Devine Millimet is one of the largest and most dynamic business and litigation law firms in the region
serving our clients and our communities since 1947.
Working from our historic headquarters building in Manchester, New Hampshire, and our satellite offices in Concord and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, we serve individuals, businesses, and nonprofits in the areas of business & commercial litigation, construction litigation, criminal law, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), divorce & domestic relations, employment consulting and litigation, healthcare, insurance defense, intellectual property litigation, medical & professional malpractice, personal injury, probate litigation, real estate, ski defense litigation, tax, utilities, bankruptcy and collections work, estate planning, and all aspects of corporate law, including finance and business formation and mergers and acquisitions.
Our Legacy
Just out of Yale Law School and practicing in a Concord law firm, Joe Millimet first met Maurice Devine when they represented opposing sides in an automobile accident case. They immediately liked and respected each other’s professional style. This respect has been a cornerstone value of the firm since its founding in 1947, when Joe Millimet and Maurice Devine became partners.
The early work of the firm centered on insurance defense work as well as representation of small, Manchester-based businesses. These small clients eventually grew to be significant firm clients and New Hampshire entities, portending the growth of business in the state. For example, Paul Harvey, first working out of a one-room office in Manchester, built Harvey Construction Company, one of the largest construction companies in the state. Institutional clients have also grown with the firm. We started representing the University System of New Hampshire in 1950 and continue to do so to this day. Currently, Devine Millimet is a full-service firm, with more than 50 service areas, providing counsel and business advice to clients across New England.
By 1975, the firm, now named Devine, Millimet, Stahl & Branch Professional Association, had grown to 21 attorneys. In 1986, the firm purchased and renovated the federal Post Office building, which is its home to this day. The building, in the center of Manchester and constructed of granite, symbolizes the firm’s strong commitment to the progress of New Hampshire and the firm’s solid place within the legal and business community of New England.
In the spring of 2015, in addition to our offices in Manchester and Concord, we opened a Portsmouth office on Penhallow Street in historic downtown Portsmouth. In keeping with our tradition of inhabiting historic government buildings, our Portsmouth office is located in the city’s former police department building.
On July 1, 2015, the firm announced that it combined with the highly regarded trial law firm of Nelson Kinder + Mosseau, bringing the law firm back to its early roots in litigation. The combination created the largest litigation department of any New Hampshire-based law firm.
What Our Clients Say
From Boutique to Powerhouse
From our beginning as a two-person insurance defense boutique, Devine Millimet has grown to over 50 attorneys licensed to practice in multiple states and numerous federal courts, as well as the U.S. tax court, U.S. bankruptcy court, and the U.S. patent office. A majority of our shareholders are recognized by peers and national ranking organizations as “Best Lawyers in America,” “Super Lawyers,” “Benchmark Litigators,” and we have received numerous awards for our service to the community and our working environment.
Our multi-disciplinary teams of lawyers and other professionals supplement our extensive knowledge base with sophisticated technology and processes to provide our clients with innovative and effective representation. As a result, we are honored to count some of New England’s largest and most successful businesses and institutions among our clients. Our clients benefit from the access and respect that we have earned in the legal, business, legislative and regulatory communities.
Awards & Memberships
Devine Millimet and our attorneys have been ranked as leaders in providing superior legal services across many service areas and industries. We have been recognized as outstanding by legal peers, industry publications, and businesses in New Hampshire and New England.
We are active members of several leading business and industry organizations that provide resources to help area businesses grow and support the vibrant communities in which we work and live.
Community Involvement
We believe in making a difference.
Our attorneys and staff are not only passionate client advocates, but passionate community advocates, volunteering their time and talents to charitable, civic, cultural, professional, and political organizations, giving back to those in need. During the course of their involvement, many have assumed leadership roles by becoming trustees or board members. Our Pro Bono Committee assists low-income tenants facing evictions, often on very short notice. The firm has repeatedly exhibited its generosity in raising funds or collecting donations for causes such as the American Heart Association, the United Way, the Salvation Army, the NH Food Bank, and many other worthy groups and causes.
Shaping Legal Landscape
Devine Millimet attorneys have influenced New Hampshire law and public policy for generations. Our work over the years has involved a number of superlatives: some of the largest business transactions in the state, the largest bankruptcy cases, some of the largest damage awards, and successful defenses against some of the largest claims. Our firm also has a proud tradition of cultivating many jurists and civic leaders, including New Hampshire Supreme Court justices, federal judges, a governor, and New Hampshire Bar Association leaders. Our attorneys serve on the boards of major community nonprofits, universities, and charitable organizations, as well as providing important pro bono work to help ensure justice for all.
Since 1947, we have been about service – service to our clients, service to our community, service to each other, and service to our profession. Let us be of service to you.
Pro Bono
Using our legal skills to help people on a pro bono basis is an important part of being a Devine Millimet attorney. Our lawyers are active on numerous pro bono cases and projects, helping those less fortunate receive much-needed legal counsel.
Devine Millimet attorneys participate in the state of New Hampshire’s Pro Bono Referral Program. The program is conducted by a team of lawyers from law firms across the state. It focuses on assisting families in crisis facing eviction who require legal counsel. Because services in eviction situations are required within a very tight timeframe, volunteer lawyers created the Swift Working Attorneys for Tenants team, which was piloted here at Devine Millimet in 2006. With the quick turnaround of such cases within the courts and limited resources available to meet the needs of families, many tenants go through the process representing themselves without the benefit of legal expertise and experience. The SWAT team is able to assist clients in crisis swiftly, helping to create more effective dialogue between the parties and better outcomes because both sides are able to articulate their needs and to have a say in how their case is resolved.
