Unlocking Opportunities

As a dedicated and creative labor and employment attorney, Matt understands the critical importance of both the big picture and specific details to advising the employers he works with. He is a strategic thinker who works to grasp his clients’ long-term goals and balance the competing interests at stake to achieve the best possible results.

Matt assists clients on various areas of labor and employment law, including employment terminations, family and medical leave, disability accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and wage and hour issues. Matt also litigates discrimination and harassment claims and other employment cases on behalf of his clients before courts and administrative agencies. Finally, Matt assists employers in drafting legally compliant employment policies and employee handbooks.

While working as a law clerk at New Hampshire’s only federal court, Matt learned how a strong case is built and how it progresses through the court system. Further, his prior experience in government service and public relations gives him a unique perspective on the issues employers face. These experiences, along with his ability to navigate complex issues and communicate with clarity and precision, make him a trusted guide for his clients.

Deirdre has practiced labor and employment law since 2013, first in New York, then in Maine, and now in New Hampshire for Devine Millimet. Her goal is to help my clients achieve their business objectives through compliance with all federal, state, and local labor and employment laws, creation of internal policies and employee handbooks to support the business's mission, and employee education. She also assist clients with responding to employment litigation, workplace investigations, and negotiating settlements.

She is also fluent in Spanish, having studied abroad in Argentina and Mexico. Spanish translation and interpretation is another tool in my kit to assist clients with diverse workforces.

She has experience advising clients of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, public sector clients, and non-profits. In a previous role, she served as in-house counsel for a large public university system, advising on varied matters including the COVID-19 pandemic, collective bargaining negotiations, and the full span of employment litigation. She also has significant experience representing clients in arbitration and before Human Rights Commissions and the EEOC. She also takes an interest in tracking new employment legislation at the state and federal levels, and advising on the potential impact for employers.

She is a proud aunt to three nephews and one niece, and enjoys spending time on the Maine seacoast with my immediate and extended family and friends. She volunteers regularly with the American Red Cross and supports various local community poverty reduction initiatives, including the United Way.

Peg O’Brien is a director at McLane Middleton and chair of the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group.  Peg assists employers with legal compliance and risk management in all phases of the employment relationship, as well as defense of employers in matters pending before government agencies and courts.  On a regular basis, Peg assists company executives, human resources professionals and supervisors with routine employment law concerns. Peg provides on-site and virtual training for employees and supervisors on harassment prevention and documentation and discipline best practices, and other employment law matters. Peg frequently presents at seminars on employment law issues before human resources and trade groups. She has practiced law for more than 25 years and has handled litigation in federal and state courts throughout New Hampshire.  She has extensive jury trial experience as well as extensive experience appearing before government agencies. Peg can be reached in McLane Middleton’s Manchester office at margaret.obrien@mclane.com or (603) 628-1490. 

Jen devotes her practice to assisting employers in complying with legal requirements during all phases of the employment relationship and defending employers in discrimination and other claims pending before state and federal agencies.

Jen has more than 25 years of experience assisting employers with issues including:

• Hiring and background checks
• Non-compete and non-disclosure agreements
• Wage and hour laws and payroll compliance
• Employee handbooks and policies
• Drug and alcohol testing
• Safety and workplace violence
• Managing leaves of absence and requests for reasonable accommodation
• Performance management and best practices
• Preventing and correcting harassment, discrimination, and retaliation
• Corrective/disciplinary action, employee misconduct, and termination
• Layoffs/reductions in force
• Severance agreements
• Personnel files and recordkeeping

Jen provides in-house training for employers on issues including harassment prevention and managing within the law. She also conducts workplace investigations and defends employers before the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state and federal Departments of Labor. Jen frequently presents on employment law topics for business, industry, and employer groups.

Prior to joining the firm in 2022, Jen was a partner at Cook Little in Manchester for 14 years. Jen is also proud of her time at the two prominent New England firms headquartered in New Hampshire where she began her legal career and her focus on employment law.