The law firm of McLane Middleton congratulates attorneys Steven M. Burke (Tax Law), John E. Rich, Jr. (Employee Benefits [ERISA] Law), Ralph F. Holmes (Litigation – Trusts and Estates), and Michael J. Quinn (Environmental Law) for being named a 2017 Lawyer of the Year in their respective field by Best Lawyers in America©.
Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers lists have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere.
Steve Burke is a director in McLane Middleton’s Tax and Trusts & Estates Departments. Using his expertise as a licensed CPA as well as an attorney, Steve advises high net worth individuals, families and fiduciaries on estate and income tax planning and administration, and wealth preservation strategies. Steve is a Fellow at the American College of Tax Counsel, and is a Distinguished Professor of Taxation at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. He is a two-time past president of the NH Society of CPAs and currently serves as a member of the governing council for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In addition to being recognized by Best Lawyers in Corporate Law and Tax Law, Steve is recognized in Chambers USA: A Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers in the Corporate/Commercial: Tax category, holds an AV Preeminent Peer Review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is rated by Super Lawyers. Steve can be reached in the firm’s Manchester, Portsmouth, Woburn, and Boston offices at (603) 628-1454, (781) 904-2711, or steve.burke@mclane.com.
Ralph Holmes is a trial lawyer who has won multi-million dollar verdicts, including two of the largest Probate Court verdicts in New Hampshire history. Ralph’s record of success in the courtroom and his deep experience have helped him develop one of the region’s leading probate litigation practices while continuing to handle many substantial other types of cases for individuals and businesses. In addition to being recognized by Best Lawyers in Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, and Personal Injury Litigation, Ralph holds an AV Preeminent Peer Review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is rated by Super Lawyers. Ralph can be reached in the firm’s Manchester and Woburn offices at (603) 628-1409, (781) 904-2700, or ralph.holmes@mclane.com.
John Rich is chair of McLane Middleton’s Tax Department where he advises clients regarding compliance with ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, COBRA, HIPAA and other complex federal laws applicable to employee benefit plans. He frequently represents clients before the IRS and United States Department of Labor in audits and investigations and represents clients in litigation involving employee benefit plans. John provides advice to employers regarding all forms of executive compensation and health and welfare plans. He also advises executives concerning stock options, compensation issues and estate planning involving IRAs and retirement benefits. In addition to being recognized by Best Lawyers, John is also rated by Super Lawyers. John can be reached in the firm’s Manchester office at (603) 628-1438 or john.rich@mclane.com.
Michael Quinn’s practice is focused on environmental litigation, involving cases in several different state and federal courts, as well as administrative agency appeals. In addition, he represents businesses and individuals in a broad array of environmental matters including Wetlands and Clean Water Act permitting, Superfund, hazardous and solid waste permitting and compliance. He has extensive experience in litigation, cost recovery and insurance claims arising from former operation of manufactured gas plants. In addition to being recognized by Best Lawyers in Environmental Law and Litigation – Environmental, Michael is recognized in Chambers USA: A Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers in the Environment category, holds a Distinguished Peer Review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is rated by Super Lawyers. He is also the former Chairman of the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Section on Natural Resources and Environmental Law. Michael can be reached in the firm’s Portsmouth office at (603) 334-6925 or mike.quinn@mclane.com.