Peabody & Arnold LLP, based in Boston with an office in
Providence, is a Massachusetts Bar Association Honor Roll Firm.
Managing partner Allen David discusses the firm's lengthy history
and its current mission:
What types of law does Peabody & Arnold LLP
handle?
We focus exclusively on litigation and insurance matters.
What are the particular areas of specialization where
Peabody & Arnold LLP has made a name for itself?
There are four areas of law for which the firm is best known. On
a local and regional level, it is known for its experience in
professional liability defense - primarily legal malpractice - and
employment law representing management. On a national level, it is
known for its work in insurance coverage, and medical device and
pharmaceutical litigation.
Anything to announce in the coming year?
Peabody & Arnold LLP has long been known as an excellent
trial firm. What the public and the legal community may not know,
however, is that Peabody & Arnold LLP has been quietly
developing a stellar group of women trial attorneys. Forty percent
of the firm's partners are women. Women make up 45 percent of the
partners in the litigation group and those partners have
significant trial expertise on the local and national level. In the
coming year, the firm plans to celebrate with our clients, and the
public, the depth of our women lawyer trial bench and our
commitment to train the next generation of women to become
accomplished trial lawyers.
Describe a recent pro bono project the firm has
undertaken.
The firm volunteered to represent a Boston Marathon bombing
victim and was assigned to represent a young woman who had part of
her calf sheared off by shrapnel and had suffered post-traumatic
stress disorder. The firm shepherded her through the One Fund and
through the Massachusetts Victim's Fund procedures, such that she
received the maximum recovery for which she was entitled. It
drafted an appropriate estate plan for her, and found her a
financial management firm to advise her. It also provided her with
general advice, moral support and encouragement. She has rebounded
from her tragedy and has become a valued friend, as well as a
pro bono client, of the firm.
Name at least one fact about Peabody & Arnold LLP
that people might be surprised to learn (famous alumni,
etc).
It would have to be John Brooks. John, who died in 2012, spent
his entire career here. He was champion of legal services for the
poor and was instrumental in founding Greater Boston Legal
Services. When John was 80, President Bill Clinton appointed him to
the board of the Legal Services Corporation. The MBA presented him
with its 100th Community Service Award in 1994. As a lifelong
Quaker, John was active in the anti-draft movement in the 1960s,
and tried a draft case with William Kunstler.
Why is it important to have all the lawyers in your firm
members of the MBA?
Providing membership to all members of our firm encourages our
attorneys to be active in the greater legal committee and to
participate in the various programs offered by the MBA.
Additionally, all of our attorneys have the ability to take
advantage of the MBA's free CLE programs, many of which are located
just a short walk from our office at the MBA's headquarters in
Boston. The CLEs are also offered at convenient times, usually
lunch or early evening, making it easier for our attorneys to
attend. Many CLEs are also live streamed for those that cannot make
it to the live program.
In what ways do you find the MBA beneficial to the
lawyers in your firm?
Membership in the MBA has been beneficial to both experienced
practitioners in our firm and younger associates. For the more
experienced practitioners, the MBA has provided an outlet for them
to give back to legal community, whether it be mentoring newer
attorneys and law students, presenting at CLE programs or
volunteering in the MBA's Dial-a-Lawyer program as well as other
MBA volunteer initiatives and pro bono programs. The MBA
also provides these attorneys with an opportunity to network with
their peers from other area firms, including those who specialize
in different practices areas.
For the newer attorneys, the MBA provides many similar
opportunities. It also provides these individuals with
opportunities for leadership roles early on in their careers.
Further, these attorneys enjoy the chance to attend free CLE
programs on a variety of topics relevant to their practice. Many of
our firm's associates are involved in the MBA's Young Lawyers'
Division which is specifically geared to meet these needs and
provides an inviting environment for them to commence their bar
association involvement.