massachusetts. He has extensive experience defending claims arising out of activities at NFL and MLB events, concerts, triathlons, marathons, hockey rinks, dance clubs, and commercial trucking.

Nick is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston office. His practice focuses on employment law, general liability, professional liability, and premises liability.

Stephanie Bendeck is a skilled and experienced trial attorney. She has tried over fifty cases, both jury and non-jury, and argued complicated motions involving complex legal issues to the court. She is experienced in preparing, defending, and cross-examining both lay and expert witnesses.

Sophia is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston office. Her practice focuses on the defense of complex liability matters in the areas of construction, premises, and automobile. She also handles employment law matters. Prior to joining the firm, Sophia was a public defender for several years in New Hampshire, where she represented juveniles and adults facing misdemeanor and serious felony criminal offenses.

Alexandra is an Associate in the firm's Boston office. Alexandra's practice focuses on the defense of employment practices, general liability cases and insurance coverage.

Tom is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston office.  He joined the Firm in 2016 as a litigation paralegal, gaining experience in a wide range of complex liability matters while pursuing his JD from New England Law | Boston.  Tom will be focusing his practice on defending individual and corporate clients in general liability, professional liability, and sexual abuse litigation. 

Elizabeth is an Associate in the firm's Boston office. Elizabeth's practice focuses on the defense of property liability, general liability cases, and insurance coverage.

Peter is a partner in Melick & Porter’s Boston office with nearly twenty years of legal experience. He is a graduate of Boston University, and Suffolk University Law School. Peter started his legal practice at Hale & Dorr, before joining a smaller insurance defense practice. Over the last several years he has devoted himself to working with insurance companies and their insureds in the defense of a variety of liability claims, including insurance coverage and bad faith litigation.

Hogan is an Associate in the firm’s Boston location.

Hogan earned his Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law in 2022, where he was VP of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and Treasurer of the Health Law and Policy Society. He also graduated with a certificate in Health Law. Prior to law school, Hogan earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in History and Museum Studies from Springfield College, where he was History Club President.

Christina is an Associate in the firm’s Boston office.

Christina graduated summa cum laude from Siena College in 2019, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Science, Technology, and Value. During this time, she completed an internship at the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Christina earned her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 2023.

Emma is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston office. Her practice focuses primarily on defending individuals and corporate clients in matters involving general liability and product liability. Emma earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology at the University of Miami in 2020. She then pursued her JD from New England Law | Boston where she was in the Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Honors Program.

Marissa is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston Office. Her practice focuses primarily on defense of civil matters involving general liability, premises liability, construction law, recreational liability, and transportation law.